Lately, it seems like you can’t walk a whole block without seeing someone with a yoga mat under their arm and a green concoction in their hands. It makes you wonder if all of those classes and holistic cleanses can really make a person happier and healthier. The truth is, health and wellness is different for every person. Over 3 million Americans have tried acupuncture at least once in their lives, but whether or not it worked is up to them. Keeping an open mind is just as important to good health as regular exercise is. How do you know if something will or won’t work until you’ve done your research and tried it? The answer is, you don’t.
Yoga: the Basics
According to the American Yoga Association, yoga originated in India approximately 5,000 years ago. To have been around for that long and spread to other countries all over the world, yoga’s got quite a history. As of 2015, over 15 million people practice yoga in the United States alone. That’s a lot of people with yoga mats. And if there are so many people practicing it, it must be worth something to their personal health and well being, right? Turns out, people have been studying the effects of yoga on the human body for a little while now. In one study, small but significant decreases in blood pressure were present in subjects from just three weeks of daily yoga classes. It’s got a rich and long history, and is definitely worth looking into!
Yoga is Not Meditation
Whether you think so or not, yoga is a form of physical activity that improves stamina, flexibility, and muscle tone. It is not the same as meditation, although meditation can be a part of some yoga classes you may participate in. Like meditation, yoga can help relax your body and mind, but not to the extent that true meditation can. But there are benefits to meditation too! Meditation is commonly used to help patients who have trouble sleeping. In fact, over 75% of insomniacs who enrolled in a daily meditation program said they were able to fall asleep much faster and more easily after a short period of time.
Keep an Open Mind!
Whether you’re trying yoga, acupuncture, or some other form of holistic therapy, the true results are up to you. Keep an open mind to the possibilities that these methods present, and you could experience amazing results. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up trying one of those green concoctions and enjoying it!
