We now live in a world where self-care, health and wellbeing are being prioritised, and actually, are actively encouraged – which is something that we haven’t seen until recent years.
And one of the very best ways to practise self-care is through yoga and meditation.
Here, Victoria Cranmer, founder of health and wellbeing travel firm Mindful Escapes, shares her thoughts on why yoga should be added to our everyday routine.
There is a global increase in people battling burnout, and time is of the essence, therefore practising as little as 10 minutes of yoga as part of your daily routine can be a beneficial addition.
People have never been as busy as they are today. Whether it’s juggling work and business with family life or struggling to find the time to relax and unwind, people are continuing to battle the feeling of burnout.
Yoga enables and releases feelings of anxiety, stress, worry, self-doubt, fatigue and the feeling of burnout with each and every breath.
Much more than deep breathing and stretching, yoga is an act of healing – both physically and mentally.
Benefits of yoga
As a great source of healing, yoga has many benefits and can work to support everybody in an entirely unique and different way.
Whilst not medicinal, yoga is the ideal way to incorporate gentle movement to your day and improve mental and physical wellbeing.
1) Improves strength, balance and flexibility
The regular movements and breathing techniques of yoga can aid the improvement of your strength, balance and flexibility by increasing blood flow and warming up the muscles. As well as this, yoga can improve posture, which in turn, reduces back pain and enhances comfort.
2) Reduces aches and pains
For people with illnesses such as arthritis, or those that suffer from aches and pains, yoga makes for the perfect form of gentle exercise. The stretching and breathing of yoga eases pain and discomfort and is a great way to manage bodily aches and pains without medicinal intervention.
3) Reduces stress and benefits heart health
When practised regularly, yoga can help people to feel less stressed, thus reducing inflammation and contributing to a healthier heart.
4) Relaxes to aid sleep and boosts mood With yoga comes a sense of calm and can therefore be a great way to end your day and wind down before going to bed. For a better night’s sleep, alter your exercises to encourage relaxation, but to kickstart your day, yoga can make for the perfect mood booster – simply select exercises that require a little more energy and that make you feel awake and raring to go.
5) The ultimate self-care tool
Yoga is the ideal way to take care of yourself. Whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour – yoga can be practised in such a way that works around your day, providing you with some well-deserved ‘me time’ whilst supporting stress management and encouraging mindfulness.
Getting started
It’s important that people practise yoga in a way that suits them – after all, we all have entirely different needs.
Whilst you will receive maximum benefits from adding yoga to your everyday routine, some people prefer yoga retreats to fully immerse themselves and to create the ultimate experience.
A retreat is the perfect way to prioritise yoga and its healing benefits without any distractions from the outside world.
For more information on yoga retreats and its benefits, visit: https://mindfulescapes.uk/ 
