Yoga is practiced far and wide for its benefits of flexibility, and the knowledge that it relieves stress. But yoga has many potential benefits that aren’t immediately made evident. These include improved respiration that helps fight asthma and other breathing difficulties, the enhanced ability to concentrate on a specific subject matter, and improved sleep patterns.

It’s What’s On The Inside That Counts 

Many people who practice yoga tend to brag about their additional flexibility or the buff they feel their muscles gained. One thing that people who practice yoga for fitness usually don’t count on, but are pleasantly surprised by, is the improvement to their circulation. As we get older, we are more likely to cramp in joints and points of the body that bend. Once this happens over and over for years, these kinks become more permanent, cutting down on blood flow.

We tend to stretch our limbs and flex these parts of the body during yoga. This improves the flow of blood through the body which assists in providing a youthful complexion. Yoga also uses several breathing techniques during these stretches that, it turns out, help you learn to pace your breathing to help filter asthma-inducing dust and deal with changes in air pressure.

Practice For The Mind 

It is also well known that yoga teachers like to tell you to focus and tune out the world around you during a lesson. What most people don’t realize that this practice of concentrating on only your body movements serves a dual purpose. Concentration is a skill, and by practicing it in a quiet environment through yoga, studies show people concentrate better in other high-stress environments.

The methodical nature of yoga teaches people to follow a rhythm in more than just their exercises. That may be one reason why yoga is also a secret supporter of good sleep. Practitioners of yoga have been found to fall asleep easier and stay on a more regular schedule after starting lessons. Light workouts that induce only mild stress have also been proven to help the body accept sleep more easily, and yoga definitely falls into that category.

All In One Package 

Nobody doubts that yoga has many health benefits for those willing to give it a try. But some of those effects, such as improved sleep and steadier breathing, are understated to the point that many who learn about them are surprised. Don’t be fooled by the obvious benefits you’ve heard about in the past; yoga has more to offer your health than most skeptics realize.

Sally Keys is a professional freelance writer with many years experience across many different areas. She made the move to freelancing from a stressful corporate job and loves the work-life balance it offers her. When not at work, Sally enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family and travelling as much as possible.