While more and more people are discovering the joy of yoga, many still wonder if it’s right for them. At Xenana Spa, we wholeheartedly believe it is right for anyone! Although it’s easy to see how yoga brings flexibility and relaxation, there are several other unexpected yoga practice benefits, too.
Xenana is an inclusive, body-positive yoga studio and spa. Everyone has the right to enjoy movement that feels great and supports their highest well-being. Xenana offers several classes throughout the week, along with all of our facial and massage services. We invite you to book your next class or treatment today.
Unexpected Yoga Practice Benefits to Enjoy
Strength, flexibility, and peacefulness are the commonly-recognized perks of yoga. Celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen, Matthew McConaughey, and Jennifer Aniston continue to bring yoga into the mainstream as a way to achieve fitness and mental peacefulness.
But the truth is that yoga offers so much more, too. Here are our four favorite unexpected yoga benefits.
1. Improved Cognitive Abilities
While your body gains strength through yoga, so does your brain. Imaging and research suggest that yoga improves executive function, memory, reasoning, and other cognitive abilities.
In a fast-paced world that regularly divides our attention, yoga is an excellent way to boost your brain’s quickness and stamina. As you continue your practice, you’ll likely enjoy greater recall, reaction time, and more.
2. Improved Heart Health
While rigorous exercise gets the heart pumping toward good health, so does a calming yoga practice. Studies indicate that practicing yoga reduces stress, which is always good for the heart. Yoga may also lower cholesterol, glucose levels, and blood pressure, offering further protective benefits.
3. Reduced Medical Side Effects
Cancer, chronic illnesses, and complex medical conditions can leave folks in a world of medications and side effects. While treatment is crucial, the aftermath can be almost as hard to handle as the condition itself.
People undergoing medical interventions such as chemotherapy or radiation often find that yoga helps mitigate the side effects. By lowering stress and improving sleep, a regular yoga practice can help you retain your best form and function while you undergo treatment.
4. Reduced Migraines and Inflammation
Yoga promotes relaxation and stress relief which can help lower inflammation in the body and remove migraine triggers. Reducing or eliminating the pain associated with migraines and inflammatory responses is one of our favorite unexpected benefits of a yoga practice.
With the relaxation and mindfulness that yoga offers, participants often enjoy fewer and less painful autoimmune flare-ups. Yoga allows the body to be in a more balanced state, reducing the pain that often accompanies chronic conditions.
Xenana Welcomes You!
No matter what you think about how you “should” look or feel to do yoga, we’re here to say that yoga is for everyone. All body types and all identities are welcome in the Xenana studio because we all deserve to feel strong, confident, and healthy.
Whether you’re a yoga newbie or an experienced practitioner, we have a class for you. Find the right session for your schedule and needs, and we’ll see you in the studio!
