It also prevents injury and reduces the likelihood of sprains and strains by strengthening our ligaments and tendons, she adds. Plus, the movements promote good blood flow, which aids in muscle recovery and all-round healing.

Research published in 2016 in the International Journal of Yoga revealed that 10 weeks of yoga practice improved balance and flexibility in college athletes and may therefore enhance the athletic performances that require these characteristics.

Retired American football quarterback Tom Brady, American basketball player LeBron James, former British footballer Ryan Giggs and American tennis player Coco Gauff are among the elite athletes who have incorporated yoga in their training routines.

A study published in August 2020 in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry found that yoga improves symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder, suggesting that the practice may be useful for people dealing with anxiety.

Chellaram has experienced such benefits first-hand. A relationship break-up in her twenties triggered a bout of melancholy and anxiety. She turned to Western psychiatry and was prescribed anti-anxiety medication, which helped, but soon she started feeling lethargic and unmotivated.

After just a few sessions, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I felt joyful again. I began practising sudarshan kriya daily and eventually weaned myself off my anti-anxiety medication. This technique is still integral to my daily yoga practice, Chellaram says.

Diva Chugani, a certified yoga teacher in Hong Kong, has clients who have overcome depression and anxiety with yoga.

They tell me that yoga cheers them up and makes them feel whole again, she says.

Chugani says yoga has helped improve the quality of life for many clients suffering from chronic pain.

In 2017, The American College of Physicians recommended yoga as a first-line treatment for lower back pain, ahead of pain medication.

For one, it gets you moving, and regular physical activity is known to keep the heart healthy.

By doing yoga for 30 minutes every other day for 16 weeks, people with afib were better able to manage their symptoms and reduce their number of afib episodes, according to the study.

Breathing is a core element of yoga, so practising yoga regularly can help you become more aware of your breathing and how it affects your mind and body. A study published in 2019 in the journal Psychiatry pointed out that deep breathing may help treat insomnia, as it reduces tension, assists with relaxation and improves sleep.

Melatonin helps control how and when we sleep.

Regular physical activity is known to help induce sleepiness and improve sleep quality. Doing gentle yoga in the evening hours may help you fall asleep faster and encourage a deeper state of relaxation.

Yoga can keep our brain healthy and young.

The researchers found that kundalini yoga, which focuses on breathwork and meditation more than physical poses, restored neural pathways, prevented brain matter decline and helped reverse signs of ageing and inflammation in the brain.

There is also evidence that doing yoga just once or twice a week boosts brain performance in ways that are similar to aerobic exercise. A review published in 2019 in the journal Brain Plasticity found that regular yoga practice may positively affect key areas of the brain that are responsible for memory and information processing as well as emotional regulation.

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6 yoga benefits backed by science, from pain relief to better sleep - South China Morning Post