5 Surprising Benefits of Yoga

Contributed by Tina Relampagos

Day 12 of 2016: We’re all on the same road to making this the best year yet. You’ve started documenting your daily highlights on social media. Your summer is already planned out. Your actually making your New Year’s resolutions happen. And you’ve kept a positive point of view for 12 days now. Congratulations!

Many of us want to rekindle our lost love for health as part of making our 2016 awesome. One of our favorites when it comes to getting back on the fitness track is YOGA. Yes, yoga. Yoga doesn’t give off a sporty cool vibe but it does go beyond mere weight loss. Yoga helps improve metabolism and flexibility and overall fitness. But did you know that it also helps relieve stress, cure hangover, ease asthma, address insomnia and even boost memory? Well we didn’t too, but this makes yoga an even better activity to practice this year in improving not just your body but your mind too! We looked around for the best yoga poses for these benefits to inspire you to get on that mat.

Yoga Relieves Stress

Yoga fosters relaxation and ease, whether through beginner or advanced poses. It marries both mental and physical exercises to give you peace of mind therefore, manage stress better. Here are Huffington Post’s recommended yoga poses for stress management:

Bridge pose

Eagle pose. It is an “empowering pose because it releases tension in the shoulders, legs and back, and it does require focus for you to remain balanced in it.”

Puppy Pose. This “helps counter our tendency to crouch and slouch the shoulders when stressed.”

Cat pose. Cat pose “soothes and stretches the lower back, relieving the stress while gently messaging the spine.”

Yoga Cures Hangover

Since yoga aids metabolism, it also helps in curing hangover. Here are Esquire’s poses that allow movement of blood flow to the right places to kick off that hangover:

Bharadvaja's Twist

Standing Forward Bend. Scott Harig of Manhattan’s Pure Yoga says, "they're good for calming your body."

Child’s Pose. You end up in this pose when you have a terrible hangover so you’re already good to go just keep it up for a few minutes. This pose has a calming effect and increases blood flow to your head, legs and arms.

Boat Pose. Harig says “it forces blood to get into the digestive area of the body.”

Yoga Eases Asthma

Pranayama, a breathing practice, is part of yoga and has been seen to help ease asthma. These poses from Everday Health opens up your lungs and gives it, literally, more room to practice breathing calmly.

Sukhasana

Forward Bend

Straddled splits

Supportive Fish

Yoga Addresses Insomnia

Proper blood circulation in crucial in calming the body and mind to prepare it for sleeping. Huffington Post recommends these poses to do just that:

Sukhasana

Seated Spinal Twist

Easy Forward Bend

Plow pose

Legs Up the wall pose

Yoga Boosts Memory

We already know that yoga relieves stress and anxiety, which means it enables you to focus your mental and physical faculties towards a goal. With a clear mind, those who practice yoga are able to think in a more organized manner, and therefore, recall things easier. Stylecraze suggests doing the following poses to help you focus more:

Paschimottanasana

Sarvangasana

Crane pose

Tree Stand pose

Reclining hero pose

Now that you have a better idea about what yoga does beyond fitness, go and book a session at two of the best studios in Metro Manila: Bliss Yoga in Makati and White Space Mind and Body Wellness Studio in Quezon City. Like what we said before , get a buddy or buddies to join you and help you commit to it. We recommend you and your fitness buddies try  Share with them a Bliss Yoga or a White Space gift certificate to get them going!

Bliss Yoga is located at Unit 203 Plaza One Hundred, VA Rufino Street cor Dela Rosa Street Legaspi Village, Makati City. You may visit their website for more information.

White Space Mind and Body Wellness Studio is located at 6/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, 1108 Quezon City, Philippines. You may visit their website for more information.

Additional source for benefits of yoga: Everydayhealth.com.