You’ve probably heard that yoga is good for you. Maybe you have even tried yoga and discovered that is makes you feel better. But what are the specific health benefits can you expect to enjoy from doing yoga regularly?

Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders and hips.

Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg or supporting yourself. Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent back pain due to long periods of sitting while at a desk or while driving. These activities can cause the spine to compress and make the muscles in your back tighten up as a result. The long slow stretching movements in yoga help to stretch out the spine and release the compression that leads to stiffness and pain. Yoga will also help the overall alignment of your spine which will improve your overall comfort and help you to become virtually pain free.

Improve Breathing: Most of us breathe short shallow breaths and really do not give much thought to how we breathe. Kundalini (your true inner self) breathing exercises along with meditation will teach you to draw in deep breaths expanding the lungs which will improve your overall well being. Pranayama is another form of breathing exercise which focuses your attention upon the breath and how to use your lungs providing both physical and mental benefits.

Mental Calmness: Yoga the yoke of the body. Going within yourself to clear your mind of worries and pressure. Yoga can help you see clearly and will expand your knowledge of what your body is doing which results in bringing calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques which allow you to disengage from the stirring thoughts of the mind and focus on one simple thought leading you to an increased feeling of calm.

Body Awareness: Yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small subtle movements to improve your posture. Soon you will see that you carry yourself in a more healthy and confident posture!