“This practice connects us to our planet, which is so badly in need of our protection. And it reveals our common humanity, helping us to understand that, despite our differences, we are one”, declared the Secretary General of the United Nations on June 21 in a video message to commemorate the International Day of Yoga,
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Yoga is important for health because of its ability to address holistic aspects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Yoga’s holistic approach recognizes the interconnection between body, mind, and spirit, promoting a holistic vision of health that is not limited to just physical fitness, but also considers mental and emotional health.
Yoga can be started by practicing at home, studying online, reading books, or finding free or donation-based community classes.
In addition to the physical benefits, this practice has a profound impact on stress management. It incorporates relaxation techniques, mindful breathing, and meditation that are effective in reducing anxiety and promoting regulation of the nervous system, which can lead to a healthier response to stress.
Improving flexibility and mobility is a central pillar of yoga. Through regular practice, muscles and joints become more flexible, which not only prevents injury, but also increases range of motion and promotes proper posture.
The emphasis on conscious breathing (pranayama) improves lung function and respiratory capacity. This attention to breathing not only benefits the respiratory system, but also contributes to general relaxation and emotional well-being.
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Likewise, this practice has been shown to be useful in the management of chronic pain, such as back pain and arthritis. Specific postures and relaxation techniques can relieve muscle tension and reduce the perception of pain significantly.
Its regular practice is also associated with an improvement in the quality of sleep. Relaxation helps reduce mental agitation and promotes a relaxed state that can contribute to more restful sleep.
Yoga can reduce symptoms of depression, improve self-esteem, and cultivate a general sense of well-being.
Ultimately, yoga promotes healthy lifestyle habits by encouraging attention to nutrition, regular exercise, and stress management. These factors combined contribute to a better quality of life and longevity in general.
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For all of the aforementioned, the World Health Organization has repeatedly asked nations to encourage physical activity among citizens through practices like this, Since sedentary lifestyle is one of the ten most frequent causes of death in the world, and a key driver of noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
- Holistic approach: Yoga recognizes the interconnection between the body, mind and spirit. By focusing on balancing these aspects, yoga promotes a holistic approach to health, which means it’s not just about physical fitness, but mental and emotional health as well.
- Complete physical exercise: The various postures (asanas) and movements of yoga address flexibility, strength, balance, and physical endurance. This contributes to muscle and bone development, improves circulation and cardiovascular function, and helps prevent injury.
- Stress reduction: Yoga incorporates relaxation techniques, mindful breathing, and meditation, which are effective in reducing stress and anxiety. These practices can help regulate the nervous system and improve the stress response.
- Flexibility and mobility: Regular yoga practice can improve the flexibility of muscles and joints. This not only helps prevent injury, but also improves range of motion and posture.
- Improvement of respiratory function: The emphasis on mindful breathing (pranayama) in yoga can improve lung function and respiratory capacity. This is beneficial for both the respiratory system and general relaxation.
- Pain management: Yoga has been used as a complementary therapy in the management of chronic pain, such as back pain and arthritis. Relaxation postures and techniques can help relieve muscle tension and reduce the perception of pain.
- Sleep improvement: Regular yoga practice and the relaxation induced by it can contribute to better sleep by reducing mental agitation and promoting relaxation.
- Mental and emotional health: Yoga encourages self-awareness, mindfulness, and acceptance, which can have a positive impact on mental and emotional health. It can help reduce symptoms of depression, improve self-esteem, and promote a general sense of well-being.
- Promotion of social connection: Participating in yoga classes can provide opportunities to build social connections and build a sense of community, which can be beneficial to mental and emotional health.
- Healthy life style: Yoga promotes healthy habits in daily life, such as attention to nutrition, regular exercise and stress management. Together these factors contribute to a better quality of life and longevity.
Mr. Vanessa Ortiz
