Not only does September represent back to school for students everywhere, this month is also National Yoga Month, a month long celebration and observance of all things yoga. Studios nationwide take part of the celebration by offering one free week on the foundations website. Interested participants can search for studios near them. The offering is just part of the national Yoga Month campaign designed to inspire, educate and generate the positive impact of yoga on health.
During the month long celebration, millions will come together for the activities and free events. All of us are looking for ways to feel and look better and one of the simplest preventative means is by simply unrolling your yoga mat.
Benefits for all school Children
Due to budget cuts in education, many schools do not even offer gym class putting our students, teachers and our country’s future at risk. Many physical education classes and extra-curricular activities haven been eliminated. Without the opportunity to exercise and relieve stress, many students academic success could result in failure.
Yoga’s well-known perks
– Improve behaviors and self-discipline
– Decrease anxiety and depression
– Increase ability to focus and remain attentive
– Assist in weight management
– Boost self-esteem and confidence
– Improve overall health, well-being and mental function
The top 10 reasons we all should practice yoga
Stress relief
Practicing yoga reduces the physical and mental effects of stress on the body. Yoga aids in lowering the stress hormone cortisol. Related benefits include lowered blood pressure and heart rate, improved digestion, boosted immune system, decreased anxiety, fatigue, depression and insomnia.
Decreased pain
Yoga eases pain. Studies have shown that practicing yoga asana (postures), meditation or both can greatly reduce pain for people with chronic conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, as well as arthritis, back and neck pain, and other chronic conditions. I personally know firsthand that yoga can greatly help with easing emotional pain.
Improved breathing
Yoga teaches us to take deeper, slower breaths. Proper breathing helps improve lung function, trigger the body’s relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.
Flexibility
Yoga helps to improve flexibility, mobility, increasing range of motion and reduces aches and pains. Gradually they begin to use the correct muscles. Over time and practice, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity, making more poses possible. Those students who could not touch their toes during their first class are able to reach down with greater ease. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, and joint and muscle problems.
Increased strength
Asana use every muscle in the body leading to increased strength and decrease muscular tension.
Weight management
Even less vigorous styles of yoga can assist with weight by reducing the cortisol levels at the same time burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and lifestyle and helps to improve an increased sense of well-being and self-esteem.
Improved circulation
As a result of a variety of asana, yoga helps to improve circulation resulting in more efficiently moving oxygenated blood cells.
Cardiovascular conditioning
Even a gentle yoga practice can provide some cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
In the moment
Yoga teaches us to focus on the present, to become more aware of where we are that minute helping to create mind-body health. Improved focus and concentration paves the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.
Inner peace
Through asana and the meditation yoga helps many yogis reach a deeper, more spiritual and content place in their lives.
