As millions of Americans take up yoga and meditation, the popularity of these two hobbies continues to rise. Even institutions of higher education are now offering formal classes that teach some basic exercises from those categories. None of this comes as a surprise to folks who understand the ever-growing problems of working professionals. For instance, the presence of stress in workplace environments has noticeably amplified over the past few decades. Luckily, health awareness has followed that same trend, and people around the nation are now much more focused on their well-being.
Improved Heart Health
Yoga and meditation have been a subject to seemingly endless studies whereby scientist aims to prove which benefits are real and which ones are a byproduct of misunderstanding. One of the common denominators for almost every research inquiry was the improved heart health of involved parties. Namely, people who practice these two disciplines regularly will have better cardiovascular performance. The reason why is that yoga has been associated with a reduction in plaque. That type of build-up is what hinders blood flow and may even lead to a heart attack. Meditation further helps one reduce their blood flow through proper breathing and relaxation. That reduction is also accompanied by better overall circulation that assists with proper hormonal balance and healthier blood pressure levels.
Sleeping Improvements
According to the founder and CEO of GUION PARTNERS, Lindsay Guion, practicing yoga and meditating consistently helps with sleeping patterns. As someone who has spent north of twenty years in an industry as stressful as the music business, Lindsay Guion attributes his outstanding sleep to these two hobbies. While more details will be discussed shortly, it is essential to note that lower stress and anxiety levels lead to more prolific sleep. People who have insomnia should be the first group to give yoga and meditation a try. Even though there is no way to offer any guarantees, spending a few minutes on these two hobbies every few days is a simple change that may have significant benefits.
Better Mood
Courtesy of better sleep and lower stress, yoga, and meditation have also been linked to better and more consistent moods. For instance, someone who might be suffering from frequent mood swings will be able to subside them. They will instead be more inclined to enjoy perpetual feelings of calmness and emotional joy. Not to mention that meditation can help teach people how to respond to unexpected events or deal with pressure. Thus, saying that one’s productivity could increase as a byproduct is not a far-reaching statement.
Pain Relief
Lindsay Guion stresses that one of the most vital benefits of his constant practice of yoga exercises and meditation activities is pain relief. As someone who spends a lot of hours working behind the desk, dealing with chronic back problems is practically in the job description. Even days spent outside of the office can lead to body soreness as he spends hours on his feet and moving around. Courtesy of said hobbies, however, Mr. Guion has been able to experience incredible pain reduction and inflammation relief. By starting with some straightforward and easy yoga stretches, he slowly built a tolerance that allowed him to engage in more challenging workouts. Doing so increased his muscles’ thresholds for pain and made them a lot stronger. Now he seldom worries about numerous hours of sitting or moving around as he counts on his body to handle it effortlessly.
Treat Stress and Anxiety
Finally, as mentioned, treating stress and anxiety is one of the most critical outcomes of yoga and meditation. People usually make the mistake of assuming meditation alone will be enough. It is often far removed from the truth as those who skip yoga exercises will not provide their body with the much-needed workout to accompany the mental exercise. After all, a healthy mind is going to be futile if one’s muscles are susceptible to constant soreness or injuries.
How stress relief takes place is through the reduced secretion of cortisol. As the primary hormone that the body releases in high-stress situations, it perpetuates more anxiousness, aggression, and panic. By limiting the rate at which the body releases this stress hormone, the person could improve their reactions and focus on calmly approaching situations. Also, someone’s fight-or-flight reactions could progress as their reasoning is not clouded by an abundance of stress hormones in dangerous conditions.
Anyone who decides to try these two disciplines should take their time and begin with some easy work. That will minimize the risk of injuries and improve the odds of long-term involvement with yoga and meditation.
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