Yoga: 7 Emotional Benefits

We often talk about the benefits of this ancient practice on the body but not so much about the psychological benefits. In addition to helping us get to know ourselves, yoga is very suitable for preventing insomnia and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

The main benefits of yoga can be summed up in three groups: body, brain and spirit. This ancient art undoubtedly improves our quality of life and consists of different postures, songs, breathing exercises and meditation.

For many, yoga is a way of life, a way to find well-being and inner peace. It involves an observation of the inner self , a disconnection from everything around us and a quest for personal fulfillment like there is no other.

As it integrates breathing with movement (through postures), this practice undoubtedly changes us. Yoga is used as preventive and healing medicine. Yoga stimulates many processes such as blood circulation, cell oxygenation and energy transport.

All of these benefits are undoubtedly linked to mental and emotional improvement. So yoga is not only good for the body but also good for the soul.

1. Peace and serenity, the first emotional benefits of yoga

City life today makes us nervous, preoccupied and irritable.

When we practice yoga, breathing helps us relax, calm us down, and see things in a different way. We sharpen our senses, we have a better perception of what surrounds us and we reduce arguments and confrontations.

By breathing properly we eliminate our feelings of anger, rage, hatred … Ultimately, all these emotions that make us sick and allow us to live in harmony.

2. It reduces stress

This word so well known today exists because of the rhythm of life that we lead.

We walk quickly, we go from right to left with a furrowed brow, we fight with people we don’t even know, we hear noise all day … until we get to yoga class and it feels like the world is completely changing.

By practicing this ancient technique, we reduce the levels of cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.

If it is necessary to regulate our energies and act in stressful situations, when it is at high levels it is bad for our health.

3. It strengthens your self-esteem

Few people can say “I believe in myself” or “I have confidence in my abilities”.

Through yoga we can improve self-esteem, examine ourselves but not criticize ourselves, eliminate all those negative thoughts that limit us and fill our minds with positive ideas that allow us to grow.

There is no doubt that it is a wonderful tool to see everything more clearly, to increase our vital energy, to have confidence in our capacities and to make decisions in a more serene way.

4. It improves the quality of sleep

The melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating sleep cycles. For its part, the neurotransmitter called serotonin is responsible for regulating mood from appetite.

The two balance each other out when we practice yoga and we can finally rest better at night.

If you suffer from insomnia, nightmares, or find it difficult to fall asleep, nothing is more recommended than a yoga session.

At night you will sleep “like a little angel” and you will have recovered well in the morning.

5. It increases intellectual capacities

The practice of this oriental knowledge improves our capacities to reason, to make decisions and to think.

In addition, it increases our ability to concentrate thanks to the tranquility of postures and breathing.

We can transfer this ability to any daily situation (work, study, etc.) to avoid distractions and have more memory.

6. It improves mood

The daily problems, the accounts, the transit, the overtime… All of this changes the way we look at things and makes us people in a bad mood, angry or grumpy.

When we practice yoga, serotonin levels improve and thus prevent depression, anxiety, and anger just like any other physical exercise.

7. It optimizes our relationship with ourselves

If our body and mind are balanced, we can get along well with others, get what we want, and be happier.

If, on the contrary, we do not forgive ourselves, look for thousands of faults and compare ourselves with the rest, the only thing we will get will be sadness and frustration.

Yoga can help people:

• Stop smoking
• Stop drinking alcohol
• Don’t overeat
• Achieve its goals
• See the bright side
• Thinking about the positive of life
• Be sure of themselves

8. It prevents neurodegenerative diseases

Yoga, combined with meditation, increases the size of structures called telomeres which, when small, cause premature aging, certain pathologies and premature death.

With only 15 minutes a day of one of the two activities, we ensure the growth of these so-called structures and we can thus prevent degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.