Why practise yoga?

Find your inner yogi. International Yoga Day falls on June 21

Yoga is a practice or discipline of the spirit, mind, and body that is rooted in ancient India. It has gained a lot of popularity among people internationally for its numerous health benefits. It is also known for its ability to help with mental health through breathing exercises and meditations.

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, yoga trainer Rita Rungta says, “Yoga is not just about physical fitness/exercise, but it is the union of the body, mind, and breath. To lead a healthy lifestyle, yoga should be added as a part of our daily routine.”

Not just asanas

It helps people focus on the changing rhythms of breath, which improves one’s immune system and enhances their strength and stability. Yoga is not just about the asanas only, it is also about Pranayam, meditation, and so on. Pranayam helps people channelise their energy; it increases lung capacity and energises our body. “Thus, even if a person cannot perform yoga asanas, they can practice Pranayam breathing techniques and meditation to keep them physically and mentally fit,” she adds.

Recovery and stretching

Yoga can be different from the other fitness programmes because it helps people relax by performing it and does not require any equipments. “As a fitness expert, I think it is a great idea to add yoga to your overall fitness program. Compared to a regular gym routine, which often includes the use of equipment and pretty strenuous activities, yoga is more relaxing in nature,” says coach Swetha Subbiah. If your gym activities are intense, then yoga is a great form of active recovery. It also helps with mobility and stretching. Most gym activities involve lifting weights and working with resistance-based exercises, which can tighten up the muscles. Yoga helps counter that by relaxing the muscles and stretching them post the workout. “Yoga is also great for posture,” she says.

Diet important

Diet is an important factor when someone practices a form of fitness program. It helps balance the program well. “You definitely have to eat well and increase your protein intake after yoga as it will help in maintaining your muscles,” says nutritionist Keertana Ramu.

No restrictions

Many people believe that flexibility is an important factor in practising yoga. But is it true? “Flexibility is not an important factor for practising yoga. Yoga is the harmony of all the seven levels of our existence i.e. body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and self,” says trainer Rungta. It is an excellent discipline for people of all age groups and can be done in the comfort of their homes. “There are no restrictions when it comes to yoga but there are certain things that you need to be aware of. In acute conditions of injury/surgery asanas should be avoided, in chronic cases, it should be done slowly with a rhythmic breath,” she adds.

Consistency is key

People who have added yoga to their regular routine say that it was difficult for them at first to be consistent but after a period of time, they started enjoying it and saw the effect and difference on their health. Bristi Choudhury, student says, “I used to suffer from painful menstrual cramps which significantly reduced after I started performing ‘Suryanamaskar’ daily along with other yoga poses such as the butterfly pose, pigeon pose etc.”