5 Little Known Facts About Yoga

It is a popular fact that yoga is healthy for the mind and body, but what are the unknown facts? Tanya Lopresti—a yoga instructor at Corepower studios in Chicago—reveals 5 things most people don’t really know about yoga.

You don’t have to be flexible to do yoga.

“Some people are flexible naturally, but most of us aren’t,” Lopresti said. “Over time the flexibility builds.” The poses in yoga stretch your muscles, increasing your flexibility by releasing lactic acid that builds up from muscle use. In one study, participants improved their flexibility by 35% after only eight weeks of yoga.

Yoga is a great form of exercise, not just meditative.

“It is something that can easily replace your gym workout,” Lopresti says. It is an assumption that many people make that yoga is only about meditation. Yoga strengthens muscles and tones the body just like going to the gym would. In one hour, an active flow of yoga—called vinyasa—can burn more than 450 calories.

Yoga is good for rehabilitating injuries.

The gentle movements of yoga, also known as asanas, relax and strengthen muscles and massage internal organs, while focused breathing—called pranayama—brings oxygenated blood, filled with anti bodies, to injured areas, using the body’s natural healing system to aid the wound. The relaxation and meditative form of yoga calms the mind and reduces pain in the form of tension.

Yoga improves your sleep patterns.

“It creates an easier transition between waking up and falling asleep,” Lopresti stated. A study performed in April 2011 reported that by practicing yoga, you can improve the quality of your nights sleep. Yoga relaxes the body and calms the nerves, helping you sleep better.

The spiritual connection of yoga is not about worshiping a god.

Yoga is incorporated in several religions—like Buddhism and Hinduism—but yoga is not a religion. According to Lopresti, Yoga is more about bringing the mind and body into harmony and balance, leading to a deep sense of well-being and peace that helps you reconnect with yourself. Meditation helps you connect with your inner self, opening your awareness to the fact that there is something more to you than your physical existence.

Photo by: My Yoga Online/ Creative Commons