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How Yoga Works

May 5, 2022
How Yoga Works

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How Yoga Works: The Essence of Yoga

Most of us are looking for a way to find a greater sense of peace. We want to feel better, look better, be better.

You’ve heard people talking about the benefits they get from taking yoga classes. Perhaps you saw a post on social media about how much a friend loves yoga and how it helps them feel calmer.

If you have never tried yoga before, you probably have a lot of questions. Your natural curiosity may be pointing you towards Korean yoga.

Let’s look at some of the important things to consider and learn how yoga works.

Table of Contents

Does Yoga Have Positive Health Benefits?
How Does Yoga Work?
How Yoga Works: 3 Components of Korean Yoga
How Yoga Works to Lighten Your Load
How Do You Know That Yoga Is Working for You?
How Long Does it Take for Yoga to Work?
Experience the Benefits of Yoga With Body & Brain Tai Chi

Does Yoga Have Positive Health Benefits?

Do you know anyone who practices yoga? Maybe you’ve seen celebrities or influencers online who have posted about yoga.

It’s probably fair to say that those people feel that yoga may provide them with positive health benefits.

Yoga may be incredibly beneficial and help with both mental and physical aspects of wellness, such as:

• Feelings of anxiousness
• Mental fatigue
• Brain fog
• Stiffness
• Feeling weak
• Dealing with Back Pain
• And so much more

It’s not just some new fad. Science and many years of practice agree that yoga can have a variety of positive health benefits.

Korean yoga follows the belief that the mind and body are deeply connected. What happens to the mind can affect the body. And what the body endures, the mind does also. That can apply to both the positive and negative aspects of life.

Mental Benefits

Having a positive outlook can be beneficial for mental wellbeing. Scientific research demonstrates that yoga may help patients improve their outlook and increase feelings of well-being.

There are a variety of mental benefits that can be associated with yoga.

Some students feel less mental fatigue and suffer lower levels of stress during and after a yoga class.

People often want to know how yoga works as a stress reliever.

Korean yoga may help you clear some of the mental clutter that could be holding you back. Bringing your attention to your breath and focusing on the moment is important for enjoying a calm mind.

When you are free to think and focus, you may also notice a release of stress.

Physical Benefits

Years of trauma, memories, and experiences may take more than just a mental toll. All of those things that make up our lives can also live in our bodies.

Yoga may help you to relieve some of that by helping your body to move more freely. Your body might feel lighter and less burdened.

Yoga has even been shown to help reduce fear of falling and aid in improving balance in certain populations.

With ever-growing medical evidence of the potential physical benefits of yoga, more and more people are taking classes. Practicing yoga as part of a regular wellness routine may provide you with the physical benefits you have been seeking.

You will never know if you don’t try.

How Does Yoga Work?

Tension and feelings of unease can leave you feeling tied in knots. Perhaps your joints feel stiff or the muscles in your back and shoulders feel tight.

Imagine yoga as the practice of untying the knots.

Patience and intentionality help you to slowly undo the physical and mental strain that can be caused by modern life.

How Yoga Works: 3 Components of Korean Yoga

Certain components of Korean yoga can help you enjoy the physical and mental benefits of a class or regular practice.

Korean yoga gives special focus to three tools for improving the care of your mind and body:

1. Mindfulness
2. Stretching
3. Breathing

Each aspect brings a different positive outcome while they work in synergy to help increase your overall sense of calm and wellness.

#1: Mindfulness

In Korean yoga, we see the body as a vessel in which you experience life. Almost everything you go through in life will probably have some type of effect on your body.

One part of Korean yoga is to acknowledge that…

• Traumas
• Experiences; and
• Memories

…can be stored in the body.

When we take the time to slow down and bring our focus inward, we can give attention to the present moment. This may allow you to become more aware of your body and what it is trying to tell you.

There is research to show that mindfulness and yoga can help improve the overall quality of life.

