4 Health Benefits of Yoga
Just a few of the reasons that we incorporate yoga into our travels
If you went to your nearest yoga studio and asked 20 people what made them want to try their first class, you might hear about goals of trying to get fit, reduce short-term stress, or fulfill a New Year’s resolution. Ask those same people why they keep coming back, and you’ll get very different answers. While being in great physical shape is a factor for most yogis, it’s the transformational effects off the mat that set it apart from other types of exercise. Both modern research and anecdotes from practitioners attest to the wide-ranging benefits doing yoga even once or twice a week can have for everything from mental health, relationships, and self-esteem to healing injuries, soothing stubborn aches and pains, and even coping with chronic illness.
Whether you’re challenging yourself with a headstand or still getting the hang of downward dog, here are just a few of yoga’s mental and physical benefits to be proud of next time you leave your mat:
Yoga & physical fitness
Physical fitness is probably the most obvious benefit of yoga, and for good reason. Yoga improves strength, balance, muscle tone, and overall physical health. Yoga improves cardiovascular health, strength, and muscle tone, but it also targets less-targeted muscles that provide posture and joint support between classes. As these muscles are strengthened, it becomes easier to build good habits with posture and gait that can prevent injury, pain, and even falls in older people. Poses are low-impact, but challenge balance and stability, making it an accessible workout for people dealing with injuries. The breathwork and active stretching yoga incorporates are great for loosening muscles and increasing flexibility. You don’t need to be able to do a split to reap the benefits of greater flexibility, which has a relationship with strength and balance, further boosting posture support and reducing the risk of injury.
Yoga & Mental Health
Yoga engages the mind as much as it does the body. According to the National Institute of Health, yoga can have a number of positive benefits on your mental health by mitigating symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Mindfulness—a fundamental part of yoga—has also been associated with positive mental health outcomes. In fact, mindfulness is so effective that it’s been incorporated into a number of therapeutic practices, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and it’s used regularly in clinical settings.
Yoga & Brain Chemistry
Interestingly, yoga is unique among other forms of exercise in the way that it actually changes brain chemistry. Research shows that practicing yoga leads to elevated levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter responsible for relieving stress and anxiety and improving sleep. Increased levels of GABA contribute to many of the health benefits described above, both physical and mental. Yoga also can help lower cortisol—a hormone caused by stress—which can trigger unwanted weight gain and other negative impacts on your physical health.
Yoga & Sleep
A significant body of research suggests that a consistent yoga routine before bed leads to improved quality of sleep. One study showed that the majority of participants reported a significant improvement in their sleep when practicing yoga. Some styles of yoga are developed specifically to cultivate good sleep by teaching muscle relaxation and sleep-aiding breathwork.
At Terra & Tu, our focus is on crafting travel experiences that improve your wellbeing. Yoga supports our internal wellbeing, but it also enriches our travels. We’ve all been on a vacation where persistent worries about work or home made it difficult to relax and recharge, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of being stressed about being stressed. Yoga teaches us to keep our attention on the present moment, make it easier to make the most of gazing at our destination’s scenery without being distracted by that big project at work, stresses at home, or other distractions. When we travel, we’re free to truly discover the world.
Yoga is ultimately a highly individual practice, and each person who travels with us is looking for different benefits. That's why at all of our yoga retreats, we make sure to tailor our instruction based on what works best for you. The small group size at our yoga retreats lends itself to a highly personalized experience. You can learn more about our unique brand of yoga retreats here.
