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regular yoga practice was found to slow down the natural weight gain of middle aged adults and in some cases actually result in weight loss.

* Improved sleep

Having trouble sleeping at night, try a little yoga before bedtime. The slow rhythmic breathing and the relaxation that your muscles feel helps you to sleep.

Consistent quality sleep is important for overall physical and mental health if you suffer from deprived sleep or insomnia you increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, depression and reduce your ability to concentrate.

Mental Health Benefits

As well as the physical benefits listed above, regular yoga practice can improve your mental health and wellbeing and may assist in controlling any mental health issues that you may currently be experiencing, such as anxiety, panic attacks or depression.

* Stress Release

The practice of yoga requires you to spend some time in quiet contemplation of your body and what is capable of doing. This means that for a small part of the week or even each day, you can be released from anything that is worrying you and enjoy peace, quiet and harmony in your body.

* Anxiety/Panic Attack Relief

If you experience anxiety or panic attacks, learning to breathe in a yoga fashion, which is slow and rhythmic, can assist you in controlling the feelings of panic that may flood your body.

Yoga breathing is not a cure for anxiety or panic attacks but is a tool which can assist you in conjunction with medication or psychological treatment.

* Relaxation

Yoga, if practised regularly, can lead you into a state of relaxation when all your muscles are loose and you have no feelings of stress related tightness anywhere in your body.

When you are able to experience a state of relaxation you will find that your daily problems become easier to deal with and your mind feels alert and open to the world.

Beauty benefits

The benefits of yoga are not only limited to physical and mental benefits. Yoga can even improve your beauty. Continued practice of yoga can lead to decreased facial wrinkles and improved skin elasticity without the need for expensive lotions, potions or trips to the cosmetic surgeon.

Yoga, when practised regularly can lead to a number of health benefits. A research project of seniors found that the practice of a weekly 90 minutes Iyengar Yoga class for six months lead to improved quality of life.2

Start yoga today and begin to enjoy improved muscle strength and flexibility, pain relief, better sleep, weight management, relaxation, aerobic conditioning and release your stress.

1. Birkel, D & Edgren, L, 2000, "Hatha Yoga: Improved vital capacity of college students", Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, November 2000, Vol 6 No 6 pp 55 63
2. Oken, S, Zajdel, D, Kishiyama, S, Flegel, K, et al, 2006 "Randomized controlled six-month trial of yoga in healthy seniors effects on cognition and quality of life", Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Jan/Feb 2006 Vol 12 No 1 pp 40-47

Learn more about this author, Tracey Lloyd.
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