Yoga
/ˈjəʊɡə/
Noun
A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline which includes simple meditation combined with specific body postures – often practised for relaxation and health purposes.
For thousands of years, people have been practising yoga for reasons that mostly include physical and mental health.
With World Yoga Day coming up on Sunday, 21 June, we’re challenging you to to take up yoga. Here are 5 reasons why you should:
- According to a 2014 hatha yoga study published in the Journals of Gerontology, practising yoga 3-4 times a day increases cognitive function in older adults.
- Conscious breathing, which is at the core of yoga practice, is said to lower the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease and is also said to help relieve tension.
- According to Brandy Shoombe, a Namibian yogi who teaches children yoga, the exercise helps to “connect the body, mind and spirit.” She adds; “For instance, in the warrior pose, when they hear the word ‘warrior’, they become the warrior of their own souls. For the time that they endure the pose, they get to let go of whatever they’ve been holding on to. It’s like you have nowhere to go but inside yourself.
- Yoga is good for your mood. It resets the autonomic nervous system and boosts mood-boosting serotonin while decreasing monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that counters the effects of stress hormones.
- Yoga is also great for maintaining a healthy metabolism and promoting weight loss.
For more MYD Heart tune in to 99FM, Mondays to Fridays on ‘The Pulse’ at 17h35.