There are so many ways to achieve a toned body – cardio, weight lifting, and strength training among many others. However, there’s a surprising standout that isn’t usually endorsed for weight loss: yoga.
The spiritual practice hits two birds with one stone: it doesn’t just help tone yourbody and build physical strength, it also helps calm your nerves and boost mental health.
The practice is a known miracle-worker for dissipating stress and giving mental clarity when performed consistently. Heck, it has even found supporters in many well-known A-listers.
It’s no surprise that so many people love yoga and it continues to gain popularity every day. The workout has a plethora of benefits, from managing stress to helping you sleep better which can transform your life.
But, yoga’s effects transcend the obvious benefits because according to a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, it can help you become kinder and more patient.
On Transformations
The research, which surveyed over 1,000 yogis, showed that 87 percent of the respondents credited their happiness to the practice while 67 percent said it has a positive impact on their relationships. The last figure particularly piqued the researchers’ interest.
Regular yoga practitioners claim that the practice highlighted their positive traits while minimizing the bad ones, and this change also reflected in their interpersonal relationships.
YogaWorks teacher Jillian Pransky explained that yoga has an impact on how we connect to others because it generally teaches us to take a breath, slow down, and focus on what we’re feeling.
The practice helps you become more self-aware, giving you a better understanding and control over your own emotions. When you know why you’re feeling frustrated or angry, you’re better able to restrain an emotional reaction and unravel your feelings in a healthy way.
Respondents also pointed out that they are more calm, happy, peaceful, respectful, insightful, compassionate, and kind toward others because of yoga.
Looking within yourself will also help you become more understanding because it’s when we realize we cannot really change anyone but ourselves, the instructor explained.
This could greatly help people prevent arguments from blowing out of proportions as they could learn when they should apologize or control their anger.
On Problems
Problems are a constant and inevitable part of our lives. But with meditation, you can somehow endure the hardships.
As for the respondents, spending time at the studio helped them stay afloat through difficult moments and made times seem more bearable. It had also become useful in sustaining yogis through losses like deaths and divorces.
Jillian elaborated that through challenging poses like Revolving Half Moon, you’ll learn to stay calm and in touch with your emotions in dire times.
She further stressed that the things you learn in yoga will aid you in dealing with challenges and will be handy in how you react toward problems.
On Social Interactions
Yogis who were surveyed referred to their yoga class as community and highlighted how they formed a bond with their instructor, which helps them feel less isolated.
Plus, they said the practice helped in their connections with others since they can bring their sisters and loved ones to their classes. In a way, it is a great way to bond with people who share the same passion as yours.