Although you may at first be put off by yogis who are able to twist their bodies into knots, don't let it put you off trying yoga. Twisting your body into contortions is only one part of yoga. It would be like judging eating ice cream on the basis of just one or two flavors. There's bound to be a flavor of yoga for you to enjoy. When you find it, you can partake of the many practical health benefits of yoga.
Reduced Stress
Part of the reason we are so stressed in life is that we often feel completely at the mercy of unseen (or even seen) forces. It can often seem like at any moment we can be both literally and metaphorically knocked off balance by very little. One of the health benefits of yoga (any branch of it) is that it reduces your stress by giving you self confidence, gentle exercise, and emotional balance along with your improved physical balance.
Improved Circulation
Your body relies on the circulation system in order to get all of the energy it needs to all of the places that needs it. If a body part doesn't get a lot of exercise, neither does your circulation system. This means body parts often don't get the energy and natural chemicals they need in order to function. This is especially a problem with arthritis, diabetes and some cases of impotency.
The bending, twisting, stretching and gentle turning of yoga helps get your blood pumping. This exercising of your circulatory system is another of the practical health benefits of yoga. Ideally, yoga should get your heart working, but not to the point where you are in pain or feel like you are going to faint.
Bone Strength
As we get older, our bones loose their density and cannot do their job of holding the body up. Although it happens more to women, everyone risks brittle bones as they get older. Another health benefit of yoga (no matter what your age) is that, by keeping exercised and moving, and having your circulation getting them the nutrients they need, they can perform better for you when you are older.
Also, yoga can help you loose some weight, which certainly can aggravate aging bones. Another major health benefit of yoga is that it helps you stay in a shape easier for your bones to carry around. With less fat, you also have less risk of developing heart disease or diabetes Type 2.
