Beyond The Mat: How Dose Yoga Promote Wellness?

Considered one of the most low-maintenance modalities of exercise, did you know that yoga has manifold benefits? With people all over the world having realized the grave importance of leading a holistic, well-rounded life, the wellness industry is said to have blossomed in recent years, especially after the pandemic. Yoga, as a practice, has catapulted seamlessly as an effective form of self-care activity that increases self-awareness and improves your overall physical and mental well-being. But before we stead ahead, here are a few interesting facts to depict the revival of this age-old Indian tradition!

  • Today, more than 300 million people around the world practice yoga.
  • 5% of people, globally, practice yoga during the day, while 42.2% practice at night.
  • The leading economies of the world have surprising statistics of yogic patrons- there are approximately 300,000-460,000 yogis in the UK; the US reported 36 million practitioners in 2016, with numbers predicted to increase; and, there are more than 750 yoga centers in Beijing.
  • A 2017 study reported that practicing yoga daily for 3 months significantly reduced stress levels, while 94% of adults in another research study associated it with elevated wellness.

From addressing specific health conditions to enhancing one’s emotional well-being and more, there are a host of scientific studies that have proven the high efficacy of this ancient practice. But before we dive in, let’s go back to the basics.

The Origins of Yoga

Having developed more than 5.000 years ago in India, Yoga refers to a comprehensive wellness system that helps to enhance one’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. This ancient exercise emphasizes strength, flexibility, and breathing to improve one’s physical and emotional well-being. These asanas (posture) and pranayama (breathing)-based modalities have emerged as a popular practice amongst people from all age groups and walks of life. Constituting a culmination of many styles, known as hathas, let’s understand the link between yoga and wellness.

Yogic Tales: The Myriad Benefits of this Mind-Body-Soul Harmonizing Practice

Breathe in, Positive Energy,
Breathe Out Stress and Negativity.

Well, yes! That’s the very foundation of this beautiful practice. Learning to expend your energy and replenish yourself mindfully, yoga helps us in the following ways. Leveling up, see why Yoga should be a must-do in all our lives.

Physical Wellness

This aspect refers to your body’s physical health, comprising exercise, nutrition, sleep, and hydration. By systematically practicing and refining the various asanas, yoga improves your mobility and balance training, enables core stabilization and flexibility, and increases muscle endurance along with improving your physiological health.

Downward dog pose or Adho Mukha Savasana helps to stretch and strengthen your body, stimulate blood flow and circulation, improve posture, and help you feel relaxed.

Mainly enhancing your cardiovascular health, practicing yoga can help to reduce your stress, and bodily inflammations and control blood pressure and excess weight- all factors that can cause debilitating strokes and heart attacks. Moreover, studies have testified that yoga enhances the lipid profiles of people, especially those suffering from coronary heart disease, and excessively lessens blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

This Cow-Faced Pose helps to extend your intercostal muscles, and therefore your lung capacity. Apart from other benefits, it significantly lowers your blood pressure and heart rate- the two most common symptoms of stress-induced heart issues.

Yoga also activates and regulates your nervous system, namely the autonomic and parasympathetic nervous system functions.

This Pranayama, known as Anulomvilom follows the concept of alternate nostril breathing, which helps in reducing respiratory distress, and increases one’s focus and self-control.

Incorporating pranayamas into your routine can help keep allergic colds, flu and other respiratory distresses at bay. Lastly, certain asanas such as Cobra pose can help in preventing acidity and improving digestion and overall gut health, while maintaining a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low-fat dairy products.

Embodying complete stillness, the Cobra Pose or Savasana helps you to completely relax, and induce better sleep.

Apart from making you feel energetic, yoga also helps in inducing uninterrupted sleep and lowers joint/ back aches amongst other numerous benefits.

Emotional Wellness

Shifting one’s focus, this Tree Pose helps in releasing stress and tension internally that arises anxiety.

Emotional wellness refers to your capability to process and productively express your feelings and emotions. Helping you to center and re-align yourself, yoga makes you more self-aware and equips you to cope with stressful situations effectively.  From certain poses to breathwork, meditation, and chanting mantras, a meta-analysis of studies has testified to its benefits in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression by blending mindfulness.

Consequently, get ready to feel more productive, alert, and energetic- just like that morning brush of vigor, isn’t it?

Intertwining your physical and emotional health, here’s a fun fact for all your wellness lovers:
Yoga stimulates your neurological functioning by releasing stress-alleviating hormones like endorphins and GABA, which boost your mood manifold. After all, it’s time to feel good, isn’t it?

Yoga also helps to improve confidence, self-esteem and instills a sense of positive body image, a phenomenon that is integral for today’s generation. Lastly, invoking gratitude, there is a lot to be thankful about, isn’t it?

Spiritual Wellness

Meditating or practicing mindfulness to a chant often helps to invoke our deeper realm, and helps us touch base with our spiritual side. Moreover, it assists us in calming our senses, and re-aligning our mind, body and soul.

As we all know, Spiritual Wellness connotes the beliefs and values that steer your life decisions, and one’s deeper sense of life purpose. Apart from religious practices, this aspect can be tapped into through mindfulness and meditation. In that sense, yoga lets you connect with your highest self, aka, your soul, spirit, consciousness, or light. Your very reason for being, spiritual wellness helps you to trust your inner guide.

Intellectual Wellness

Known as Padmasana, this pose helps in elevating brain power and mental health. Apart from that, it is also famous for ameliorating joint pains and menstrual cramps in women.

Amplifying your mental faculties, Intellectual Wellness suggestively refers to sharpening your cognition and memory productivity by indulging in lifelong learning and building curiosity for topics that spark your interest. In fact, in authentic yogic terms, one of the ‘niyamas’ or personal practices of this practice involves ‘swadyaya’ or self-study in layman’s terms.

Social Wellness

Engaging with similar-minded people fosters a sense of community and belongingness.

Following the principle of associating with like-minded individuals, social wellness refers to your innate sense of connection to others and establishing and maintaining positive relationships in life. Joining a yoga class or community around your house can totally serve this purpose while you’ll grow toward a healthier path together.

The Ultimate Holistic Mélange with SA: Yoga and Self-Care

Mixing the old with the new, yoga fulfills the different aspects of self-care, thereby facilitating an individual to feel wholesome and healthy by awakening his senses, healing their body, and balancing their state of mind. Abiding by this same motto, what if we told you that we could further upgrade your experience of connecting with yourself as you imbue yourself in soothing, but luring aromatherapy oils from Secret Alchemist? Too good to be true isn’t it!

Well, here are our top picks:

  • Self-Care Relaxation Roll-On: Infused with Clary Sage, it’s time to refresh and renew your spirit.
  • Self-Care Candle: Light up your surroundings and your soul with our Neroli-infused wellness candle.
  • Lavender Essential Oil: Baby calm down! Immerse and relax in this soothing fragrance.

Well, well! Giving you a true wellness confluence, are you ready to enhance your Yoga journey with our synergistic blends? Check out or website for more: https://secretalchemist.com/