Why Yoga?
- Prajnananda (Marcio da Rosa)
- Jan 2
- 13 min read
This post was elaborated with the help of AI for sources and revision of the english language and grammar.
Why Yoga? It’s a question asked by curious newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike – including students, healthcare workers, and even policy-makers looking for holistic wellness solutions.
At its core, yoga is far more than a fitness fad; the very word comes from the Sanskrit “yuj,” meaning “to yoke” or “union,” reflecting yoga’s goal of uniting body, mind, and spirit.
Originating in ancient India as a spiritual discipline, yoga has evolved into a worldwide practice renowned for its broad benefits. Ancient sages and modern scientists surprisingly agree on one thing: yoga works.
This article warmly explores the many dimensions of yoga – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social – to illustrate why yoga can be a life-changing journey for personal and collective well-being.
We’ll draw on classical yogic wisdom (from texts like Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Bhagavad Gita) alongside current scientific research.
The picture that emerges is inspiring and clear: yoga is a practice of transformation – for ourselves and the communities around us.
Physical Benefits: Strength, Health, and Vitality
A yoga practitioner building strength and balance in a plank pose.
One of the most tangible reasons people start yoga is for its physical benefits. Yoga meets you where you are – whether you’re a young student seeking fitness or an older adult hoping to stay mobile – and helps you become stronger and healthier from head to toe.
In the 15th-century Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Swami Swatmarama emphasizes that the very first limb of yoga is asana (postures) because “Āsana brings about steadiness, improved health and lightness of limb”. In other words, ancient yogis knew that a steady, disease-free body is the foundation for deeper practices. Modern medicine echoes this wisdom: according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, regular yoga practice increases muscle strength, improves balance, and enhances flexibility (hopkinsmedicine.org).
Medical Doctors have begun recommending yoga for specific ailments as well. For example, gentle yoga can relieve chronic back pain – so much so that the American College of Physicians now recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for lower back pain (hopkinsmedicine.org). Yoga can also ease arthritis symptoms; a review of 11 studies found that yoga reduces joint tenderness in people with osteoarthritis (hopkinsmedicine.org).
Beyond flexibility and pain relief, yoga supports heart health and overall vitality. Many postures and breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” response, reducing stress on the cardiovascular system.
Ancient yogic texts prized a life free of illness, and today we have evidence that yoga indeed protects the heart. Research shows that regular yoga practice may lower blood pressure and systemic inflammation, contributing to healthier heart function (hopkinsmedicine.org).
Several risk factors for heart disease – including hypertension and excess weight – can be positively influenced through yoga and its lifestyle components. And let’s not forget functional fitness: holding poses builds not only flexibility but also functional strength.
Even a simple Tree Pose or Warrior stance engages and tones muscle groups, fostering better posture and balance in daily life. From increased core strength to enhanced lung capacity, the physical rewards of yoga are well-documented.
In fact, a 2025 scientific review in the Journal of Integrative Medicine hailed yoga as a valuable, holistic tool for health, noting its “efficacy, availability and cost-effectiveness” in preventing and managing illness (sciencedirect.com). Whether you’re recovering from surgery or looking to age gracefully, yoga offers a gentle yet effective way to care for your body.
No wonder so many healthcare providers are integrating yoga into patient care plans – it’s a natural pathway to vitality and healing.
Mental Benefits: Clarity, Calm, and Focus
Yoga has always been a science of the mind.
Around the 2nd century BCE, the sage Patañjali compiled the Yoga Sutras, famously defining yoga as “the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”. In Sanskrit: “yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ.” This ancient definition points to yoga’s power to quiet mental chatter and cultivate inner focus.
In our modern era of distractions and information overload, this mental benefit is priceless. Practitioners often find that a yoga session leaves them with a calmer, clearer mind – almost as if they hit a “reset” button on mental stress.
Breathing techniques (prāṇāyāma) and meditation, integral to yoga, activate the brain’s relaxation pathways. It’s hardly surprising, then, that yoga is proven to reduce anxiety and depression while sharpening mental focus (health.harvard.edu).
Harvard Medical School notes that MRI studies of long-term yogis show thicker brain regions associated with memory and decision-making, suggesting yoga may even protect the brain from age-related decline (health.harvard.edu).
Think of it as a workout for your brain: every time you concentrate in Tree Pose or breathe through discomfort in Pigeon Pose, you’re training your mind to be more present and resilient.
