Bend It Like Bassan

You're probably thinking that this is related to football and set-pieces taken by the legendary David Beckham...well you're in for a surprise. Today we shall be looking into the ancient Indian art of yoga as well as the benefits from regular practice. The body is a fascinating production from evolution, a species dominating the planet. But whilst still being a great force upon Earth, we do have to boost our traits every now and then.

So what actually is yoga? Well, it's a form of exercise which allows the body to focus on strength, flexibility and breathing. This, in turn, helps boost the physical and mental well being of the individual. The art of yoga is often portrayed with religion and praying as well as a leisure activity that the elderly partake in, although it is an art practiced across all genres of people varying in size, age and ability. Originating in north India almost 5,000 years ago, it has spread across the world like a wildfire with countries taking their own perspective with the ancient art adopting new techniques and/or postures and is now extremely popular within venues such as:

  • leisure centres
  • health clubs
  • schools
  • hospitals
  • gyms
As a popular past time, yoga has many benefits for the body; mentally and physically. For example, it is able to increase the physical activity of the individual and mainly focuses on strength, flexibility and balance. With many difficult postures to adopt, it can be a real challenge for beginners but with regular practice, research has shown a vast improvement within individuals. As well as these traits, evidence suggests that it is of extreme benefit for sufferers with:

  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • aches and pains
  • depression
  • stress
But how does a physical exercise help tackle mental challenges that somebody may face? Well, with yoga being a physical activity (which can be challenging), it involves a lot of breathing. One way to tackle mental challenges is to control your breathing. With the breathing being controlled, you are able to enter a state where you can meditate and clear the mind in order to relax. This practice is proven to help with symptoms of depression such as difficulty concentrating or loss of energy.

With a huge variety of health benefits (whether it be mental or physical), yoga, itself, seems to be a universal medicine!

Thanks for reading this weeks blog, why not give yoga a go and see what you think. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

Written By Universal Medicine (Sab Bassan)

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