Yoga - The pros and cons for health

Sowmia Rajendran explains some of the benefits and side effects of performing Yoga.

Yoga, which combines physical exercise with meditation and the pursuit of psychological self-improvement, is an ancient practice. Today many yoga centres perceive classes in spiritual and physical practices as a direction of fitness. However, yoga classes must be carried out in a state of peace of mind, stocking up on positive energy. It would help if you also considered the importance of breathing and the correct adoption of asanas.

Can yoga hurt?

Yoga itself does not bring any harm to health but do not forget about the saying, "make a fool pray to God, and he will hurt his forehead." The fact is that some yoga poses require good physical fitness, strength and endurance. Headstands or shoulder stands can result in injury if your muscles are still weak or you lose your balance.

Therefore, to avoid injuries, you must start with simple postures and gradually strengthen the body. And you can also turn to professionals, for example, online yoga classes. They use Zoom for our live online workouts. It feels the same way as in-person training; you will train online, checking your techniques, providing feedback, and motivating yourself.

What is yoga?

Yoga as a practice has a long history. With its help, you can find harmony between the physical and spiritual, direct positive energy in the right direction, and eliminate negative emotions.

Pros

Yoga classes attract more and more people, even older people. Many find this practice an opportunity to heal, calm the soul and gain stability in the psycho-emotional background. Experts have proved the positive effects of yoga on overall health. One of the advantages of such exercises is the ability to practice at home, at a convenient time for yourself. People who are passionate about yoga and practice 1.5-2 hours several times a week can point out many advantages of such sessions.

Practicing yoga allows you to:

To make the muscles flexible and the posture beautiful, preventing curvature of the spine and strengthening the back's supporting muscles. Practice increases the endurance threshold (Parshvottanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Virasana). Even middle-aged people can learn how to sit on twine in 3 months.
Get rid of extra pounds. Yoga classes contribute to the activation of metabolism and accelerate the process of weight loss, allowing you to maintain the result for a long time without special diets and starvation.
Calm the nervous system by controlling the production of stress hormones and unlocking the ability to master your mind.
Eliminate pain and reduce the severity of symptoms in certain pathological conditions. Specific postures and mudras allow you to eliminate severe pain and discomfort during menstruation, haemorrhoids, and problems with the lower back and the cervical area.
Gain self-confidence, overcome depression, eliminate bad habits and realize your true purpose.

Cons

Yoga classes should be started after familiarization with the existing contraindications. It is not allowed to perform a system of exercises for mental disorders, diseases of the blood or heart, oncology, spinal injuries, in the presence of craniocerebral injuries and stage 2 or 3 hypertension.

Remember that yoga is a dangerous practice and sometimes fraught with injuries. You can perform complex exercises only under the supervision of an experienced mentor, acquiring more refined skills over time.

Recommendations

It is crucial to practice Yoga with a mentor with experience.WOWFIT can be a good option. It is a team of 140+ fitness pros who provide remote 1-on-1 fitness sessions via Zoom.� It would be best if you gradually switched to complex postures and exercises, consulting a specialist about the list of asanas. It is necessary to temporarily limit classes during exacerbation of chronic diseases, during menstruation, immediately after meals, in the first trimester of pregnancy and during the postoperative period.

Yoga classes are not a panacea for all adversities and diseases. For good results, breathing exercises and meditation should be combined with sports and physical education. It would be best if you also led a healthy lifestyle.

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About the Author

Sowmia Rajendran is a freelance writer.