In recent years, the yoga trend in Malta has really caught on. Yet, while there are many who swear by yoga and its beneficial effects, others can’t help but wonder what all the fuss is about! Perhaps these 8 reasons will motivate you to roll out your mat and give yoga a try.

1. Protect your spine

Your spine, which is made up of 33 spinal disks, craves movement. Yoga is one of the best ways to keep your spinal disks supple, through a well-balanced practice that contains plenty of backbends, forward bends and twists.

2. Ease migraines

While the cause of migraines is not fully understood, a combination of mental stressors and physical misalignment could be a trigger. For instance, hunching over a computer with your shoulders up and head forward can cause over-lifting of your trapezius muscles and tightening of your neck. This pulls the head forward and creates muscle imbalances that can contribute to headaches and migraines. However, research has shown that migraine sufferers have fewer and less painful migraines after three months of yoga practice.

3. With time, your flexibility will improve

One of the most obvious benefits of yoga lies in its ability to improve flexibility. While you may be miles away from touching your toes during your first yoga class, if you stick with your yoga routine, you’ll gradually notice your body loosening and easing into what at first seemed like an impossible feat. With improved flexibility, you’ll likely notice that aches and pains start to disappear too. Tight hamstrings, for instance, can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine which can cause back pain.

4. It may ward off osteoporosis

Weight-bearing exercises strengthen the bones, which in turn may help ward off osteoporosis. In yoga, many poses require you to lift your own weight. Such poses help strengthen the arm bones, which are especially vulnerable to fractures.

5. Yoga fights food cravings

According to research conducted at the University of Washington, a regular yoga practice can promote mindful eating – an awareness of physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. So, the awareness that is attained through yoga can help you tune in to emotions involved with certain cravings. In addition, yoga breathing exercises can help you slow down and make better choices when a craving arises.

6. Relaxes your nervous system

One of the primal aspects of yoga lies in slowing down the breath and focusing on the present moment – both of which encourage relaxation, and shift the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (or the flight-or-fight response) to the parasympathetic nervous system (calming and restorative).

7. It improves your posture

Spending the majority of your day sitting can take a toll on your posture. Consequently, slouching forward can cause back, neck and other muscle and joint problems. In addition, as you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back, which can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine. Practising yoga increases body awareness, strengthens the core and lengthens the spine.

8. Beat the blues 

Speak to anyone who has just attended a yoga class and they will describe feeling happier, less stressed and more relaxed. Studies have shown that practising yoga significantly increases serotonin levels in the brain and decreases cortisol.