It’s no secret that life can be stressful. Having an outlet can make all the difference! If you’ve been looking for a way to decompress between classes, jobs, and all the other stressful things life can throw your course, look no further! Yoga might be the practice for you.
This ancient practice is as old as civilizations have existed. Yoga is a fun way to stimulate the mind and body by using postures and breathwork. By taking a few moments of awareness throughout the day, we can see countless benefits in not just our mental wellbeing but our physical health as well.
Whether it’s school, work, or family, stress finds a way to creep into all of our lives. Stress has been proven to directly impact our health, causing issues such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, on top of a variety of chronic illnesses. In turn, stress management is the key to helping prevent a lot of these illnesses.
Yoga is viewed as a holistic approach to stress management. The practice of yoga generates feelings of wellbeing, relaxation, lower irritability, and typically a more positive perspective on everyday life. This balanced energy that yoga stimulates is vital in the immune system and stress response within the body. This results in lower heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output in students who practice yoga regularly. Not only is yoga a fantastic source for stress relief but a preventative measure for many illnesses that stem from high-stress levels!
Have you ever gone through a long day, and your body feels stiff, sore, or tired? Try some stretching poses such as “cat-cow stretches” or “downward facing dog” in a sequence to feel your muscles loosen up after a hard day at school or work. Doing these fun, simple poses stimulate the body for a short period, helping you feel more relaxed and in tune with your body. Still, it increases your flexibility and mobility over time.
Doing these poses is also known to help with back pain. It promotes better posture! You’d be surprised how challenging lengthening your back can be as a beginner yogi. Regular practice will have you standing up straight and tall, preventing back pain in your later years.
Building your muscles and toning your body has never been easier when you can search up a quick YouTube video or join us at McDaniel Yoga. Many of us can relate that going to the gym has its own set of challenges. What if it snows and I can’t leave my room? What if it happens to be closed that day? The gym can even be overwhelming for some people to go to regularly. Lucky for you, yoga is accessible anywhere and anytime!
Channeling awareness to our mind and body makes a change in our perception of life. Taking 30 minutes a day to sit with your thoughts and get in touch with your body can help us better understand ourselves.
If any of these benefits sound like something you’re interested in, I challenge you to join the Mcdaniel yoga club this upcoming Thursday for a virtual yoga session!
McDaniel Yoga meets weekly and virtually on Thursdays at 7 p.m. For more information, follow @mcdanielyoga on Instagram.
