1) ~Mindfulness~
When performing yoga, we must control our minds first in order to find complete control of the body with which we are performing our movements. When we reach a mental state primed on becoming aware of our surroundings and finding focus in the present moment, free from any extraneous distractions, we enable ourselves to calmly acknowledge our inner thoughts and feelings. Becoming aware of these thoughts is vitally important in terms of our ability to find that sense of mindfulness we are ultimately trying to reach.
We, humans, are not all the same, and we all have different thoughts/feelings, so finding your inner truth from within will allow for you to focus on what is best for you. This, my friends is coming to a sensible state of meaningful mindfulness.
2) ~Enhanced flexibility-~
Over time, the movements we continually perform begin to flow much more gracefully than before. This is because our bodies are readily adapting and changing based on the previous encounters of similar progressions- you can sort of think of this as a sort of muscle memory based adaptation to stimuli. The muscle fibers begin to stretch and expand, which enhances our elasticity.
Becoming flexible does not happen overnight, and some movements may not even be possible for particular individuals because of certain factors such as, a prior injury for example or even genetic/hereditary factors. Flexibility progression is a huge benefit from performing yoga, as I can personally attest to this statement. I went from not even being able to touch my toes to now going flat palms on the ground, which hardly even feels like a stretch anymore. We just have to trust the process and be patient in practice, as development comes as small adjustments are being made on a daily basis.
3) ~Optimized bone density~
As I have noticed, bone density becomes improved when performing yoga because many of the movements necessary to flow can be considered as 'weight bearing' exercises. When we are performing the art of yoga we are using God's greatest gift he has given to our full advantage. Body weight workouts force us to work with what we have, which can prove to be very difficult.
I personally weigh around 160 lbs. so performing an exercise that requires tremendous weight bearing can prove to be rather difficult, much more difficult than curling or lifting say a 40 lb. dumbbell at the gym. If you perform yoga, you will begin to notice your bones starting to strengthen and also become noticeably durable (especially the bones of the wrists and hands). This particular benefit actually goes hand-in-hand with another benefit that I will be discussing in Benefits From Doing Yoga-Part II of a 3 Set Series.
4) ~Relative strength~
Many people have differing viewpoints on what strength really is. There are two different ways to typify strength: relative strength and absolute strength, and there is an enormous difference between these two. Training incorrectly with an emphasis on going for absolute strength was severely hindering my ability to see the results that I knew I was capable of. Once I figured out that I needed to go for relative strength, as compared to absolute strength, I was able to make the necessary 'strength' gains to do poses like this difficult side crow pose.
Relative strength, in simplistic terms, is just strength in comparison to your overall body mass. Absolute strength on the other hand, is the maximum amount of force exerted, regardless of muscle or body size. Greater amounts of absolute strength favor those with higher body weight and in general, larger or extremely muscular individuals. If you are a body builder or a power lifter you would be shooting for absolute strength, but for a yogi relative strength is where your attention should be focused for optimum results.
If you are at all interested, you can check out some of my other poses I have been working on at:
https://www.instagram.com/superyoga03/
Be sure to tune in to Part II of this 3 set series for more Benefits from doing Yoga!!