June 21 is celebrated as the International Day of Yoga every year. Originally from India, yoga is an ancient practice that promotes the wellness of the body and mind.
Yoga for beginners
There are different types of yoga practices to fit your physical needs. Beginner-friendly options include hatha yoga which is slower-moving, while vinyasa yoga is more vigorous with continuous, flowing movements. Bikram or hot yoga is an appealing alternative if you are seeking a sweaty workout session.
What yoga does to your body?
Yoga enthusiasts often attest that the practice can help to improve flexibility and balance. Yoga poses such as the downward-facing dog stretches and tones your muscles in the back, hamstrings and hips. Such poses are useful to relieve chronic pain and tightness for those who spend long hours working at the desk.
Studies also show that yoga helps to slow down the progression of heart disease by lowering the blood pressure.
Yoga Helps Improve Your Mental Health
Besides the obvious physical benefits, yoga can help to improve mental health as the practice incorporates breathing exercise and meditation to boost relaxation.
The emphasis on mindfulness in the practice, which encourages practitioners to be present in the moment, fights off anxiety. It is therefore not a surprise that yoga proponents say the practice can help patients cope with depression and stress.
Yoga exercises involve stretching and relaxing of muscles causing significant physical and mental exertion, as a result in less sleep latency, more deep sleep, less sleep disturbances, and better sleep efficiency. Yogic breathing exercises can also improve strength of our respiratory muscles, hence we will have better tissue perfusion and improved oxygen saturation in our blood, these benefits can reduce the chance of sleep apnea and snoring.
5 Yoga Poses For A Better Sleep
If you are having problems falling asleep due to stress, here are a few poses that you can try out:
Child's Pose
Kneel on the floor with knees hip-width apart and extend your arms, rest as long as needed.
(Photo credit: Enhale Meditation Studio)
Upward Dog
Lie flat on the yoga mat, bend your elbows and bring your hands next to your chest, open your chest toward the yoga mat when you straighten your arms, raise your hips and thighs off the floor.
Camel Pose
Kneel on the mat, tops of your feet can be flat to the mat. Move your hands up to your ears and arch your back to lift your chest toward the mat then take the crown of your head towards the back of the room.
Happy Baby
Practitioners hold their feet or ankles, mimicking a happy baby, to enter into a state of relaxation.
Legs-up-the-Wall
This pose can help to restore balance in the body following a period of overactivity.