superAdmin@pranamYoga How Yoga Can Help You Achieve Better Health and Mindfulness
People have been practicing yoga for thousands of years, and the benefits are now well documented. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that regular practice can help you achieve better health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your mental clarity. Sticking to a regular schedule of yoga practice can help you become more mindful, or aware of your breathing and internal sensations. This article will explain what mindfulness is, why it’s important, and how yoga can naturally help you achieve better health and more awareness for your body.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to be more aware of our thoughts, feelings and actions. It is often referred to as ‘consciousness’, ‘awareness’ or ‘sensory integration’. The part in us that can observe our thoughts and actions, is giving us humans the ability to distance ourselves from trained behaviors, instinctive manners and reflex responses. We are able to observe and reflect ourselves. It is not the same as being ‘meditative’. Meditation is the controlled and focused attention that you are able to bring to a task or experience. Being ‘meditative’ is when you are in a relaxed state and you are able to focus on one thing for a very long time.
Why is mindfulness important?
Excessive sitting, even in meditation can have a negative impact on your health. On the other hand, it is believed that two main types of injury are caused by over-practicing yoga – muscle spasms and breathing problems. These are usually aggravated by other medical conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or other respiratory diseases. By being mindful with your body, and especially during your yoga practice, you avoid those injuries. Furthermore, research shows that practicing yoga at a later stage in life has a positive impact on the brain function, compared to people who start young. As we get older our brain regions responsible for memory and attention reduce in capacity. Mindfulness during our yoga practice can help to stimulate the brain and mind. For example, staying active after a brain injury or a strokehelps the brain to function normally again. Mindfulness also seems to help in preventing mood disorders like depression and anxiety. As you can see, mindfulness goes hand in hand with being active with our bodies.
How to achieve more mindfulness in your life
One way to become more mindful is through breathing. Find a quiet place where you can practice mindfulness. It can be on the couch, the bed, the desk or the kitchen stool. Ideally, it should be a space where you are not disturbed by daily activities. This can be a good place to calm yourself, reflect and think about what you’re doing. You can start by breathing in slowly for five seconds and then releasing your breath out through your mouth for five more seconds. This can help you to become more aware of your breathing and the sensation in your stomach. As you become more conscious towards your body, you will notice that your mind starts to quiet down. You may begin to notice other things, such as the sound of your breathing, the way that you feel in your body, images that are coming into your mind, or thoughts that you are trying to push away.
The benefits of Yoga when it comes to mindfulness
Regular practice of yoga has a number of benefits including better health, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved mental clarity. During your practice your awareness rests mostly on your body and your attention goes into the asanas and the alignment of your body postures. This is a good gateway to mindfulness. By focusing on your body, you can start to notice different sensations, feelings and thoughts arising. Training in mindfulness means you are observing all those things. You start to just notice them, without judgment or the need to change any of it immediately.
Conclusion
Mindfulness is a state of awareness which can be easily integrated in your daily life and your yoga practice. It helps you to bring more awareness into your perceptions and actions. It helps to observe and reflect on your thoughts and sensations. Whether you’re a student looking to try out yoga for the first time, or a veteran who’s looking for new ways to challenge themselves, there’s a good chance that you’ve been curious about the benefits of yoga. Hatha Yoga is a great way to begin your journey into the world of mindfulness. It’s simple to learn and has easy-to-follow movements that you can do at your own pace.