Benefits of Yoga

When I started practicing yoga I didn't really think too much about the benefits of it other than to be more flexible and hopefully loose a few pounds. Each time I am practicing yoga the instructor is always mentioning some health benefit from practicing yoga. At first my friend and I would joke a little, and after the instructor would mention a health benefit of yoga we would wispier to each other, "and it also cures cancer." We really didn't take the healing benefits of yoga seriously, we did a lot of joking at first, mainly to cover up how awkward we felt doing weird poses.
But I have been paying attention and doing some research and yoga is very healing and is a good way to stay healthy. I am an asthma sufferer and yoga has helped me learn breathing techniques that has reduced my dependance on an inhaler, I still need it on occasion but I have not been using it on a daily basis anymore.  I have also been relatively healthy since I started yoga, when the cold season comes around I usually get a more mild version of what everyone else is suffering. Yoga is good for the spine and back problems, my posture is great and hopefully this will help prevent any back strain or problems that come with getting older.
Research also says that yoga is good for fighting depression by improving your mood and lessening anxiety.  They have found that yoga can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and resting heart rates, leading to a healthier heart. While almost any exercise is good for the heart, experts are saying yoga's meditative component may give it an extra boost by helping to stabilize the lining of the blood vessels that, when irritated, contributes to cardiovascular disease. Since the lining, reacts to stress, and meditation can lower stress hormones, yoga may be causing a cascade of events that could reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.  Research has shown that women who practice yoga during and after breast cancer treatment experience less stress and discomfort and had higher energy levels. Yoga also helps reduce the side effects of menopause, reducing hot flashes, boosting energy and mood levels.
For me I didn't start practicing yoga because of these researched based studies, I started because my friend bugged me enough and I went. I absolutely love going to yoga and these added health benefits are just the icing on the cake.