Why did yoga become so popular in west?

The pace of life in which we live, often generates stress and continuous tension, so many people have sought different options, techniques and exercises to balance life and feel in harmony, calm and peace.

We need to relax, forget hyperactivity even for a moment a day, listening to ourselves, to our inner self, and this way, we find what our body and soul really need. Yoga is a very effective tool to counteract the negative effects of modern life.

Otherwise, this extreme form of life, lead us to suffering, and to suffer any existing psychological and physical disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as follows:

“Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being, capable of operation, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

What is yoga?

The word yoga comes from Sanskrit and means “to bind together” which is interpreted as the act of joining. This discipline has been practiced since ancient times, evolving to today.

The origin of yoga is in India, but now Western culture has begun to show much interest in this practice. Yoga provides the keys, methods and techniques for the well-being and evolution of consciousness.

Through exercises, both physical and mental, yoga is a discipline that helps us change the way we perceive the world around us and our lifestyle, opening a range of extraordinary possibilities, encompassing physical, mental and spiritual aspects, allowing us to develop knowledge about ourselves.

Yoga has different categories, all of which have among their purposes, provide good health and spiritual development, thus knowing our inner potential. That is, through practice and commitment, we can get a balance between our mind and body. In addition, yoga can be practiced by anyone.

Yoga teaches us to recover the most real of ourselves and to connect with our quiet facets, even in the restlessness or outside disorder in which we find ourselves, thus reaching inner peace.

Yoga teaches us to recover ourselves as real and to connect with our facets of quiet restlessness or even outside disorder in which we find ourselves, thus reaching inner peace.

Regular practice of this discipline will strengthen us, toning every part of our body, and help us develop our capacity for resistance and flexibility, enabling proper conduct of our energy, multiplying our power of concentration and relaxation.

The techniques are performed in the practice of yoga, they serve to calm our nervous system, helping us to stay alert, responsive and healthy. Let us get rid of our negative thoughts, focusing on the experience of our present.

Major Benefits of the practice of Yoga: 

• Prevents and improves physical and mental health

Many of yoga techniques are highly effective in preventing arthritis, osteoarthritis, myocardial, lumbago, asthma, bronchitis, constipation, anxiety and various psychological disorders. Intervening also on an emotional level, promoting mental harmony, and allowing us to resolve our internal conflicts. 

• Reduces stress

Thanks to state of relaxation and tranquility that develops when practicing yoga, a reduction or elimination of stress is obtained, also a sense of comfort and pleasure is experienced due to the release of endorphins. 

• Increases concentration

The practice of yoga has among its main benefits increasing mental clarity. This is a key virtue for the everyday living, it increases our concentration, memory and attention in the work we do during the day. 

• Provides positive energy:

Improving the glandular function and the deep relaxation, provide positive energy.

• Helps to lose weight

While cardiovascular exercise and weight training is the most recommended for losing weight, yoga make us more aware of our body and care you need. By practicing yoga can make an inertia to feed ourselves more healthily also some postures improve the functioning of the digestive system. 

• Improves rest

There are yoga postures that help you sleep better, such as Balasana posture, considered the position of rest, or Savasana, which is used to eliminate the worries of the day. Yoga is highly recommended for people suffering from sleep disorders. 

• Increases inner peace

Yoga improves emotional control, allowing to reach a state of well-being and harmony. Absorption in the inner self creates a permanent state of peace and tranquility.

• Improves breathing

Most of us breathe incorrectly, one of the keys of yoga is breathing, therefore, of the first things taught to a beginner yoga is to breathe correctly, thus improving oxygen transport in the blood. 

• Improves flexibility

During the sessions of yoga postures known as asanas are performed. Flexibility is key to perform these asanas correctly, so practicing yoga constantly improves our elasticity every day.

• Improves posture

The asanas also give us a better posture. So much so, that yoga has become an effective treatment for chronic back pain caused by poor posture.

• Improves sex life

Several studies have shown that yoga can improve desire and sexual satisfaction, in both women and men. The explanation lies in the increased blood flow to the genital area.

The best way to experience the benefits of yoga discipline, is to check it out for ourselves!