By Jaelyn Copeland| UAB Community Health and Human Services Intern
In today’s hectic environment, yoga, an age-old practice of meditation, has grown in popularity. Yoga began as a spiritual practice but has become popular as a way of promoting physical and mental well-being (Yoga: What you need to know, 2023). It also offers many people a respite from their hectic and stressful life. This holds true whether you’re doing downward dog on a mat in your bedroom, an ashram in India, or even Times Square in New York City. Numerous other psychological and physical advantages of yoga exist. Some of these reach the dining room table.
Inner awareness is developed through yoga. It directs your attention to the capabilities of your body right now. It enhances physical and mental stamina and breath. It has nothing to do with appearance.
Mirrors are often absent from yoga studios. This allows people to concentrate on themselves instead of how they seem in a stance or in relation to others. According to surveys, persons who practiced yoga were more conscious of their bodies than those who didn’t. Additionally, they felt better about and were less critical of their bodies. Due to these factors, yoga is now a crucial component of programs that support a good body image and sense of self-worth as well as the treatment of eating disorders.
According to their results, the researchers discovered that those who practiced yoga were more conscious eaters. Better mindful eating scores were correlated with years of yoga practice as well as weekly minutes of practice. You become more conscious of how your body feels as you practice yoga. When eating, you can use this increased awareness to savor each bite or drink and pay attention to how the food feels, tastes, and smells in your mouth.
Yoga is more complex than it looks, however, you are guaranteed to feel rejuvenated after one session. This type of movement stretches your muscles and aids in increasing blood flow going needed when performing physical activity.
Yoga – benefits beyond the mat. Harvard Health. (2021, September 8). Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat
Yoga: What you need to know. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know
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