Modern psychology reinforces yoga’s mental benefits. In clinical trials, yoga practice has been linked to improved executive function (like better decision-making and memory) and greater mental alertness (health.harvard.edu). Part of this is due to biochemical changes – yoga can boost levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps quell anxiety and elevate mood (health.harvard.edu).
Many people report that after yoga, they feel mentally “lighter” and more focused, able to tackle work or studies with renewed concentration. Even medical students – a high-stress group – have shown significant improvements in mental well-being and sleep quality after just 10 weeks of yoga practice (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
What the ancient yogis intuited, science is confirming: by harmonising breath, movement, and meditation, yoga creates a state of mental clarity and centredness.
This clarity doesn’t end when you roll up your mat – it carries into daily life.
Perhaps you find yourself less reactive in a tense meeting, or more patient with family at home. Such changes are the subtle yet profound mental payoffs of yoga.
In Patanjali’s words, when the mind is steady, the “Seer” (our inner awareness) can rest in its true nature – at peace and fully present. Yoga gives us practical tools to attain that mental peace amidst the busyness of modern living.
Emotional Benefits: Emotional Balance and Resilience
If mental benefits are about thoughts and cognition, yoga’s emotional benefits touch the heart.
Life is full of ups and downs, and yoga equips us to ride life’s waves with greater equilibrium.
The Bhagavad Gita – a sacred yogic scripture likely composed around the 2nd century BCE – teaches that “Yoga is equanimity.” Krishna counsels the warrior Arjuna: “Perform your duty… abandoning attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.”
In essence, yoga trains us to maintain calm and balanced internally, regardless of external circumstances. How does this translate to everyday emotional health? Through yoga practice, we learn to breathe through discomfort and stay present with what we feel. Over time, this builds emotional resilience – that ability to remain steady and not get overwhelmed by stress, fear, or anger.
Modern research validates the emotional transformation many yogis report. All forms of exercise release “feel-good” endorphins, but yoga goes further by also reducing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Studies have found that yoga and meditation can decrease activity in the limbic system (the brain’s emotional centre), leading to less emotional reactivity and a tempered response to stressors (health.harvard.edu).
In plain terms, yoga helps calm our nerves.
It’s no surprise that numerous clinical trials show yoga can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression (psychologytoday.com). In one review of relaxation techniques for older adults, yoga was as effective as (or more effective than) other methods in reducing depression and anxiety – with effects that lasted the longest for those who did yoga regularly (health.harvard.edu).
Therapists are even using yoga as a complementary therapy for trauma survivors; for instance, gentle yoga and breathing practices have helped individuals with PTSD find moments of peace, improving their sleep and reducing intrusive emotions (health.harvard.edu).
On a day-to-day level, yoga can simply make you happier. Many practitioners notice an improved mood and a reduction in negative thoughts after a yoga session (hopkinsmedicine.org).
By focusing on gratitude in a heart-opening pose or releasing tension in a long savasana, one may experience a positive emotional shift – sometimes described as feeling “lighter” or more optimistic.
Yoga philosophy also encourages positive emotional states: compassion, gratitude, and contentment (santosha) are qualities to cultivate on and off the mat.
Over time, this can change how we approach our relationships and personal challenges – with more patience, understanding, and emotional intelligence.
In sum, yoga fosters emotional balance. It won’t make life’s problems disappear, but it changes our relationship to them. We learn, as the Gita suggests, to accept both success and setback with a steady mind and open heart. That is the quiet emotional strength at the heart of yoga practice.
Social Benefits: Community, Connection, and Compassion
Yoga may start as an individual practice on one’s mat, but its benefits ripple outward, fostering social connection and community.
Humans are social creatures, and many find that yoga offers a supportive social environment that is both welcoming and uplifting. Walk into a friendly yoga studio like ours LoveYour.Studio or another community class, and you’ll likely sense a positive group energy – a collective intention toward well-being. Participating in yoga classes can ease feelings of loneliness by connecting us with like-minded people.
There’s a special camaraderie in shared practice: breathing together in a room full of people (or even virtually) can create a subtle bond. You realise you’re not alone in seeking balance and peace.
Even in one-on-one yoga (therapy) sessions, students often report feeling “heard” and acknowledged, which reduces isolation. In ancient times, yogis often lived and learned in ashrams or gurukulas, where a sense of sangha (spiritual community) was integral to the journey.
Today’s yoga communities – primarily in studios like ours, but also in gyms, online groups, or local meet-ups – serve a similar role. They offer encouragement, accountability, and a safe space to grow.