#2: Stretching

Possibly more than any other time in history, modern life is full of tension and feelings of anxiousness. Many people report facing major stressors every day.

We tend to be wound up pretty tight. But when we use yoga to move in ways that help us stretch, lengthen, and open up, we can help unwind and feel more relaxed.

Stretching as part of your yoga practice can:

• Help to improve athletic performance
• Help to increase flexibility
• Help to relieve tightness in areas like the back and neck

Having the body loose and open so that energy can flow is one of the many reasons people may practice yoga. These benefits can be the result of the deep stretching that yoga allows.

#3: Breathing

Have you ever opened the windows on a beautiful spring day? Can’t you just imagine how good it feels to get rid of the stuffiness and dust?

Intentional breathing and focused breathwork are like opening the windows of a house and letting in the fresh air.

Now imagine that your body is that house. Do you want stale, stuffy air or the fresh, rejuvenating breeze?

When we pay attention to our breathing and use it to bring life and energy into our bodies, we can help our bodies to feel renewed.

How Yoga Works to Lighten Your Load

Everything you go through in life stays with you in some form until you choose to put it down or let it go.

Life is made of moments, but those moments do not always leave positive effects.

Unless we sort through our…

• Thoughts
• Feelings; and
• Emotions

…we may end up feeling like we are carrying an unbearable amount of heavy baggage.

Yoga may help give you the tools to release these things and lighten your load.

Releasing Entrapped Emotions

Remember, your body is like a house. If the doors are locked and there are boards on the windows, nothing can likely get in — or out.

And that can include stored emotions.

When we remove the boards and unlock the doors, life can once again flow through our house. Emotions and experiences that your conscious mind may have forgotten about can begin to see the light of day.

Many people report experiencing an emotional release during their yoga practice. Releasing trapped emotions can feel extremely freeing, and you could encounter any number of feelings during your practice.

Releasing Tension in the Body

Have you ever dug in deep and cleaned out your closet? You might examine every article of clothing inside and purge anything that doesn’t fit or is out of style.

Doesn’t it feel good to free up space and rid yourself of things no longer serving you?

You might feel that way during or after your yoga practice.

Studies have shown that yoga helps to release tension and reduce the effects of stress on the body. Some people describe it as a heavy load being lifted.

Moving your body in a way that may reduce feelings of stress or anxiousness can help improve your physical state.

Yoga may work for you to clean out that inner “closet” of tension and make room for more positive experiences.

How Do You Know That Yoga Is Working for You?

Many people feel a sense of peacefulness and emotional release after practicing yoga. Your body may feel lighter, or you may feel like you move with greater ease.

Each person will have their own unique experience while practicing yoga. What you feel during yoga will likely be different from others — and that is normal.

How Long Does it Take for Yoga to Work?

One of the most common questions we see is, “How long does it take for yoga to work?”

After all, we want a quick fix, right?

The answer is completely dependent on one’s own personal journey and growth. Yoga is a practice, so it is important to continue practicing yoga to experience its benefits.

With consistent practice, you may become more attuned with your body, so that you begin to notice the effects.

You may feel better after your first class. It’s different for everyone, but the only way to know is to try a class and pay attention to your body to see if you notice an improved sense of mental and physical wellness.

Experience the Benefits of Yoga With Body & Brain Tai Chi

Yoga is so much more than just putting your body in a certain position and holding it for an arbitrary amount of time.

It is the intentionality and inward focus that make Korean yoga so powerful.

Everyone wants to feel better. You might be looking for a way to feel more at peace, or maybe you’re just stiff and sore and want to feel younger and more vibrant.

One of the incredible classes at Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi can be a great introduction to Korean yoga and the benefits it may have in store for you.

Our trained and experienced instructors can guide you through the movements and breathing that may help you feel less stress and greater vitality.

What’s stopping you from trying yoga and finding out if those benefits are right for you?

Unboard those windows, throw open the doors, and let Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi help you today.