As well as the obvious increase in strength and flexibility, you may notice you now possess the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. A quick glance in the mirror and you might be surprised to see a glowing reflection staring back at you. And if you struggle to sleep at night, you'll be ecstatic when you realize that insomnia has become a thing of the past.
These claims may sound too good to be true (and some will only come over time) but a month or two of yoga has been proven to have some serious advantages. I started practicing the mindful workout a few weeks ago and already feel like everything from my productivity to my posture has improved.
Here are just a few of the things that you might experience after a few weekly yoga sessions.
1. Glowing Skin
Studio Firma/Stocksy
Yes, experts love to tout the ability of absolutely anything to give you great skin. But yoga has been scientifically proven to leave your skin with that glow that's all over Instagram right now. According to doctors, the practice causes vasodilation; a process that enlarges the blood vessels in your body. This then leads to improved blood circulation to the skin, feeding it good nutrients and flushing out any bad toxins that can cause things like acne, premature aging, and discoloration How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
2. Reduced Stress
Kayla Snell/Stocksy
While it's obvious that an hour of mindfulness will leave you feeling on top of the world, yoga's stress-relieving benefits last longer than you may think. A review of several studies concluded that yoga can allow people to handle stress in a better way. It works to regulate the body's stress response systems and reduces the impact of any stressful situation. This, in turn, can lead to a reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure. Nifty, huh?
3. A Good Night's Sleep
Milles Studio/Stocksy
Anyone who struggles to get eight hours' kip each night will like this one. A study carried out in 2011 found that yoga has the ability to produce a sound night's sleep. It's no secret that sleeping better and for longer can boost productivity and brainpower as well as increase your overall sense of wellbeing. I can personally attest to this one. Prior to starting yoga, I only found myself nodding off in the early hours of the morning. Now, I can fall asleep within minutes and wake up feeling refreshed rather than groggy.
4. Increased Productivity
Jovo Jovanovic/Stocksy
In 2013, a small-scale study published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health found that just 20 minutes of yoga helped people's brains to function better. The people involved in the study were able to complete tests quicker and more accurately than those who had undergone 20 minutes of aerobics. This suggests that yoga allows the brain to focus and complete tasks in a sharper fashion than before. I'll take that over a HIIT class any day of the week How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
5. Plenty Of Aches & Pains
Gabrielle Lutze/Stocksy
Yoga may seem easy but getting into those positions takes a lot of strength. And it'll leave your body feeling something rather unexpected. While you won't ever be encouraged to compete with anyone else in the room, you will find it hard to resist challenging yourself to hold the pose for longer. This inevitably results in aches from muscles that you never knew existed. After a few weeks, these will disappear but don't let anyone tell you that yoga is for wimps.
6. A Better Life
Jovo Jovanovic/Stocksy 7. Increased Flexibility
Clique Images/Stocksy
When I first started yoga, I struggled to master a downward dog. But now, my feet can rest firmly on the floor without me wheezing or even trying super hard. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that yoga can improve flexibility — especially in young people. A group of healthy young adults was asked to attend 24 yoga sessions in two months. When compared to a control group, they showed a substantial increase in lower back and hamstring flexibility as well as increased deadlift strength and decreased body fat.
Spurious claims regarding yoga are all over the internet but there is some scientific proof to back up quite a few of these potential benefits. While I and plenty of others will sing yoga's praises high from the rooftops, be aware that it may take weeks — or even months — for you to really feel its effects.
Don't be downhearted if nothing happens straight away. Just keep calm and carry on. Namaste.
How To Listen To Your Body In Yoga Class, Because It's Not Always About The Teacher's Cues
My yoga practice used to hurt my body way more than it helped. I would push past obvious discomfort and unpleasant sensations just for the sake of getting deeper into the asanas to prove something to myself, and because, well, it is a workout, right? No pain, no gain? Well, while it's true that yoga can be a great physical form of exercise, my former approach to my practice wasn't actually doing my body or my mind any favors. Learning how to listen to your body in yoga class, on the other hand, is, I've come to learn, one of the most sacred things about the practice overall — even if that means skipping all of the "cool" poses your teacher is cueing in class, and staying in child's pose the entire time, instead how Does Yoga Change Your Body.
According to Susan Shumsky, a yoga teacher and author of the book Awaken Your Divine Intuition, your time in a yoga class should never be a physical endurance test or competition. "It’s not a good idea to compare yourself to other people or to try to be the 'best in class' at doing an asana or other yogic practice," Shumsky tells Elite Daily over email. "The idea of competition is entirely antithetical to the concept of yoga."
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Personally, it took me years to come to this realization. But now, my practice feels better than ever, all because I learned to look at my time on the mat as an opportunity to do something good and constructive for no one other than myself.
Of course, it's easier said than done to focus only on yourself and your own progress when you're in a yoga class, surrounded by dozens of other people contorting themselves into impressive shapes and poses. However, according to Shumsky, when engaging in your yoga practice, it's crucial to pay attention to your body, not anyone else's. "Do not strain or try to outdo yourself or other people," she explains. "You can be injured by attempting physical feats without slowly and gradually building up to them."
