In recent years, yoga has become a very popular form of exercise mostly because of the mental health benefits it has to offer. According to AFP, up to 300 million practise it regularly. Celebrities, especially across the border swear by it for a healthy mind and body.

Yoga has several benefits and recent studies have proven that it can drastically improve your mood and wellbeing, even if you do it for a few minutes every day. You can incorporate the activity into your routine at any time of the day, though morning is the ideal time to do it. Youtube has several videos on how to do yoga and you can pick any one of them to do.

Here are some of the benefits:

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  • It calms the mind
  • It improves strength, flexibility and posture – Yoga strengthens the arms, shoulders, abs and legs and tones the muscles. Over time, your body will become more flexible. Yoga will also help improve your posture and alleviate any pain caused by bad postures.
  • It boosts energy levels – Even a few minutes of yoga can make a noticeable difference in your energy levels and help you feel fresh even during a busy day.
  • It helps lose weight – Power yoga and hot yoga will help you burn fat. However, a daily yoga practice, even with gentle poses, can also positively impact your metabolic system and restore hormonal balance, which will lead to weight loss.
  • It reduces stress and anxiety. Breathing exercises can help calm down your nerves.

What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice originating in India. The word derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness.

Among the more unusual forms that have sprung up are “hoga” (yoga on a horse), “noga” (nude yoga), “doga” (yoga with a dog), and Harry Potter yoga complete with a “Downward Dumbledore”.