Yoga is continuously growing in the western world and other parts of the world in equal measures. This growth has also come with its skepticism with a lot of people claiming that it is all a fad and has no known long-term benefits they know of. However, this is far from the truth. With each day that passes, researchers are finding out more about the incredible practice of yoga in both medical and psychological fields. Extensive research is showing that consistent practice of yoga over an extended period of time has health benefits. Research also shows that some forms of yoga can cope with a major illness, instilling a healing power to an individual and contributing to a healthy lifestyle overall.
Hospitals are increasingly adopting yoga as a form of therapy. It has become a norm that hospitals now have integrated health care departments that are offering alternative treatments to individuals who have severe injuries. It has been largely contributed by the fact that research has shown that yoga is useful to people who have back problems, fractured bones, problems with posture and walking, half-paralysis, and spinal problems. These problems, in the past, used to take a very long time before they are treated. However, with the advancement in technology and integration of yoga in hospitals, it has now become easier for patients to find maximum care in hospitals through yoga asanas and get back to their lives in a fraction of the time; that they would have taken otherwise.
Meditation has also been beneficial when dealing with psychological matters. It has been shown that practitioners of meditation are calmer, able to deal with stressful conditions, cope with life challenges, and are less likely to have depression. It is now being recommended by health organizations to take transcendental meditation as a way of fighting mild depressions. You should always seek medical advice in cases of depression. While dealing with cases such as addiction, rehabilitation centers have found it useful to use group yoga as a way of helping their clients deal with addiction. It has also been very beneficial for the addicts, as it helps them cope with the urge to ever relapsing. In these rehabilitation centers, their routines include pranayama, asana, and deep relaxation yoga, which are combined with group sharing and by psychological examination from professionals.
Practicing yoga as a hobby has also been proven to be very beneficial. Research has shown that meditation improves mental clarity, memory, and thought process. Extended practice of yoga has also been shown to change our brain structure, creating new wiring through brain plasticity, making us more adaptable to changes, efficient in our day-to-day activities and also induce a happy feeling.
The practice of asana improves body posture. It has also been shown to reduce cholesterol in our body and, therefore, ensures that we stay healthy. Yoga can also act as a form of cardiovascular exercise; thus, improving our blood flow and preventing heart disease that arises due to the body’s activity.
