Millions of people all around the world are practicing yoga these days. They range from the lady next door and go right up to well known public figures and celebrities. If you are wondering what is the reason for the new-found popularity of yoga then let me explain some of the main benefits that the regular practice of yoga can bring to you.

First, before we list the benefits, it is important to know what yoga is. Yoga is a science of human development designed to bring physical, mental and spiritual well being to individuals. It was developed in India thousands of years ago and consists of a variety of physical postures, deep relaxation and meditation exercises. The physical postures, known as “asanas” are the most widely practiced part of yoga and are taught widely around the world in gyms and yoga studios.

With this understanding of yoga, let’s turn our attention to three of the most important benefits that you can get if you start to practice yoga.

1. Yoga will help you to become very healthy. This is what people are generally looking for when they begin the practice of yoga, and yoga does the job of improving physical health. If you combine a practice of yoga postures along with a sensible diet and other physical exercise then you can reach very high levels of health and fitness. One of the reasons for this is that yoga can help you to improve the functioning of your digestive system, and prevent acidity, indigestion, constipation and other more serious problems that have their root in the digestive system. Yoga postures (when combined with relaxation and meditation) have the additional benefit of helping to control blood pressure, and this is a great asset as you grow older and become more susceptible to heart disease.

2. Yoga will improve your physical appearance. It is no secret that many people practice yoga in order to slim down and look better. Is yoga really effective for this purpose? The simple answer is that if you can improve your physical health then you will certainly look better. Ask a biologist to explain the evolutionary importance of “beauty” and he or she will tell you that living creatures generally choose partners who appear to give them a good chance to spread their genes and produce healthy offspring. You may not be thinking about this when you see a beautiful woman or a handsome man but the glowing skin and attractive figure that you see is the outer signal of inner health. That’s why the health benefits of yoga will help you to not only feel better, but to be more attractive to those around you.

3. Yoga will help you to manage and relieve stress. Modern life is stressful. Whenever we feel a threat from the outer environment, our body goes into a “fight or flight” mode. This was extremely useful to primitive humans who had to run for their lives or fight for their lives, but for modern people it only leads to inner problems. Sweating and turning red is useful when you are running, but when you are standing in a business suit and being chewed out by your boss it is not particularly desirable!

As our civilization gets more complex, it also becomes a more stressful place to live. The reason for this goes back to our primitive ancestors. When they were threatened by the dangers of the environment, their bodies started to pump blood and hormones started to work so that they would be ready to either fight with all their might or run as fast as they could. We have inherited the same biological system but this is often very troublesome for us. If you are fighting or running it doesn’t matter if you turn red or sweat profusely. This kind of “fight or flight” response is not so useful when the danger that confronts you is a hostile boss at work! If you practice yoga postures and supplement them with deep relaxation and meditation you can attain a state of inner mental balance and peace that will enable you to remain calm even in the face of extreme provocations and stress.

I could go on with more benefits of practicing yoga but the three things I have just mentioned should be enough to pique your curiosity and either find out more about yoga or to begin practicing it today.