You’ve probably heard that yoga is good for you. Maybe you have even tried yoga and discovered that it makes you feel better. But what are the specific health benefits can you expect to enjoy from doing yoga regularly?

Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone:

As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people with back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which can be addressed with yoga. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe, and disengages your thoughts, which helps calm the mind.

Stress Reduction:

Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping to put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started.

Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. As you work through the moves and positions, you are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.