Ultimately, yoga is about listening to what your body is telling you; more specifically, the practice entails tuning in to what is best for your individual body at that exact moment in time. In other words, just because you could hold pigeon pose in your yoga class without feeling strained last week, that doesn't necessarily mean you should feel defeated or frustrated just because the pose doesn't feel natural in the present moment. Our bodies change every single day, and what you did in class last week, or even last month, could be the exact opposite of what serves you best now.
What's arguably even more important (and what many beginner yogis don't realize right away) is that you don't have to listen to every single thing your teacher says in a yoga class — especially if the poses don't feel right for you. "If a yoga teacher is guiding the class to do something that you don’t feel like doing, the world will not come to an end if you instead just lie down and enjoy savasana," Shumsky tells Elite Daily How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
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Any good yoga teacher will completely respect your decision to do your own thing as the rest of the class continues flowing because in truth, doing so is really an act of unconditional self-care. As a woman who's practiced yoga for the last 18 years of her life, Sara DiVello, a nationally recognized yoga, and meditation teacher and bestselling author of the book Where in the OM Am I?, says it’s fundamental to the overall practice to listen to your body, "because nobody knows your body better than you," she tells Elite Daily in an email. "YOU know what feels good. You know when you’ve reached your limit. You know when to do more. And you know when to rest," DiVello explains.
Ignoring your body's own cues in favor of the teacher's instructions — or even a passing thought of what you worry you "should" be doing — is the quickest way to get injured, according to Divello. "I have stayed in child’s pose — or even come into supported savasana — when I needed to, and I always encourage my students to do the same," the yoga teacher explains. "In fact, I’ve stayed in savasana even after the class ended and had a good cry, and felt about 100 times better afterward."
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Divello tells me her personal mantra is this: your body, your practice, your choice — always. I am so here for that, guys. But what does that actually look like IRL, and how can you go about listening to your body's cues more closely in your yoga classes?
Picture it going something like this, says DiVello: "You’re in a pose and finally reach that place of stillness and connection — you know you need to stay. The teacher keeps teaching, calling out for the next pose, and the rest of the class follows, but you just... Stay as you are and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing because you are on your own journey," the yoga teacher explains.
It all boils down to being mindful and in-tune with your individual needs. I personally suffered quite a few yoga-induced injuries before realizing that, some days, my body's just craving a whole lot of savasana, meditation, rest, and nothing else — and that's OK. "Understand that there are many paths to yoga," Shumsky says, "and the physical path is just one." It's up to you to find out which other paths are right for you How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
Health Experts Reveal The Effects Wine And Beer REALLY Have On Your Body
What you should know about alcohol: The shocking effects wine and beer REALLY have on your body - and what to drink if you want to avoid hangovers and a January 'slump'
Two health experts have revealed the effects of alcohol on the body and mind
They recommend drinking in moderation and detoxing after heavy drinking
Alcohol impacts mental health, physical health, and sleeping patterns
By Laura House For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 19:59 EST, 19 December 2019 | Updated: 07:05 EST, 21 December 2019
The festive season is in full swing, which for many of us means long lunches and dinner with plenty of alcohol.
But while having a polite glass or two is nothing to fear, health experts have warned of the dangers of over-indulgence.
Speaking on the Elevate podcast, Australian personal trainer and lifestyle/ nutrition coach, Sarah Hopkins, and yoga and Ayurveda teacher, Amanda Nog, broke down the impact heavy drinking has on your body.
The women noted that booze can hit your blood sugar and hormones, as well as make you more likely to crave unhealthy foods.
The experts also shared the steps you can take to find more balance - including the best tipples to choose and how to avoid the January 'slump'.
Speaking on the Elevate podcast, Australian personal trainer and lifestyle/ nutrition coach, Sarah Hopkin (left), and yoga and Ayurveda teacher, Amanda Nog (right), broke down the impact heavy drinking has on your body How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
BLOOD SUGAR
A moderate amount of alcohol elevates blood sugar, which can cause you to carry excess body fat.
But binge drinking or long-term excessive alcohol consumption also has issues as it lowers blood sugar levels, Sarah explained.
Alcohol consumption causes an increase in insulin secretion, which leads to low blood sugar (otherwise known as hypoglycemia).
This causes light-headedness and fatigue and is also responsible for a host of longer-term alcohol-related health problems.
'Some people call the gut the second brain - if it is not functioning in a healthy way then it's really messing up everything, not just our digestion,' Amanda (pictured) said
HORMONES
Alcohol impacts the body's hormone systems and their ability to work properly, therefore impacting reproduction, energy levels, blood pressure, development, and mood.
'Alcohol is an oestrogenic agent so it's going to elevate your estrogen levels which for most women will result in a higher accumulation of body fat and hormonal imbalances,' Sarah said.
Revealed: Other long-term effects of regular heavy drinking
Brain: Drinking too much can affect your concentration, judgment, mood, and memory. It increases your risk of having a stroke and developing dementia.
Heart: Heavy drinking increases your blood pressure and can lead to heart damage and heart attacks.