It’s not uncommon for people to make close friends through yoga or to find a sense of belonging that extends beyond the class. Group activities like kirtan (devotional singing) or karma yoga (service projects) further strengthen this bond by uniting people in acts of positivity and service.
If you’re inspired to explore yoga for yourself, we warmly invite you to begin with our £30 for 30 days unlimited class offer at LoveYour.Studio. Whether you're brand new or returning after a break, this is a chance to experience the full range of benefits yoga can offer – physically, mentally, emotionally, and beyond.
Our classes are welcoming, supportive, and designed to meet you where you are. With daily sessions, expert teachers, and a nurturing community, it’s the perfect way to discover your own path in yoga.
Spiritual Benefits: Inner Growth and Self-Realisation
Beyond the physical and psychological, yoga has always been a spiritual journey.
Traditionally, the practice was developed to help individuals answer life’s deepest questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? How can I find lasting peace?
The classical texts are clear that yoga’s ultimate aim is self-realisation – a profound connection between the individual self and the universal divine. The Bhagavad Gita extols yoga as a path to transcend the ego and unite with the higher Self; it praises the benefits of yoga in releasing one’s inner essence from the bonds of desire and the cycle of rebirth - metaphorical or literal for the ones who are believers.
Likewise, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras outline an eight-fold path (from ethical living and postures to deep meditation) culminating in samādhi, often described as a state of oneness, or enlightenment. In samādhi, according to the Sutras, the practitioner rests in their true nature as pure consciousness, experiencing bliss and freedom.
Such concepts can feel distant for a newcomer, but they illustrate how yoga, at its heart, is about connecting to something greater – whether you call it nature, soul, the divine, or simply your innermost awaken self.
In practice, the spiritual benefits of yoga may begin as a subtle sense of inner growth.
You might start noticing a greater sense of purpose or meaning in life. Perhaps yoga class is the one time in your day you feel deeply connected – a moment when the chatter of the mind quiets and you feel an expansive, peaceful awareness. That taste of inner peace is profoundly spiritual.
Many people also experience enhanced self-awareness through yoga. By turning attention inward – observing your breath, your thoughts, the sensations in your body – you develop a clearer understanding of yourself. Over time, this self-awareness can blossom into what yogic tradition calls self-realisation: recognising a divinity, a light within oneself and a (simple) connection with all beings and beyond.
The 15th-century yogic sage Svatmarama (author of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika) described Hatha Yoga as a stairway to Raja Yoga (the royal path of meditation), implying that mastering the body and breath prepares one for higher consciousness.
In practical terms, spiritual growth through yoga might mean you become more patient, more compassionate, or more connected to your values and in belonging to a community.
Importantly, yoga’s spirituality is inclusive and experiential. You don’t need to subscribe to a particular religion to feel the spiritual uplift of yoga. It can be as simple as the sense of awe during a sunrise meditation or the feeling of unity when chanting Om in a group.
Modern research even recognises these benefits: studies have noted that regular yoga practitioners often report improved spiritual well-being, describing greater feelings of peace and interconnectedness (psychologytoday.com).
For example, a 2024 randomised trial of Kundalini yoga found significant gains in participants’ spiritual well-being and self-compassion alongside mental health benefits (psychologytoday.com).
For us, TH1 magazine readers and yoga practitioners who value cultural integrity, it’s worth noting that embracing yoga’s spiritual side also means honouring its origins.
The cultural heritage of yoga – from the Bhagavad Gita to the Upanishads – offers rich insights into living with integrity, devotion, and inner freedom. By studying or even just quoting these scriptures, one can draw inspiration for daily life.
“Yoga is skill in action,” says the Gita (2.50), implying that (all) work done with mindfulness and dedication becomes a spiritual practice.
In essence, yoga teaches us to transform ordinary actions into something meaningful by infusing them with awareness and love.
This blending of the earthly and the spiritual is perhaps yoga’s greatest gift: it helps us find the "divine" in the mundane. Whether through meditation, mantra chanting, or simply the feeling of flow in a well-synced vinyasa, yoga nourishes the spirit and reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
Personal and Collective Transformation: Yoga On and Off the Mat
By now, it’s clear that yoga’s benefits span the whole spectrum of human experience – from physical well-being to mental clarity, emotional balance, spiritual growth, and social connection. But perhaps the most beautiful aspect of yoga is how these layers work together, catalysing personal and collective transformation.
Yoga is holistic by design. When you practice, you aren’t just training muscles or breathing; you are engaging with yourself on every level.
