Health benefits of yoga

Yoga is an ancient physical and spiritual discipline and branch of philosophy that originated in India reportedly more than 5,000 years ago. Yoga is a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. According to the American Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there are different health benefits of yoga: (1) A carefully adapted set of yoga poses may help reduce pain and improve function in people with chronic low-back pain as studies suggest;(2) Studies also suggest that practicing yoga (as well as other forms of regular exercise) might have other health benefits such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure; (3) Yoga may also help relieve anxiety and depression;(4) Other research suggests yoga is not helpful for asthma;(5) Studies looking at yoga and arthritis have had mixed results. People with high blood pressure, glaucoma, or sciatica, and women who are pregnant should modify or avoid some yoga poses. If you decide to go for a yoga class it is important to ask a trusted source, such as a health care provider or local hospital, to recommend a yoga practitioner. Your health care providers should also be informed about any other complementary health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. ...

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