“The body soon decays like unbaked earthen pots thrown in water. Strengthen and purify the body by baking it in the fire of yoga.”
—Gheranda Samhita, 17th century
“Yoga minimizes the impact of stress on the individual…asanas [yoga poses] and pranayama [breathing exercises] strengthen the nervous system and help people face stressful situations positively.”
—B.K.S. Iyengar, 2006
“We are missing the gold if we do asana [yoga poses] as a physical practice only.”
—Geeta Iyengar, 2013.
“Yoga’s there all along to meet you where and when you need it. My teacher said early on, yoga is a [life-saving] rope. It’s something to hang onto when you need something to steady yourself, when you need a little extra support.”
—Kate Holcombe, 2013
Benefits of Yoga:
Regular practice of yoga helps strengthen and stabilize you mentally as well as physically. Clinical studies and other documentation have suggested that yoga:
- Increases brain GABA levels, a neurotransmitter for better focus and less anxiety;
- Reduces inflammation across a range of conditions;
- Improves Heart Rate Variability, a clear sign of nervous system resilience;
- Fosters better sleep quality and duration;
- Supports cognitive clarity and Brain Health;
- Boosts immune function;
- Promotes glucose regulation and metabolic response;
- Improves muscle tone and respiratory function;
- Encourages circulation and vascular health;
- Relieves Stress & Calms the Mind;
- Increases Strength;
- Encourages Flexibility;
- Improves Balance;
- Reduces Pain and Fatigue;
- Enhances Mood;
- Builds Better Breathing Habits;
- Increases Energy;
- Increases Bone Density for older adults;
- Helps Heart Health;
- Lowers Blood Pressure;
- Increases Focus, Awareness, & Mental Clarity;
- Decreases/Prevents Depression and Anxiety;
- Enhances Memory performance;
- Eases Insomnia;
- Stabilizes Metabolism;
- Support the Immune System;
- Decreases Production of Cortisol (Stress Hormone);
- Stimulates the Amygdala and Frontal Cortex (emotional control & memory functions of the human brain)
- Fosters Mindful Eating Habits;
- Relieves Symptoms of ADHD; and
- Helps our most Vulnerable Populations.
Other potential benefits of yoga that are being researched include cessation of smoking, managing diabetes, reducing symptoms of asthma, and improving urinary incontinence. Teachers and practitioners herald yoga’s benefits for a wide variety of activities, from improving your golf game, or boosting your memory, to easing recovery from addiction.
But, most importantly, most practitioners keep returning to yoga because of the sense of peace and empowerment it instills.
Regular practice of yoga often helps you make healthier, smarter, and more loving choices in your everyday life. You begin to become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical well-being, and learn how to integrate your mind and body in ways that support not only your physical and mental health, but your relationships as well. Simply put, yoga helps you discover, appreciate, and share the best of you.
Though the wide-ranging physical benefits of yoga are well-documented and ongoing studies continue to confirm more and more ways yoga helps improve health, these pale in comparison to yoga’s role as a systematic approach to personal development and spiritual devotion.
No matter your background or beliefs, a dedicated yoga practice cultivates compassion and connection to something greater than our individual selves. The health benefits yoga provides build a foundation to realize even vaster expanses of human development. As any longtime practitioner can tell you, yoga is a means towards developing your greatest inner potentials and serving this wondrous world, radiating your inherent goodness, truth, wisdom, and beauty.
Your personal practice of yoga benefits those around you, and cultivates a kinder world full of amazing possibilities.
Want to give yoga a try?
Now is the perfect time: Yoga for Beginners – From Disconnection to Deep Knowing starts March 2, 2026. Learn more here.
Join our Community!
Be sure to click on many of the above links to read the clinical studies and news reports explaining each in more detail. Join our VIP community mailing email list, and be the first to receive info on events, priority booking, and special offers for tuition savings. You’ll be alerted to future posts on yoga topics, and get inspiration and updates right in your personal inbox. Or, come to an in-person AHA! Yoga session, at our lovely boutique flower-lined studio, right on the shores of Lake DeSoto in historic downtown Lake City, Florida. It’s time to explore the vast benefits of yoga for yourself.
Find Us On Social Media –
To receive updates on yoga philosophy, online webinars, spiritual development, upcoming courses, and special yoga immersions, you can also Follow us on Instagram (our favorite!) or Facebook.
Image Source: by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/body-on-yoga_n_4109595.html
Medical & Related Institutions that Support Yoga for your Health:
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychological Association
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Disclaimer: Always consult your healthcare provider before practicing yoga, or any other exercise program. The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only, and not as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. The author, illustrator, editor, and publisher assume no responsibility for injuries or harm that may result from practicing yoga or any other exercise program.
Image Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat
Some of Our Favorite Links, showing Yoga is for Every BODY:
Dianne Bondy Yoga: Yoga for All
Yoga, Mindfulness, and Keeping Kids In School & Successful
