Yoga is not only beneficial to the physical but it is also beneficial to spiritual and mental health.

One of the most important physical benefits of yoga is how well it tones the body. Many people believe that because yoga is a low-impact stretching exercise, that it really doesn't tone your body or make you any stronger. Well, yoga does make you stronger.

Unlike in workouts like weight lifting, yoga is causing a resistance - which makes your body work in a different way. If you are looking to build a lot of muscles, yoga won't help, but you can improve your muscle strength even if it doesn't make muscles larger.

If you use yoga in combination with other exercises, you will get a workout that will really benefit your health. So if muscle bulk is what you are looking for, can use yoga along with weight lifting to build muscles. Use yoga in combination with strength training and cardio routines to really get the best workout for your body.

The poses in yoga are done very slowly and held for several breaths. This resistance makes your muscles stretch and strengthens them. This stretching also stretches the fascia - the protective sheath that covers muscles and muscle cells in the body.

The stretching of the fascia allows the muscles underneath it to grow more and gives the muscles greater shape. This also allows for a more well-defined physique.

When practicing yoga you are using your whole body. You are not toning isolated groups of muscles. This is a very effective way to keep your body fit and healthy.

Yoga also improves blood circulation and respiratory health through the breathing exercises that you must do while practicing yoga.

Yoga improves joint flexibility and helps to relieve the pain of arthritis and other joint pain.

The mental benefits of yoga are well known. Yoga is said to improve memory and helps you to focus. It also has the benefit of clearing the mind of stressful thoughts. Increased oxygen flow to the brain from yoga helps the brain to function at its fullest capacity.

Finally, there is a spiritual benefit to practicing yoga.You will find an inner tranquility that helps you to more effectively perform the breathing exercises as well as other physical exercises.

It is this spiritual element that relaxes you and allows a full melding of mind, body and spirit.