20 Reasons Why You Need Yoga (in your life… effectively immediately!)

1. It’s a great workout.  We know it definitely isn’t the POINT of yoga, but you can’t argue that it isn’t a great reason! You can get your sweat on with some vinyasa or that deep stretch with some yin. No matter which yoga class you choose, an asana practice is always going to move your body in a way that feels good, and you can always adapt the practice to your own speed and level of comfort. Sweat, strength, tone = the perfect workout we say (not biased at all).

(Click below for another 19!).

2. It gets you in touch with your body. Yoga is designed to move your body in order to increase its strength and flexibility. It encourages mindfulness and listening to your body as you move – making sure that each pose is working on specific areas. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will help you to be more in tune with your body – knowing exactly what feels good (and exactly what doesn’t!). Yoga is the quality time your body deserves.
3. It can improve your sleep, these studies reveal. Who doesn’t want a good night sleep? You if you read this and still don’t give regular yoga a try ;)
4. It’s an excuse to buy some new workout gear. And possibly the start of your new found addiction to yoga pants. If you look good you yoga good right? ;)
5. Get flexible. Duh. 

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6. Relieves stress. The perfect antidote to this crazy fast paced world we live in? Thanks for backing it up science.
7. Sculpt and tone muscles. Again maybe not the entire point, but a strong body is a health body! Tonnes of postures, such as chatturanga (the four-limbed staff pose) and paripurna navasana (the boat pose) are fantastic  body weight exercises that work muscles in the same way as standard pushups or abdominal crunches. Read on here. 

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8. It helps prevent Alzheimers and Dementia. You better believe it.
9. It helps to cure depression. Yep.
10. And anxiety. No we aren’t relying on small or poorly completed studies to make this (life changing) claim, Harvard Medical School puts forth some mighty convincing evidence.
11. It will improve your posture. You’ll start off slouching and slumped, reflecting the figure of someone who spends most of the day at their desk or binge watching cute cat pictures on your phone (we’ve all been there). Within a few short months, yoga will help sculpt your back into the kind of poised posture that’ll make you walk taller and it’ll actually feel natural to do so. 
12. Better sex. Flexibility - check. Heightened body awareness - check. Increased stamina - check. P.S. Ever heard of The Kama Sutra? 

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13. Protects your brain from shrinking. What?! Our brains do that? Apparently they do and yoga can help.   
14. Better breathing. A big part of yoga is the breathing exercises (known as pranayama). These encourage a more focused and centered way of breathing, and while they might not be something you’ll do consciously every day, they’re absolutely sure to provide methods of effective stress-management and general wellness. 
15. Stimulates the immune system. Yoga lowers stress hormones, conditions the lungs and respiratory tract, stimulates the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body, and brings oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function. Impressed, you should be! (and science backs us up all the way).
​16. It helps to prevent back injuries. Yep yep!
17. Makes you nicer. On top of toning your muscles, having better sex, and getting super bendy, we at Stretch totally believe yoga makes everyone a whole heap nicer in their everyday lives. From experiencing this ourselves, seeing it first hand and having some common sense when piecing feeling clam/centred/relaxed together = a more pleasant human being for others. 
18. Keeps you honest. Ever attempted a downward dog the morning after that sneaky bottle of wine, cocktail jug and maybe that tequila shot (though you can’t really remember)? Well let me tell you, it’s a real challenge. By keeping a regular practice, yoga kicks you in the butt (or stomach, depending on the pose) when you’ve let your lifestyle go a little off track. Whatever your health goals are, yoga is one of the best ways to analyse how your body feels after certain foods, drinks, sleep and stress. Want to feel good? Treat your body good, simple (yoga just keeps you honest about it). 

19. Prevents workout injuries. If you've previously injured yourself whilst running, boxing or tripping over your own toes (life is hard)… you'll know that prevention is key! Yoga’s combination of active and passive stretching is one way to keep those unexpected injuries at bay. Active stretching—moving and stretching the body dynamically (as in Sun Salutations) - creates warmth and suppleness in the tissues. Passive stretching—holding a posture for a minute or more in a way that’s relaxed (such as our Deep Stretch classes) —allows muscles to lengthen. Read more here.

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20. Makes you present. The reasons to make yoga a regular part of your life are essentially endless and can often be quite complex and personal, but at Stretch we think it can also be simple and universal… we practice yoga ultimately to be present, mindful and in the now. Present not only when on our mats but also in the rest of our lives. Being present means that we enjoy life more - we're able to 'stop to smell the roses' and enjoy all the beautiful stuff that this human experience has to offer. Regardless of all of our differences and ideologies, we are all here, living and breathing together, so why not aim to be present and leave all the stress and drama behind!? Surely being self-aware and present is one of the best ways to enjoy our ever changing lives, innovate for the future and sculpt who we are into who we want to be. Yoga is one way we can touch base with ourselves, our bodies and the now.

See you on the mat!