20 reasons that yoga helps you heal

shared from minbodygreen.com by Katrina Love Senn

Have you always wanted to try yoga but never quite had the confidence to start? Maybe you've been away from the mat for a while and are looking for a little motivation to recommit to your practice. Or perhaps you're considering adapting your existing yoga practice so that it can have more of a healing focus.

Yoga is the practice of creating unity between mind and body. When there's a disconnect between mind and body, our lives move out of balance, causing stress, fatigue and ultimately, illness. When you unify your mind and body through yoga, the reverse occurs. Your body can start to heal and rebalance naturally, helping you to feel healthier, happier and more alive.

I discovered yoga through my own health crisis. My body was so out of balance that it actually broke down, leaving me bedridden for months. Though at the time it was a painful way to learn that I needed to be kinder to my body, the experience caused me to focus on the key ingredients for creating long lasting health and wellness. As I practiced yoga, I learned how to reconnect with my body and myself. Not only did I heal myself of a series of chronic ailments but I also lost over 60 pounds in the process and have kept if off for good.

Here are 20 reasons that yoga helps you heal:

1. Yoga brings attention to your breathing, which is the single most important thing that you do every day.

2. Yoga is a spiritual practice that allows your mind to soften and your heart to open.

3. Yoga can help you stay connected to yourself, so that you can put your own needs first.

4. Yoga can help you to gain clarity about things you're working through each day.

5. Yoga is a great way to say, "yes!" to yourself and everything that is important to you.

6. Yoga can help you move beyond a negative inner-dialogue.

7. Balance poses in yoga invite you to get out of your head and into your body.

8. Yoga gives you healing tools to better cope with stressful events and trauma.

9. Yoga rebalances your body and can help with weight loss, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), inflammation and other chronic ailments.

10. Yoga can bring your awareness to the tension being held in your body, so that you can let it go.

11. Yoga classes are a great way to meet new, interesting and like-minded people.

12. Yoga opens up a whole world of travel opportunities, with amazing yoga retreats held all over the world.

13. There are lots of different styles and levels of yoga allowing you to find the best 'fit' for you.

14. Doing yoga regularly can help you to discover what makes you really happy.

15. Creating a regular yoga practice can bring more flexibility and strength to your body.

16. Yoga twists can help you feel stronger and better able to cope with life's unexpected turns.

17. Yoga supports you to consciously make better and healthier food choices.

18. Yoga opens you up to new feelings like inspiration, joy and gratitude.

19. Relaxing at the end of a class awakens the healing wisdom that lives within your body.

20. Yoga heals by helping you to reconnect with your inner-knowing, your heart and your dreams.