1. Yoga is good for your mind

   Yoga is the ultimate stress reliever. Whether you’ve had a hectic day at work, have been dealing with family drama or whatever else raises your stress levels, it’s comforting to know that you can get on your yoga mat, in your very own safe space, and unplug from the emails, phone calls, obligations and to-do lists. The practice of observing the breath helps to ease the mind and clears out space from all that internal chatter. Spending just 5 minutes a day sitting in stillness and listening to one’s own breath can help you to remain calm in even the craziest of circumstances.

2. Yoga is good for your body

   Too much time sat behind a desk, hunched over our devices or working on our feet all day means that our bodies can become stiff, tight and hold tension. Yoga is a great calorie burner which provides a whole-body muscle workout. The physical aspect of yoga helps to build strength, increase flexibility, ease tense muscles and improve posture. The fact that Yoga is a low impact, low intensity activity also means that it’s perfect when combined with other higher intensity activities to cool you down and reward your body.

3. Yoga is good for your soul

   Yoga is a wonderful practice that allows you to explore what it means to be human. As a means of self-enquiry, yoga allows us to work-in rather than work-out. It teaches us to let go of self-judgement, to soften in and to live fully in the present moment so that we can come back ‘home’. The practice creates space for us to feel, explore and connect with the true essence of our being. It invites us to move, to feel, to breathe, to listen and observe with greater awareness. Through this process we learn how to ‘check in’ with ourselves in a nourishing, compassionate and caring approach so that we can better explore our innate humanity.

4. Yoga is good for a balanced life

   We can all agree that we’re searching for balance in some shape or form. More often than not, our work-life balance tends to be work heavy, followed by family, kids, partners, friends and the list goes on. So, when do we get time for ourselves? Yoga is a process of integration between our perceived separation of mind and body, head and heart, us and them. It brings us back into balance by reconnecting us to our shared humanity.

5. Yoga is for EVERY body!

   The great news is that anyone can do yoga! Don’t be put off by the tall, lean, goddess like women you see on Instagram contorting their bodies into crazy shapes. This is not Yoga. Yoga is meant for everyone, regardless of shape, size, gender, age or fitness level. Being able to touch your toes is not a pre-requisite for being able to do Yoga. As long as you’ve got a body and a willingness to try something new, then yoga is for you! So, whatever your lifestyle, make some room to try Yoga and you’ll start to see the many benefits for yourself.

This article was written by our partner, Incorpore