body systems

Yoga is more.

Whatever you think it is.  It is more.

When you think you have an idea.  Go deeper.

My own experience has shown me multifaceted benefits to the practice of yoga.  I have felt the progression.  I have lived the changes.  And still there is more.

Just to nick the surface a little I wanted to share the benefits to seven systems of the body from the practice of yoga.

Every body has a skeletal system.  It's what gives stability to your muscles.  It holds you up.  It frames your body.  Our bones are living tissue.  The practice of yoga keeps your joints healthy and lubricated.  It aids in the regenerating of blood cells in the marrow.  It lengthens the muscles that surround the bones.  It corrects posture issues.  Pretty sweet deal, right?

Every body also has a muscular system.  Muscles allow us to move.  They take us places.  And with yoga, those muscles are going to have a greater range of flexibility.  Yoga gently lengthens and strengthens most every muscle in the body.  It relieves tension and opens up the fascia.  Muscles and yoga are a match made in heaven.

The cardiovascular system transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and cellular waste.  Blood is life  and 5 liters of it are circulated through the body.  The practice of yoga lowers the risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, and lowers bad cholesterol.  It can also help the body to become more sensitive to insulin, thus controlling blood sugar.

Without a nervous system we would be a wreck.  This system collects information from inside the body and from the environment outside, sending it to the brain for storing and for appropriate responses.  The nervous system regulates the functions of our organs and sends commands to every area of the body.  Yoga's part in the health of the nervous system is astounding.  It helps the body recognize good and bad tension, allowing for appropriate responses.  It supports physiological well being.  Specific postures can induce energy or relaxation.  With practice, a yogi can learn to control aspects of the nervous system.

The endocrine system houses our hormones and glands, regulating body growth, sexual function, mood, metabolism, and tissue function.  Yoga stimulates glands, stabilizing hormonal fluctuations.  Yoga stimulates blood flow to the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain that has direct control over the endocrine system and interestingly is also the center of our emotions.

Our lymphatic system is a powerhouse network that makes immune cells that help the body fight infection.  It filters the lymph fluid of bacteria and cancer cells.  It even transports fat from the digestive system.  A work horse!  Muscular contractions in yoga stimulate the lymph channels.  Yoga improves circulation, allowing that network to transport the good stuff and filter out the bad.

Finally, the digestive system.  I don't think we need an explanation of the importance of the digestive system but let's talk about what yoga does for your digestion.  Yoga postures provide an internal massage of the digestive tract.  They strengthen the muscles of the internal organs and ensure a steady flow of blood and oxygen.  Bowels are regulated.  Bloat is decreased.  All good things.

Can you think of the people around you that struggle with any one of these areas?  More than one?Are you afflicted in any one of these areas?  Yoga can seriously help.  I'm not even trying to sell you anything.  It's just that, if you see a friend drowning, you are going to throw them a rope or a life ring, right?  This is your life ring.