1. Improves balance
Yoga increases your flexibility and reduces stiffness in the body. Yoga poses, such as the tree pose, require you to support your own body weight, helping build muscle strength. By balancing on one foot while holding the other at your calf or above the knee, you engage in slow movements and deep breathing that increase blood flow and warm up muscles.
2. Reduces stress
Yoga incorporates meditation and breathing that improve a person’s well-being. One pose that helps reduce stress is Child’s Pose, in which the body folds inward and the forehead rests on the mat. This pose encourages deep breathing, releases tension in the back and shoulders, and signals the body to relax.
3. Boosts immunity
Reducing stress boosts your immune system. Some studies have linked long-term yoga practice to better immune function. Research has also shown that yoga can help fight inflammation and, in part, enhance cell-mediated immunity.
4. Improves cardiovascular functioning
Research shows that yoga poses offer heart-related benefits, such as cardiovascular conditioning, lower cholesterol, and better blood pressure control.
5. Improves sleep & relaxation
There are several yoga poses that can help you relax or even fall asleep. One pose that can help is the Legs-Up-the-Wall pose. Sit with your left side against a wall, then gently turn to the right and lift your legs to rest against the wall, keeping your back on the floor and your sitting bones close to the wall.
Sources
9 Benefits of Yoga | John Hopkins Medicine
Benefits of Yoga | American Osteopathic Association
12 Benefits of Yoga That Are Supported by Science | Healthline
Yoga and immune system | Pubmed
Yoga and heart conditions | Healthline