Yoga dates back to pre-Vedic times, possibly around 3000 BC. That's a very long time ago. It's only natural to question why yoga is essential in modern life.
Modern life is fraught with contradictions and complexities, perhaps why yoga is more relevant and crucial than ever before.
Yoga is important in daily life because it provides a holistic practice that takes care of body, mind, and soul. The tools and techniques available in yoga help us take care of our physical health, ease us from stress, improve mental well-being, guide us to ethical living, and enable us to make better lifestyle choices. Yoga is, therefore, a way of life.
In what follows, we talk about why yoga is essential in our daily life, its relevance for the times we live in, the purpose of our practice, and how we can benefit from creating a discipline around it.
Why is yoga essential in our daily life?
Yoga is a holistic practice, more a way of life than an exercise regime.
There is no aspect of our being that yoga does not positively impact-physical, mental, ethical, emotional, and spiritual.
Here are the ways in which yoga is vital in our daily life:
1. HELPS US STAY IN THE PRESENT
We are more connected to the outside world than ever before.
The distractions of modern life, whether in the form of social media, audio-visual content, instant messaging, or online shopping, keep our focus on everything that is external to us.
Yoga becomes our anchor and makes us more concentrated and less scattered.
The different yoga practices – whether yoga as exercise, as breathwork, or as meditation, help us stay in the here and now and connect with our inner selves.
2. HELPS BUILD PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY
Regular practice of yoga does many things for our physical body.
Yoga helps tone the muscles, increase flexibility, improve strength, reduce blood pressure, and lower heart rate.
Depending on the kind of yoga one practices, it can range from being restorative, aerobic, balancing, grounding, or even all of these simultaneously.
3. IMPROVES POSTURE
Modern life has become synonymous with screens, a place where we spend a lot of our time.
This has a significant impact on our posture, often resulting in slouching and humped backs.
Yoga helps in improving posture by enhancing awareness of the body and thereby breaking the habit of slouching.
It builds upper body strength, strengthens the core and back muscles, and improves body alignment and flexibility.
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4. HELPS IN KEEPING THE JOINTS HEALTHY
Regular practice of yoga strengthens the muscles around the joints.
The various asanas in yoga bring movement to the joints through their whole range of motion, thus creating more mobilization.
This helps in lubricating the joints, which enables smooth movement of the bones.
This also helps in increasing oxygen supply to the cartilages, keeping them nourished and happy.
Yoga, therefore, is beneficial not just to counter the effects of aging on joints but also alleviating symptoms of arthritis and joint pain.
5. HELPS IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH
One of the most significant tolls that the stresses of daily life take are on our mental health.
We are more depressed, anxious, and lonely than ever before.
Studies show that yoga helps with anxiety and depression.
It also helps with managing the symptoms of depression, such as difficulty concentrating and loss of energy.
6. REDUCES STRESS
If there is one thing that almost all of us have a little more than we would like, it is stress.
The demands of everyday life can feel stressful and draining.
Yoga helps us beat stress by promoting relaxation, slowing us down, and letting us be.
Pranayama or breathing exercises in yoga are beneficial for relaxing both the mind and the body.
Yoga also improves mood and boosts our sense of well-being.
7. HELPS US SLEEP BETTER
More than half of those who practice yoga report improved sleep, both in quantity and quality.
Sleep, as we know, is often our nemesis.
Practicing yoga helps with managing the symptoms of insomnia.
If you practice yoga, the chances are that you will sleep for longer, fall asleep quicker, and, if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, find sleep again.
8. HELPS US BUILD A BETTER LIFESTYLE
The yogic lifestyle brings together various aspects of your being to create a balanced, healthy, and integrated you.
Food is a big part of health.
Yoga encourages us to be more mindful of what we eat and promotes a healthy diet.
It makes us aware of what we are putting into our bodies, and over time, we can build routines around food, sleep, rest, and establish habits that serve our best interest.
