The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit ‘ yuji ‘. This concept refers to the objective of the practice of yoga: it unites the body and the mind. Yoga exercises generally consist of breathing, meditation and postures that have been designed to promote greater relaxation in our body and reduce stress that we accumulate in the body.
According to various studies, there are many benefits of yoga for our physical and mental health. But we must know that there are many types of yoga, each of which is focused on improving different aspects such as balance, flexibility, body awareness, strength, among many more. In addition to all of them, it has been shown that another of the properties of yoga is precisely to benefit our mental health.
Of all the goals of yoga , the ultimate purpose is to reconcile mind and body. Among the most common types of yoga exercises, Hatha yoga is practiced in the West. This type of yoga is based on paying special attention to the position of the body (asana) to perform a specific breath (pranayama). Through the practice of this oriental discipline, a better understanding and connection between mind and body. The secret to achieving this balance is to practice Hatha yoga consistently and regularly.
What is yoga for?
According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, practicing yoga for twenty minutes helps improve concentration and increases mental energy.
Work, family and household chores, added to the commitments that one must compulsorily carry out day after day, entail a great fatigue Not only physical, but also mental. But, did you know that you can improve your concentration and mental energy by practicing yoga ? This is stated in a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
This article was disclosed after conducting an investigation with 30 girls. The study consisted of observing what happened to those girls who performed 20 minutes of yoga a day and those who dedicated the same time to another physical activity, such as walking or running on a treadmill.
When comparing both activities, the conclusions were clear: cognitive performance throughout the day was better in those girls who had practiced the Eastern discipline. In fact, it was found that after 20 minutes of yoga, the immediate mental performance of the practitioners was greater: improving in terms of concentration and memory. The results were verified through different memory tests and information storage capacity measurement.
“Research participants who had practiced 20 minutes of yoga were shown to be able to retain more information and process data faster than those who had practiced another physical activity.”
However, previous research has shown that physical activities that keep the heart rate between 60% and 70% of its maximum rate improve cognitive performance. These same researchers were surprised to see that the results of yoga practice were much better than those obtained in these previous studies.
Breathing and meditation exercises are designed to relax the mind and body. You can also learn more about the benefits of breathing exercises from Breathwrk.. For example, meditation and breathing exercises are known to reduce the level of anxiety, stress and this fact, in turn, improves the results in cognitive tests.
