Relax
This is no surprise. I think just about everyone has to already know that yoga helps to relax. What I don't think everyone understands is how or why yoga helps to relax.
One of the main parts of yoga is learning to focus on the breath. By paying attention to your breath, you are turning your attention inward, withdrawing from the outside world that causes the stress. Also, by focusing on the breath we learn to expand our lungs to take fuller breaths, thereby providing more oxygen to the cells throughout our body, regulating and supporting its healthy functioning.
When we have stress, our bodies respond accordingly. Our bodies go into "hyper"-reactionary mode and our blood pressure increases, our appetite changes, and a number of other things happen to help "protect" us from the perceived danger. However, those "hyper" states are not meant to last long. The longer they last, the more damaging they are. That's why it's important to stimulate the vagus nerve with yoga.
The vagus nerve is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" response, opposed to the "fight or flight" response we hear about. The vagus nerve, when functioning properly, helps us remain calm and have clearer, focused thoughts. When we can handle our responses to stress better, our physical bodies benefit. Stress is often the culprit to plenty of pains and problems. The more pains and problems we have, the more stress we have. That's why we should all just do yoga.
The stresses we have are also brought on by ourselves. The philosophies in yoga help to keep us mindful of our present moment instead of thinking about the past or worrying about the future. When we become more mindful, we become happier and healthier. Simple breathing exercises and mindfulness meditations can do wonders for our physical and mental health.
