Sarah
Ālaya Yoga
What is Holistic Yoga?
- November 24, 2021
Yoga as a holistic health practice
The general understanding our society has about wellness is that it solely relies on physical health. While our physical health is an important part and contributes immensely to our overall wellness, our mental and our spiritual health is just as important but it is often overlooked.
The true meaning of yoga is “union”, and it’s this very union of our mind and body that makes yoga different from other forms of physical health practices. Yoga is a holistic science that embodies the union of our physical, mental and spiritual health. It can help us achieve mental equilibrium, as well as providing numerous health benefits for our body. Yoga as a practice encourages a lifestyle that focuses on balance, harmony, positive thinking and health. This is holistic yoga.
Asanas, breathing exercises and meditation are all part of, and essential to a complete yoga practice. This focus on the breath while performing asanas can help us achieve a sense of calmness during the practice that affects both our physical and our mental wellbeing, while also enhancing the benefits we would otherwise achieve without breathwork being a part of the practice. This is also one of the key elements that sets yoga apart from other physical workouts.
Asanas, breathing exercises and meditation are all part of, and essential to a complete yoga practice.
Holistic yoga for the body
Yoga consists of asanas that we hold for extended periods of time while we bring our focus to our breath so as to find a sense of calmness in our body that can help us relax deeper into each pose, and this process can also help calm our mental state so that our mind can catch a break from our otherwise busy and hectic everyday schedules.
This benefits our physical bodies and health in multiple ways. Just to name a few –
• Yoga improves our overall flexibility, strength and mobility.
• Yoga can help keep your lungs healthy and strong, thereby improving your oxygen intake and breathing.
• It can help manage illnesses such as chronic arthritis. Gentle yoga can help people who have weaker muscles or suffer from tender or swollen joints.
• It improves the health of our heart and is often recommended by medical professionals especially for people who’ve suffered from cardiac arrest.
• Studies have shown that people who practice yoga regularly have more energy throughout the day.
• Like most forms of physical exercises, yoga can help boost the production of two hormones in the body essential to cultivating happiness – Oxytocin and Endorphins.
These are just some of the many health benefits that yoga provides.
Studies have shown that people who practice yoga regularly have more energy throughout the day.
Yoga for mental health
Breathwork and meditation are an important facet of a yoga practice. Breathwork paired with asana’s can help us achieve the full benefits of yoga and this alters our everyday moods and our mental state for the better.Yoga is great for people who suffer from insomnia. It can help regularize our sleep patterns. A small practice before bedtime, or a small meditation can help people fall asleep more quickly and have a more restful sleep.
We face stress regularly in our day to day lives and yoga can help manage both stress and anxiety as well as prevent panic attacks before they occur.
A regular yoga practice can increase the size of our hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory. This in turn also affects the neural connections in our brain. These factors are especially important for older people as age can lead to degeneration of the brain over time.
Yoga is great for people who suffer from depression as well. A regular yoga practice can lead to people living happier lives and having a more positive outlook overall as it allows our minds to take a break from all the chaos that surrounds us and encourages us to find harmony and calmness within our own self.
When we practice asanas and breathwork daily, our focus and concentration gradually increases outside of the practice in our day to day activities as well.
Yoga affects our mental health in various ways, and positively reinforces our daily moods and outlook towards life.
Union of the mind and the body
Breathwork and meditation are an important facet of a yoga practice. Breathwork paired with asana’s can help us achieve the full benefits of yoga and this alters our everyday moods and our mental state for the better.
Yoga is great for people who suffer from insomnia. It can help regularize our sleep patterns. A small practice before bedtime, or a small meditation can help people fall asleep more quickly and have a more restful sleep.
We face stress regularly in our day to day lives and yoga can help manage both stress and anxiety as well as prevent panic attacks before they occur.
A regular yoga practice can increase the size of our hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory. This in turn also affects the neural connections in our brain. These factors are especially important for older people as age can lead to degeneration of the brain over time.
Yoga is great for people who suffer from depression as well. A regular yoga practice can lead to people living happier lives and having a more positive outlook overall as it allows our minds to take a break from all the chaos that surrounds us and encourages us to find harmony and calmness within our own self.
When we practice asanas and breathwork daily, our focus and concentration gradually increases outside of the practice in our day to day activities as well.
Yoga affects our mental health in various ways, and positively reinforces our daily moods and outlook towards life.
Ready to try a holistic approach to yoga?
Join our team of expert teachers who are all trained to teach holistic and traditional yoga. Explore our memberships at Ālaya Yoga and start your journey to holistic wellbeing today.
