Learn how this 5000-year-old practice is evolving over the years and changing bodies worldwide
Introduction:
It’s not just a modern fitness trend but a technique that improves your physical as well as mental health. This technique is nearly as old as Indian civilization itself. In recent years it has evolved and spread globally, with millions of people nowadays practicing in different styles. Yoga practiced now days specially in west focuses strongly on physical practice, but physical practice is just one aspect of yoga.
Yoga is a very old term that originated in India with roots dating back over 5000 years. If we look at the literal meaning of the word yoga it is derived from the ‘Sanskrit’ word “Yuj” meaning to unite. This practice was originally practiced for spiritual healing.
Why everyone is obsessed with the “Yoga Body”:
While scrolling your social media newsfeed, have you ever paused looking at a picture of a Yogi in unrealistic yet perfectly balanced pose, welcome to the world of the yoga body. It has now become a fitness phenomenon that’s spreading all over social media platforms while sticking to its original roots.
The modern fascination with the yoga body is all about having well-defined muscles, improved posture, and increased flexibility and this is because social media influencers have turned this physique into a trend. But, in reality the concept of yoga body is much more than just physical appearance.
What actually is a yoga body and how you can attain one? Let’s dive deeper into it
What is the Yoga Body?
The term yoga body isn’t just about showing your abs. When you regularly perform yoga, it has wide range of advantages such as improving strength and flexibility, supporting lungs and heart functions, and enhancing psychological well-being. Along with these physical aspects, you will also feel spiritual transformation, calmer energy and coherence between mind and body.
How do you get a Yoga body?
What you see on social media, the perfect yoga body, it is not achievable in days or weeks. It’s a time taking journey that comes with hard work, consistency and patience. You have to choose consistency over perfection and right lifestyle with diet modifications. It takes courage to build a routine, showing up on the mat early in morning and eating healthy. Over time you will experience changes first in your body then in your soul. Your body will transform naturally – both inside and out. There are many styles of yoga, from slow to fast paced, and each comes with their own benefits.
Popular yoga styles for body transformation:
Vinyasa yoga:
A flowing style of yoga that links breath with movements (usually one breath per movement).
Hatha yoga:
This type of yoga integrates breath into each pose in order to find ease and stability. You practice fewer poses in Hatha than in Vinyasa yoga but hold them longer which develops patience.
Yin yoga:
A slow paced style yoga that focuses on long-held poses. Yin targets our connective tissue including ligaments joints cartilage and bones this makes Yin a great compliment.
Restorative yoga:
Restorative yoga helps you to achieve deeper states of relaxation in both mind and body. Expect long passive holds using yoga props such as blankets, blocks or straps that fully support the body.
Ashtanga yoga:
A physically demanding practice that synchronizes posture and conscious breathing. It consists of six series each one following a specific and progressive sequence that challenges stamina.
Lyengar yoga:
This style of yoga emphasizes finding optimal alignment in each pose. Props are often used to correct the posture.
Kundalini yoga:
A practice designed to help awaken energy in your spine done through movements, breath control, chanting and meditation. It helps physically as well as spiritually.
Acro yoga: Where Ancient Meets Innovation
It’s a partner practice that combines yoga and acrobatics. It helps in strength and trust building between partners.
The Mental and Emotional Yoga Body:
Yoga body isn’t just about muscles, strength, and flexibility. Beyond these physical characteristics, yoga helps in mental and emotional health. Regular practice of yoga reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone) which in turn helps in weight reduction, lowers blood sugar levels, and helps the mind in coping depression.
Stress Reduction = Better results:
Yoga’s stress-reducing benefits helps the body to maintain a healthy weight. A calmer mind leads to a healthier and balanced life.
The confidence factor: it also brings profound confidence that comes from feeling strong, centered, and at peace
Creating your yoga body: A progressive journey
It’s a step by step process that requires a lot of hard work and patience.
Week 1-2: Foundation building.
Week 3-6: Strength building.
Week 7-12: Advanced integration.
The Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Yoga:
Flexibility and strength:
Twisting your body in different yoga postures stretches multiple muscle groups. In short, stretching makes muscles, ligaments and tendons more elastic. Overtime regular stretching stimulates stem cells which then differentiate into muscle cells or other cells that generate collagen. Yoga is also helpful in improving pain tolerance and mobility.
Lung health:
Yoga’s mix of physical exercise and regimented breathing has proven similarly therapeutic effects for lung health. Lung diseases like COPD and asthma shrinks the passageway that carry oxygen while weakening the membranes but breathing exercises like those found in yoga relaxes the muscles constricting those passageways, increasing blood’s oxygen content.
Cardiovascular health:
Blood vessels dilate during different poses of yoga the dilation of these blood vessels helps lower high blood pressure levels. This is especially helpful in people with weak heart muscles having difficulty in pumping blood to the body or those suffering from hypertension. Thus, it reduces the risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Mental health:
There’s a long-standing association between yoga and psychological wellbeing. Yoga improves the symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. It also helps reduces the stress.
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