In a 2016 worldwide survey about yoga, done in an attempt to quantify its value amid ever-increasing popularity, it was found that the second most cited reason people selected as to why they do yoga was to relieve stress.
It is no surprise that stress relief is one of the main reasons why people do yoga. According to The American Psychological Association 84% of American adults are feeling the impact of prolonged stress.
If you are considering practicing yoga and are having doubts, here are some of the benefits that practicing yoga could bring to your general wellbeing:
It can improve your mental health: movement-based yoga therapies and breathing-based practices have been shown to significantly improve depressive symptoms.
It can reduce anxiety: Yoga nidra, which is a body scan/guided meditation, has been shown to conclusively reduce symptoms of anxiety. This particularly important considering that The Anxiety and Depression Association of America recently stated that anxiety disorders may be the most common mental health disorders in the United States
It can improve your quality of life: A 2019 meta-analysis has shown promising potential for yoga to improve QOL in people with chronic pain. Also by improving other aspects of your life like your mental and physical health, your quality of life is better.
It can help you sleep better: Yoga has been shown to improve both how quickly people fall asleep and how deeply they stay asleep. This is partly due to the after effects of exercise and the mental calming and stress relief provided by yoga specifically. Appropriate rest is key to keeping a healthy lifestyle and being prepared and energized for your daily tasks as a virtual assistant.
It can improve brain function: Yoga truly is a mind-body exercise, studies suggest.The review mentioned above found that practicing yoga activated areas of the brain responsible for motivation, executive functioning, attention, and neuroplasticity. This is a very important benefit of practicing yoga since as a virtual assistant you need to be able to stay focused in your daily activities.
There are changes that can be done in our everyday routine to manage and reduce stress. Although we can completely avoid it, healthy habits like practicing yoga certainly help and are particularly attractive solutions to stress and other issues as virtual assistants, because yoga can be practiced from home and it can take only a few minutes.
Yoga can help you find the perfect work and life balance in your career as a virtual assistant. Are you interested in working with us as a virtual assistant? Apply Here and change your career path in a new and fulfilling way.