Are you stressed out and sleep-deprived? If you’re a student, you probably answered yes. You’re constantly looking for a way to relax. You’re trying to be more focused on the lectures, but you’re too tired to understand what the professors say. It’s okay. You shouldn’t feel guilty about facing challenges that all other students are dealing with. The only question is: what can you do to reduce your stress?
Have you been thinking about trying yoga, but haven’t found the trigger yet? You’ve been admiring those popular Instagram yogis, but you were probably thinking: “I could never do this.” Guess what: you can. Plus, yoga is much more than just the poses. Under the surface you see on Instagram, there’s peace, focus, and success. Why should you practice yoga as a student? Because it’s good for you? How? Let’s elaborate on that, shall we?
Here are 7 Ways Yoga Benefits Students:
1. Yoga Helps You Relax
Science backs up this fact: yoga helps you relax, both physically and mentally. In one study, the scientists observed that the amino acid GABA was significantly higher in people who did yoga. What does this mean? This amino acid supports functions of the entire central nervous system and promotes calmness in the body. Anxiety and depression are associated with low levels of GABA.
You’ll find many other studies that tell you how good yoga is for your mental and emotional health. However, you’ll find the greatest proof when you try practicing it. Most students feel calmer after their first session.
When you’re in the middle of exam week and you’re deprived of sleep, a simple 10-minute relaxation will make you feel like you just had hours of sleep.
2. Yoga Makes Your Back Strong
All that time sitting in front of the computer and in uncomfortable chairs in lecture halls takes its toll on your posture. If you keep doing that for years, you’ll start experiencing back pain. You can prevent that from happening if you start practicing yoga.
3. Yoga Makes You Focused
How many times have you been forcing yourself to complete a research paper, but you simply couldn’t focus? Many students procrastinate when they have to write papers. When the deadline comes dangerously close, they realize there’s no chance for them to complete the project.
We suggest something better: do yoga! Yoga and meditation support and strengthen focus. You’re training your mind how to focus on a particular thing. Even when you’re doing your physical yoga practice, you’re still focusing. When you get in Natarajasana (Dancer's Pose), your mind has no other choice but to stay focused. Otherwise, you lose balance.
With regular practice, you’ll notice how your ability to focus improves.
4. Yoga Makes Helps You Gain Self-Confidence
Do you think you can do a headstand? If you’ve never tried yoga or you’re at the beginning of this journey, that seems like an impossible mission. But, it’s possible. A good teacher will guide you properly through the practice that leads to a headstand.
When you finally achieve this inversion pose, you’ll feel safe and secure. You’ll realize you’ve moved the limits of your body, but you also extended the limits of your mind. You gain confidence that you can do much more than you thought you were capable of. This pose is just one example of the ways your yoga practice can improve confidence in all areas of your life.
5. Yoga Is Fun!
You want to try new things, don’t you? That’s what being a student is all about - experiencing life and learning from it. Yoga is a very fun discipline. You’ll explore new techniques and methods all the time. You get to move your body in new and interesting ways. It never gets boring.
6. You’ll Learn How to Breathe
What do you notice when you get stressed? Is your breath getting shallow and fast? Stress affects the way you breathe, but there’s a reverse situation: the way you breathe affects stress. If you try to slow down and breathe through your belly, you’ll notice how you’re slowly calming down. Through pranayama - the practice of controlling the breath, you’ll be supplying your body with more oxygen.
7. Yoga Is a Workout, After All
It’s hard to stay in shape when you can’t find the time to cook healthy meals every day. You absolutely need to work out. Yoga will help you keep your body in shape.
It’s an amazing practice for increasing flexibility. However, it also gives you a core workout. It builds muscles in the arms and legs. It makes you stronger (and more beautiful).
Are you convinced? You don’t need to buy expensive equipment to start practicing yoga. Just get a plain mat and you can start doing it today!
By Chris Richardson
Chris Richardson is a journalist and editor at EssayGeeks.co.uk. He is fond of traveling, sports, and playing the guitar. Chris finds his inspiration in writing. Meet him on Google+.
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