Yoga has many benefits, and has benefited many people.

Here are some of the benefits of yoga:

Strength and Flexibility – yoga poses strengthen and stretch muscles and ligaments. They also encourage a full range of movement from our joints.

Posture and Grace – the alignment of our musculoskeletal system that occurs during accurate asana work corrects bad postural habits, helping us move more efficiently and gracefully.

Natarajasana
Poise and Balance – balance is something that can improve through practice! The practice of certain yoga asanas improves our balance, poise and steadiness, helping us move better, and leaving us less vulnerable to injury through falling as we get older.

Calmness and mental clarity – during yoga practice a great deal of concentration is required on the alignment of the body and control of the breath. This concentration stills the fluctuations of the mind, and guides the practitioner towards a state of being in the present moment – fully focussed on the detailed work they are striving towards with their body. This ability to be ‘in the present’ develops with continued practice and can make life outside of yoga practice less distracted and more joyful.

Cleansing and regulation of bodily systems – practicing a range of yoga asanas has a profound effect on the lymphatic, immune, digestive, reproductive, respiratory and endocrine systems, ensuring that they function efficiently. Improved health and resistance to disease can be achieved by continued practice. This is a benefit of yoga that is starting to be recognised by conventional medical science.

       

It is a widely accepted truth that yoga is not only a form of meditation but is also an exercise that helps to keep the body and mind stay healthy. It is an age old practice that has been in vogue since time immemorial and has been proved to be highly successful.

As in most other forms of exercises, yoga also needs some equipment while practicing to reap the full benefits of it and the most commonly used equipment is the yoga mat. Yoga mat can either be a large thick towel or a rug although there are special yoga mats designed by many companies. Generally yoga mats are made of cotton or polyester latex and are found in a range of prices.

The mat can be chosen according to the type of yoga. If Ashtanga yoga that is needed jumping from one form to another is to be practiced, then, a thick and impact absorbing mat is necessary. It is essential that the mat absorbs sweat since it is quite common to sweat while practicing yoga.

Yoga ball is an yoga equipment that needs while practicing a traditional crunch on the ground. For beginners who practice yoga, foam blocks are the kind of yoga equipment that allow stretching or extending the reach and would offer support to the full weight of the body. Blocks are quite useful for standing poses where the hands do not reach the floor. These are helpful in giving the best results out of yoga practice.

There are yoga belts too that are made of nylon or cotton. These belts are used to support the back and also to align them. When certain poses need a stretching, the belts provide additional length like gripping arms, hands, feet or legs and offer more flexibility. Yoga blankets and towels provide warmth and comfort during the relaxation period.

While practicing yoga it is imperative to remain comfortable and therefore clothing made of fiber are ideal that helps to breathe well and prevents the body from over heating. Most of the yoga equipment are manufactured to help the body prepare itself to relax the body and mind and helps to concentrate on the pose and practice in the proper way.

Another piece of yoga equipment is the DVD or books for beginners to guide through the practice that can also be had as a reference at home. Elaborating further, there are yoga ropes that help to develop strength and flexibility and inversion sling to relieve back pain by providing low back muscle stretching and giving spinal traction. Slings are also helpful; to stretch shoulder chest and groin muscles.

So, it is not absolutely essential to have all these equipment to start practicing yoga. Yoga can be practiced with the barest minimum of equipment like mat and towel and can yield very good results, only if it is done with full concentration.

source:-http://www.yogazone.info