Benefits of Yoga for Students

Starting University is an important time in your life. It might be the first time you have had to take care of yourself and at the same time, you are embarking on a new course which will be mentally challenging. Yoga is a perfect complement to your studies. The physical practice is a great relief to lengthy periods of being stationary when you are studying, and there are also many benefits for the mind and relieve yourself from stress and anxiety.

• Physical benefits including posture

Yoga is a great way to look after the physical body. Starting your practice at a young age means that you can work to avoid issues, such as problems with the spine or joints. These issues can arise as we get older as a result of bad habits throughout life.
When we are studying we spend long periods of time sat over a desk. This can result in bad posture, including compression of the spine or other deformations of the spine. Many of the poses in yoga work to stretch out all the disks of the spine and focus on body alignment which can help avoid back problems in the future.

• Improves mental health

Studying can be mentally tiring. As well as physical benefits, yoga is beneficial for the mind:

• Improves memory and concentration
• Reduces stress
• Improves mood
• Increases energy levels

• Self-awareness

Yoga allows us to tune into how we are feeling both physically and mentally. This then makes us have a better awareness of what we need to stay happy and healthy.

• Break from study

It is good to take regular breaks from studying. Taking an hour out for a yoga class will mean you go back to work feeling calm, refreshed and you will see improvements in your concentration and focus.

• Meet new people

Doing a yoga class is a great way to meet new people with similar interests. This is a great advantage if you have moved somewhere new and don’t know too many people yet.

• Yoga promotes a healthy way of life

Starting university is often the first time you have lived away from home. It is now your responsibility to take care of yourself. Doing something that is good for your health and wellbeing such as yoga will also mean you are likely to extend this attitude of taking care of yourself off the mat and in your everyday life.

Written by Sarah Williams. Sarah is a Qualified Yoga Teacher based in London with an online presence on Instagram and Facebook. She also blogs about yoga and health & wellbeing topics on her website. Sarah’s focus is Vinyasa Flow, Hatha and Ashtanga styles of yoga and she completed part of her yoga teacher training in India. https://sarahlucyyoga.wixsite.com/yoga, @sarahlucyyoga