4 (of the many) Reasons Yoga Is Awesome!

Biased? Yes.  Believer? Yes.

As many of you are aware I teach yoga in Lincoln NH among the many other busy parts of my life.  Yoga has taught me countless lessons and has brought me as many benefits both physically and emotionally.  While many of the benefits of yoga are, in fact, physical there are a few highlights on the mental/emotional side that I’d like to touch on today.

As I sit and write this, I am reminded of the many times I have stared at the blank page and struggled to come up with the next nugget of “wisdom” to impart on you, my faithful readers and students.  Yoga actually helps with this in that it activates the right hemisphere of your brain.  That side is mostly responsible for creativity and emotion.  So the next time you’re faced with writer’s block (or singer’s block, etc.) give me a call and hop into a yoga class.  Who knows?  You may end up leaving inspired!

Alcohol and valium both work to bind neurotransmitters and ease our mood.  Yoga increases GABA levels in the brain as well and can lift your mood in a far healthier and beneficial way.  The next time you’re feeling blue or downright depressed, squeak that little bit of extra effort out of your gut and get to a class.  If you’ve been to one of my classes you know we like to take it “light” and you will most assuredly smile (or giggle) at least once.

Lower your base heart rate and reduce blood pressure.  How?  Yep, you guessed it.  Take a yoga class.  The practice of letting go and quieting the body and mind is an immediate stress-reliever.  Not only do you feel better during the class, but this physiological adjustment lasts beyond the class.  If you’re feeling stressed out and just need to “unplug” for a few minutes, get to a class or do some yoga right there in your living room.  I am confident you will feel better.