Here are 5 amazing mental benefits of yoga that will help you become a better you!

We all know that yoga is good for our physical bodies, but what about our minds? Besides the physical benefits, yoga also benefits our mental state and overall well-being in numerous ways. In fact, yoga originally was more of a spiritual and mental practice than a physical one!

In Western culture, we often think of the mind and the body as two separate things, but in fact they are really one. One of the reasons yoga has become so popular in the West in recent years is because it works with the mind and the body together as a unit. Even if you start out doing yoga only for the physical aspects, as I did, you will soon find yourself experiencing amazing mental benefits that you never expected!

By doing yoga, we automatically work on our minds as well as our bodies.

Here are 5 wonderful mental benefits of yoga that can have a wonderfully positive impact on our everyday lives and our process of self-development:

1. Focus

Focus is the ability to direct the flow of consciousness onto a specific object. In yoga, we use our breath as a main point of focus; helping us be aware of the ever-changing mental and physical experiences of the present moment…

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2. Patience

Patience is the ability to wait with tolerance. In yoga, we improve our patience by emphasizing the process rather than the goal. We perform our postures and other practices without expecting immediate feedback or accomplishment.

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3. Self-Control

Self-control is the ability to inhibit one’s impulses, unconscious reactions, or bad habits. In yoga, we learn self-control by becoming aware of our physical and mental patterns, accepting them for being a part of us, and then changing them through an applied effort.

The more we apply ourselves towards creating a positive change and inhibiting negative tendencies, the more we become proficient in self-control…

4. Mental Flexibility

Mental flexibility is the ability to adapt in the light of new information and circumstances. When we practice yoga, we receive a constant flow of changing information: from our bodies, our minds, our teachers, or other practitioners around us. Based on this feedback, we often need to adjust our physical posture or mental state. This ability to change in the light of circumstances increases our mental flexibility, and eventually spills over into our daily lives off the mat.

Mental flexibility enables us to continuously keep on learning and growing: it helps us to make better decisions, come up with new strategies, and let go of the things that don’t serve us positively.

5. Stress Management

Stress management is the ability to cope with the demands of daily life. In yoga, we put ourselves under possibly stressful circumstances, such as learning new and challenging poses that make us face our fears and mental blockages. We learn to manage these stressful circumstances by applying a continuous effort despite the perceived difficulties.

…As we succeed despite the difficulties, we empower ourselves and learn to love to take on challenges in the future.

Read more at YogiTimes.com…