Physical exercise is an indispensable component of any health plan. With choices like jogging, running, swimming and cycling, there’s something for everyone’s taste and preference. Even when it comes to exercises for the upkeep of mental health, there are many practices to choose from.
The age-old practice of yoga has witnessed unprecedented popularity in the recent years because of how wonderfully it integrates exercises to promote the well-being of the mind and body. Amidst the buzz around International Yoga Day, I’d like to dwell some more on this holistic form of exercise. The theme for International Yoga Day this year was ‘Yoga for Health – Yoga for Home’. Like with all things special in our lives, just one day of the year to honour the practice of yoga certainly falls short.
One outstanding feature of yoga practice is that it requires very little in terms of financial investment. In an earlier piece, Don’t Pay For Good Health, I talk about the investments that we can make for health that don’t cost much, but are of high tremendous value. Yoga fits this description very well.
With a low-cost and high-impact strategy to boost well-being, yoga requires no special equipment other than a modest mat. The only other thing you need is a little bit of space (indoor or outdoor) to stretch. However, this does not mean that the practice requires no other commitment. To reap its benefits, the commitment of consistency over a period of time is essential. The benefits that accrue from yoga are akin to financial investments – there are some short-term gains, but the real magic happens in the long term.
Yoga, like many other forms of exercise, decreases the risk of illness. This includes gains in terms of cardiac health, diabetes, blood pressure, weight management, anxiety and depression, among many other conditions. I commonly find that when trying to motivate people to exercise, wellness or immunity rarely work as an incentive, but weight loss does. Finding an effective incentive to exercise regularly is sometimes all it takes.
Once you make yoga practice a regular feature, it will surely enable you to maintain healthy practices in other spheres of your life. After all, the practice of yoga is very holistic in nature. Its physical component (asanas) improves flexibility, coordination and body strength. Pranayama, which is the breathing component, helps to diminish anxiety and induce a state of calm.
Yoga is a way of life, just like what a diet was originally meant to be (the word diet is derived from the Greek word ‘diata’, which means ‘a way of life).
Yoga and dietetics both believe in a holistic way of life. Food is nourishment for the body and mind, as is yoga. At a time like this, we ought to do what we can to maintain physical and mental strength.
Neelanjana Singh
Nutrition Therapist & Wellness Consultant