The 5 Benefits of Yoga: Time To Flourish In 2023

The film, directed by Remco Merbis, follows Lim, who discovers yoga years ago. She shares the way that it has transformed her life and her outlook. A shy teenager, Lim had been neither a social butterfly or an athlete in any sport. She'd been quiet and shy, but unhappy with herself and her lifestyle.

But getting older made her question her future, especially when her body and metabolism began slowing down.  Lim sought a way to fight this and have a fresh start.

That's when she found yoga.

Now, she's an experienced yogi and owner of Trika Yoga studio in Bristol, UK. And she is a respected spokesperson for the positive impact that yoga can have on our lives.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is hard to define. Is it exercise? Is it meditation? The answer is that it's a little bit of both and a lot more. An article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine explains that “yoga is an ancient discipline designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual.”

It's often described as a complete practice for your mind and body. Rooted in ancient religious practices, yoga is a way for people of any age to begin to improve their physical and mental well-being.

Practitioners of yoga, called yogis, stress that yoga is not simply "one more thing" to add to your schedule. Instead, it's a whole system if you're doing it correctly, yoga will cause you to examine and tweak most aspects of your life. That includes what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, and even how you breathe.

5 Benefits of Yoga

1. Weight loss. Your metabolism will be revved up by your yoga routine. All that stretching means you'll burn more calories, and that means dropping pounds. Some forms of practice, such as vinyasa yoga and bikram yoga, focus more specifically on burning fat and getting into shape. In addition, no matter what form you practice, yoga can generally make you more mindful of what you eat and the types of food you are putting into your body. You'll be more conscious of making healthy choices, which will also lead to weight loss.
2. Reduced stress levels. Almost everyone today describes their daily life as "stressful." Just thinking about your "to do" list can send your heart racing. Yoga, through a combination of breath work and physical poses, can help you relieve some of that stress and face your day with higher energy levels and a more positive outlook.
3. Improved heart health. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, "Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing to healthier hearts. Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga."
4. Increased flexibility. Because it emphasizes a combination of stretches and poses, it improves your strength and muscle tone. The bonus benefit? Better flexibility and muscle tone makes you less prone to injury.
5. Better sleep. Let's face it many of us are working longer and sleeping less. And yet, studies consistently show that a good night's sleep is key to overall health and well-being. Luckily, yoga can help you relax your mind and body so that getting quality rest is more achievable.

Let's Talk About Confidence

Yoga's impact can radiate outward and help you build confidence in other areas of your life. Yoga practitioners often speak about the positive effect their practice has on their work lives, their relationships, and their ability to maintain a positive outlook.

It also helps people become more mindful of their actions. Meditation expert Mallika Chopra tells SurvivorNet, "It really begins with just taking a deep breath in to the count of four, pausing, and breathing out. What that does is it helps us transition our bodies from the fight-or-flight response that we have that stimulates all types of stress hormones to having a more reactive and mindful response to any situation."

In that sense, practices like yoga help people improve their inner strength. As Charlene Lim says in Flourish,  "[Yoga] upturns your confidence, because you're literally doing things you thought were impossible."

This is certainly true for Lim, that once-shy teenager. In 2016, she had become so fulfilled by her practice that she wanted to share it with others. Despite doubts, she decided to leave her job and open her own studio a move that has paid off for her in many ways. The most important one, perhaps, is that she's doing what she truly loves and helping others find yoga as well.

Stream Flourish and other stories of people who take charge of their lives on SurvivorNetTV .

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