How is Yoga different from a Gym Workout?

How is yoga different from other fitness or stretching? Here are the 3 main reasons I think it’s different: 1. All the systems in your body will benefits from doing yoga When we practice yoga it calms our nervous system and gets us into the Rest & Digest state, this helps us to heal physically and emotionally as well as making us more relaxed, so even after a challenging class, we feel calm & refreshed rather than exhausted or in pain. In fact yoga affects all the bodily systems, it massages the digestive system, it helps the cardiovascular system by increases health of your heart and can lower your blood pressure, the respiratory system, it can increase your lung capacity, so all the systems in your body will benefit from doing yoga. 2. Benefits the brain Yoga is practiced with 100% awareness of breath, body and mind and so can enable us to change long term unhealthy habits of thought or action. Habits that you may recognize but haven't been able to stop. It's not uncommon for regular practitioners to start eating better, have more self-esteem, or to spend more time in nature. Once you become more sensitive to the effects of different actions on your body and mind you’ll increasingly want to do what makes you feel better 3. The benefits of yoga will ripple out into your daily life In our classes we learn breathing techniques that you can practice everyday when stress arises to help you feel more calm and you’ll also notice that the physical practice is helpful as you start to self correct your posture or know how to stretch out when you’re at the office for example. You’ll feel more patient and calm and I’ve found I’m generally a nicer person to be around after I’ve done yoga! A lovely biproduct of yoga is that we might lose weight, we become more flexible, gain muscle and ease back but there is so much more to it as well! I’d love to hear about YOUR yoga experience and any differences you’ve noticed as well?!