What's So Great about Yoga?

Anatomy of tree pose, vrksanana.

Yoga is popular, and growing.

It’s estimated that there are 300 million practitioners worldwide (International Yoga Federation, December 2020) and 36 million Americans practice yoga (Good Body, December 2020). And there are probably 336 million reasons why people practice.

The medical community embraces yoga.

Yoga therapy is prescribed as an effective treatment for addiction recovery and trauma healing. Whether you’re treating a medical condition with yoga, or looking to stretch your body and your mind and to feel good, the benefits of a regular practice are multifaceted. Your results may vary.

Benefits of a regular yoga practice include:

- Improved strength, balance and flexibility

- Relief of back pain and arthritis symptoms

- May reduce inflammation (and contribute to heart health)

- Relaxation, better sleep

- Increased energy, brighter mood

- Stress management

- Community connection

- Better self-care

(Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2021)

But wait, there’s more!

My own yoga practice experience has resulted in:

- Body toning

- Self-confidence

- Release of perfectionism

- Resilience and courage

- Insight and self-acceptance

- Appreciation and gratitude for life as it is

- Mindful awareness of body and mind, thoughts and feelings

- Balance: Effort and ease, physical and emotional

- Inspiration

- Self-discovery and letting go

- Love and bliss (that’s right, love and bliss)

Your own experience may be different from mine, and may vary from session to session. What are some of the benefits that you’ve noticed?

Why practice yoga?

"At the heart of yoga, there is an awakening through direct realization, transformation and regeneration from within. The moment we wake up, the greater our power as a whole. We genuinely practice for the benefit of all beings."

Sianna Sherman, Yoga Journal, December 2020

Illustration by Chris Macivor, “How to Practice Tree Pose,” Yoga Journal, 2025