Need a good reason to take up yoga?
Today, there are millions of people around the world who practise yoga. Young and old, male and female, it seems that the popularity of yoga is booming. The top 5 reasons people give for starting a yoga practice include: 1) flexibility (78.3%), 2) general conditioning (62.2%), 3) stress relief (59.6%), 4) improve overall health (58.5%) and 5) physical fitness (55.1%).
Academic research suggests that yoga does help with all of these factors, and the benefits can be seen after the very first yoga class. However, the key to reaping the benefits of yoga is consistency. Taking one class, once in a while is good; but practising yoga on a regular basis - daily if possible - is better. Even a 5-10 minute home yoga session is beneficial to health; it doesn't have to be very long and it doesn't have to include any fancy poses.
That said, for beginners, it is always advisable to practise with a qualified teacher who can help to break down the poses and explain the correct alignment to prevent injuries. A good teacher can also show you a basic sequence that you can practise at home, when you're ready.
And if you needed any more convincing that yoga is good for you - well the science says it is so!
