Yoga – Term Paper

Importance of yoga

Introduction

Yoga is predominantly becoming a practice that many individuals are turning to with the aim of enjoying the benefits that it has. The existence of Yoga for about 5000 years exhibits the prowess of the practice (Li & Goldsmith, 2012). For instance, many chronic diseases are brought about by stress and anxiety, conditions that Yoga instructors support that they are diminished by practicing Yoga. Generally, it involves a practice that engages the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of a human being thus capable of having an effect on the body and soul. There are numerous pieces of evidence that support the fact that continued practice of the Yoga will necessitate more positive effects than negative effects on an individual’s body and mind.

Effects on Body and Soul

When focusing on the effects that Yoga has on human, one has to look into the physical effects. According to the American Osteopathic Association (n.d.), there is yoga enhances the relaxation of the body. One way that Yoga enhances body relaxation is by the increase in blood flow. Different yoga techniques have been developed over time to cater for the blood circulation and they include Warrior II, downward facing dog, and legs up the wall (McCall, 2007). These techniques ease the body and relax the blood vessels thus enabling the flow of blood to be efficient. The second way that Yoga enhances body relaxation is by having improving respiratory vitality. Yoga may at times take a cardio approach by involving the whole body and necessitating increased breathing rates. This will enable an individual to be in control of the breathing rates thus improve the respiratory functionality. The yoga techniques that are involving with the cardio approach normally lead to weight reduction, which is a positive impact mostly for those individuals seeking to lose weight. Another effect of yoga on the body is that of increased muscle strength and athletic performance. Technically, yoga is a fitness exercise which will tend to involve the muscles of the body parts that are in motion during the practice session. For instance, the Warrior II technique ensures that the hip ligaments, quadriceps, among other leg muscles are worked out. This helps in having the muscles of the subject body part gain in strength and fitness.

Yoga in daily life

Yoga tends to give an individual a remedy in terms of solving issues related to the mental wellbeing (Li ; Goldsmith, 2012). Once the mentality of an individual is at ease, then the effects of yoga on the soul start taking effect. This is normally made possible by the reduction loops of undesired mental outcomes such as anger, sadness, and regrets. Yoga is believed to engage the parasympathetic nervous system which allows management of stress levels and the release of endorphins which assist in pain reduction. All these summed up together assist an individual to be in a state of relaxation such that there are no high levels of anxiety and stress. The low levels of anxiety and stress cumulatively reduce the occurrence of some mental conditions in human beings. When a person is overweight, he/she tends to have low self-esteem and by virtue of yoga assisting in weight reduction reduces the stress levels for the individual thus have an effect on the soul of the individual.

Conclusion

For a long time, individuals all over the old have engaged in Yoga activities with a current 15.2 million number in the United States of America. Ideally, the positive effects overcome the negative ones hence leading to the widespread increase in Yoga activities around the globe. The improvement of circulation of blood, increase in muscle strength, development of body flexibility are all factors that can support the claim that yoga indeed assists in ensuring the well-being of the body. The effects on the soul are normally as a result of the reduction of stress levels and anxiety that necessitate general mental wellness.

References

American Osteopathic Association. (n.d.). The Benefits of Yoga. Retrieved 5th April 2018 from http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/yoga.aspx

Li, A. W., ; Goldsmith, C. A. (2012). The effects of yoga on anxiety and stress. Altern Med Rev, 17(1), 21-35.

McCall, T. (August 29, 2007). 38 Health Benefits of Yoga. Yoga Journal. Retrieved 5th April 2018 from https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit

Stelter, G. (October 30, 2017). Yoga for Blood Circulation. Healthline. Retrieved 5th April 2018 from https://www.healthline.com/health/yoga-for-blood-circulation#