A simple posture like Mountain Pose (Meru Asana), done with awareness, can simultaneously strengthen your body, focus your mind, calm your emotions, and uplift your spirit. This integrated approach is why yoga has been called a journey of self-discovery.
Over time, you might notice you’ve become more patient, more mindful in daily tasks, or more compassionate in your relationships – these changes are as much the “results” of yoga as touching your toes or balancing in Tree Pose.
As one classic saying goes, “Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.”
Importantly, yoga reminds us that personal growth and collective well-being go hand in hand. As you transform yourself, you also influence your environment.
A schoolteacher who practices yoga might bring more patience into the classroom; a doctor who meditates might listen more deeply to patients. Even government decision-makers are recognising the potential: some public health initiatives now include yoga and mindfulness programs to tackle issues like stress, burnout, and lifestyle diseases.
Major institutions such as the NHS have started integrating yoga based on the growing scientific evidence of its benefits. From reducing healthcare costs to improving community health outcomes, yoga’s impact can extend far beyond the individual mat. It’s heartening to see ancient wisdom influencing modern wellness policies – a nod to yoga’s cultural integrity and enduring value.
As we conclude, recall that yoga is fundamentally a journey of transformation. The great yogis like Patanjali (and Krishna) understood that when we balance our bodies and still our minds, we not only improve our health – we awaken to our highest potential.
This self-awareness radiates outward as better choices, kinder actions, and a sense of belonging with others. In yoga philosophy, there’s the idea of “lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu” – “may all beings everywhere be happy and free.”
Yoga practice, humble as it may seem (just you on a mat breathing and moving), is actually a practice of generating more peace and freedom within yourself and by extension, in the world around you.
In that sense, yoga is an act of both personal and collective transformation. It honors the connection between individual wellness and social harmony.
So why yoga? Because yoga offers us a path to become healthier in body, calmer in mind, more open in heart – and to contribute to a more compassionate and awake society.
Whether you are a newcomer timidly stepping into your first class, a student deepening your understanding, or a professional seeking innovative wellness solutions, yoga holds something of value for you. It is at once ancient and ever-new, personal and universal. As the research and scriptures both affirm, yoga helps us “nurture physical, mental and emotional well-being” in a truly integrated way.
And ultimately, yoga reminds us that we (and everything) are all connected. In the words of a famous yogic mantra: “You light a lamp for someone, and it will also brighten your own path.” That is why we practice yoga – to light the lamp of transformation in ourselves, and by doing so, illuminate the world around us.
If you’re inspired to explore yoga for yourself, we warmly invite you to begin with our £30 for 30 days unlimited class offer at LoveYour.Studio. Whether you're brand new or returning after a break, this is a chance to experience the full range of benefits yoga can offer – physically, mentally, emotionally, and beyond.
Our classes are welcoming, supportive, and designed to meet you where you are. With daily sessions, expert teachers, and a nurturing community, it’s the perfect way to discover your own path in yoga.
Sources:
Patanjali (c. 2nd century BCE), Yoga Sutras – Yoga defined as calming the mindyogabasics.com; historical contextijnrd.org.
Swami Swatmarama (15th century CE), Hatha Yoga Pradipika – Importance of asana for healthyogastudies.org; text datewisdomlib.org.
Bhagavad Gita (c. 2nd century BCE), Chapter 2 – Yoga as evenness of mindasitis.com; historical contexten.wikipedia.org; Chapter 2, Verse 50 – “skill in action” interpretationhinduismtoday.com; Chapter 6 – Yoga for inner essence and onenessen.wikipedia.org.
Johns Hopkins Medicine – “9 Benefits of Yoga” (2021)hopkinsmedicine.orghopkinsmedicine.orghopkinsmedicine.orghopkinsmedicine.orghopkinsmedicine.org.
Harvard Health Publishing – “Yoga for better mental health” (Apr 29, 2024)health.harvard.eduhealth.harvard.eduhealth.harvard.edu.
Saurabh Pandey et al., Journal of Integrative Medicine (Mar 2025) – Review on yoga’s holistic health benefitssciencedirect.comsciencedirect.com.
Psychology Today – “New Research Shows Yoga Reduces Stress and Improves Well-Being” (Feb 2024)psychologytoday.compsychologytoday.compsychologytoday.com.
Hinduism Today – “Educational Insight: Karma Yoga” (2016)hinduismtoday.com.
Wisdom Lib – Hatha Yoga Pradipika summary (2024 update)wisdomlib.org.
International Journal of Novel Research and Development – “Historical Significance of Patanjali Yoga” (May 2023)ijnrd.org.
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