Shelby Williams
Adolescent and Young Adult Psychotherapist
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is an ancient health practice that uses a combination of movement, stretching, physical poses, deep breathing, and meditation. The practice is all about connecting the body, the mind, and the spirit. It has become a very popular form of exercise all over the world. However, since yoga is both a body and mind practice, it has even more benefits than you might expect.
Physical benefits:
- Improves flexibility and balance
- Builds muscle strength
- Improves posture
- Protects your spine
- Increases blood flow and drops your blood pressure
- Ups your heart rate
- Supports heart health
- Prevents joint breakdown
- Reduces chronic pain
Mental and emotional benefits:
- Reduces anxiety and stress levels
- Improves depression symptoms and boost serotonin
- Helps you focus
- Relaxes your nervous system
- Helps you sleep deeper
- Increases your self esteem
- Gives you inner strength
- Builds your awareness
- Helps with treatment for addiction
- Encourages self-care
If you are new to the yoga world and want to try a class out at home, YouTube is a great place to start! If you are ready to get out there and try something in person, there are many free or low-cost outdoor yoga classes going on around Pittsburgh this summer!
