1. Mental health. 

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Just as important as physical health, our mind is often the fist thing to get nudged down our list of priorities. Practising yoga for as little as 15 minutes a day boosts your metabolism and releases those all-important endorphins into the brain keeping us happy and healthy.

 

2. Boosts immune system

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Stress hormones play havoc with our immune system making us susceptible to the dreaded Christmas flu! Yoga stimulates the lymphatic systems which helps drain toxins from the body keeping us on top form.

 

3. Helps improve focus

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Yoga is all about awareness of the body and mind. Often life gets in the way and we forget to acknowledge that without these two things, we wouldn’t be able to function at all. Paying attention to our breathing and working on being less distracted for a little bit every day improves our focus and makes us more productive.

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4.  Helps with relaxation

 

Shopping, cleaning, cooking, card writing, tree decorating – sometimes it all just gets too much. Yoga combines physical poses with meditation which lowers our blood pressure helping us to relax. 

 

5. Prevents IBS and Digestive problems

 

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Amidst the chaos, diets often slip at Christmastime. Yes, we are allowed to indulge of course but yoga is fantastic for maintaining a healthy gut. We all understand the importance of eating a balanced diet when our digestive system becomes well… not as regular as always. By stretching, folding and twisted the abdominal area, blood circulation increases which improves the functionality of our digestive system.

 

 

6. Boosts self esteem and inner strength

 

Exercise in general helps us feel good about ourselves but yoga combines poses that are all about creating space and opening up and relaxing into ‘safe’ poses like child pose. It helps us acknowledge what makes us fearful and works towards combatting anxiety and strengthening our self-esteem.

 

7. Benefits your relationships

 

Stress and chaos affects our mood drastically. Practising yoga allows us to take time out of the day just to focus on yourself. Trust me, your friends and family will noticed the results. It also provides a kind of spiritual grounding that makes us more understanding and resilient to the stresses and strains of life.

 

8. Soothes Sinuses

 

No matter how we try, sometimes Christmas flu is just unavoidable. But even if you can’t prevent it, yoga is great for the sinuses and relieving symptoms of cold and flu. It works by redistributing the pressure in your head around the body helping to clear blockages by controlled breathing.

 

9. Protects us from Injury.

 

We all know that yoga increases flexibility and makes us more supple. This means that if we fall down or injure ourselves (be it at the office Christmas party or on a run through Coronation park) the impact causes far less damage.

 

10. Encourages self-care

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Christmas is a busy and hectic time, we might not always have time to play sports or be able to afford going to the gym. Taking just 20 minutes out of your day to work on yourself, is essential for being the best you!

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