Liver: Drinking 3 to 4 standard drinks a day increases your risk of developing liver cancer. Long-term heavy drinking also puts you at an increased risk of liver cirrhosis (scarring) and death.
Stomach: Drinking even 1 to 2 standard drinks a day increases your risk of stomach and bowel cancer, as well as stomach ulcers How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
Fertility: Regular heavy drinking reduces men's testosterone levels, sperm count and fertility. For women, drinking too much can affect their periods.
'If you've got something like PCOS, endometriosis or fibroids it's almost imperative that you significantly reduce alcohol and certainly consider completely cutting it out.'
MENTAL HEALTH
'Most people would have had the experience [of feeling really down] after drinking,' Sarah said. 'The vulnerable feeling the day after you've drunk that you feel like you need to be in a cave and not speak to anybody.'
'Alcohol has an adverse effect on serotonin production so that's why you feel depressed. It also increases the stress hormones which is why you feel that anxiety.'
SLEEP
'The worst part, in my opinion, is that alcohol basically depresses the nervous system,' Sarah said.
'Afterwards, the body will give you a shot of adrenaline and cortisol to wake the body up - it's called the neurological rebound effect. We are totally dysregulating our sleep cycle for that night and completely suppressing all that magical melatonin that we need.'
CRAVINGS
According to Sarah, alcohol 'physiologically makes you crave certain foods' How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
'If there is a bowl of chips in front of you and you don't feel like them, you won't eat them. If you have a glass of wine you will eat that whole bowl because it actually increases your appetite. It makes you eat more.
'From a client's perspective, if they are struggling to lose weight - particularly weight that is accumulated around the mid-section, top of the arms, top of the legs - then a very high chance of yielding a good result is cutting the booze out.'
Amanda described the gut as 'one of the centers of intelligence in the body'.
'Some people call the gut the second brain - if it is not functioning in a healthy way then it's really messing up everything, not just our digestion,' Amanda said.
Sarah added: 'Part of the reason we feel anxious or depressed is that most of the neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin, are produced in the gut.
'So it's actually having an adverse effect on the gut's ability to produce serotonin which is then making us feel anxious and depressed.'
Sarah recommends abstinence from alcohol from a period of time if you have weight to lose, anxiety or imbalanced hormones. Stock image
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING?
Sarah recommends abstinence from alcohol from a period of time if you have weight to lose, anxiety or imbalanced hormones.
She then suggests re-introducing it and aiming for a minimum of five nights a week without alcohol and one or two nights a week of moderate drinking.
'I try and do at least five days a week with not a single drop of alcohol - we don't have alcohol in the house other than some really beautiful wines in storage that we wouldn't just drink,' Sarah said.
What are the Australian drinking guidelines?
The Australian Guidelines recommend healthy adults should drink no more than 2 standard drinks on any day to cut the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
They also recommend consuming a max of 4 standard drinks on a single occasion to reduce the risk of alcohol-related injury.
A standard drink contains about 10 grams of alcohol - the amount your body can process in an hour.
The average glass of wine served in a pub contains 1.5 standard drinks.
New draft guidelines recommend healthy Australian women and men drink no more than ten standard drinks a week How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
Health Direct
'My limit is three drinks max and I'm better after one.'
Amanda drinks on average once a month and it's not in excess - maybe a glass or two of wine.
'My desire for alcohol has really dissipated since I found so many other things in my life that make me feel relaxed, fulfilled and happy,' she said.
'Instead of going for the low-hanging fruit my daily practices mean I am already filled in those cups. I don't "need" to reach for the wine.'
WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING?
Both Sarah and Amanda always stick to 'organic, natural, sulfite-free and preservative-free' wines as a 'non-negotiable' to stay well and avoid hangovers.
'When it comes to wine, ideally have organic or biodynamic or both,' Sarah said.
'For me, I find if I drink sulfites I can feel it the next day. I always say quality over quantity. I would rather they spend $100 or $60 on a bottle and have a glass of that than $10 on a bottle with all of those dreaded things in it.
'Also best are those really clean spirits - tequila and vodka and gin. Again, make sure they are made in a small batch style and are of high quality.'
Sarah described the beer as the 'perfect storm of all things bad' because it is made with gluten, sugar, and yeast which can all have adverse effects on the gut.
How to avoid the January slump
According to Sarah and Amanda, drinking in moderation and having a break from alcohol are the most important things to consider.
You can listen to the Elevate podcast here
'It's important to have a break, especially if you have been drinking on the daily for years,' Amanda said.
'After a break period get to know where your healthy balance point is. For some people cutting it out altogether may be the way to go and for some people having a glass of wine once a week or whatever might work for them.
'In terms of longevity, all the blue zones (where people are living consistently over 100), a common factor is fermented beverages - namely wine.
'From my perspective, it can be a medicine, but it can also be our poison. Like any food taken into excess, it can be and it's different for every single person.'
They suggest asking 'why' you are reaching for a drink and whether your aim is to 'change your state'.
'If you can only hang out with people if you are getting drunk then what is that relationship really based on,' Amanda said How Does Yoga Change Your Body.
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