WEB DESK: Yoga is a holistic wellness system that boosts mental, physical and spiritual health. Over decades, yoga has gained a lot of popularity and is perfect for those who complain of having no time to exercise.

If you still haven't jumped on to the yoga bandwagon and are wondering what the hype is all about, here are eight benefits of regular yoga practice you could use. (Source: Thinkstock Images)

Aids weight loss:

Continued practice of yoga tunes the body to its needs, therefore regulating appetite and consumption of different kinds of food. Many practitioners find their craving for junk food reduce with sustained yoga practice.

Stress relief:

Yoga postures, Pranayama and meditation are effective in stress relief, especially with prolonged practice. In the rush of modern life, meditation helps bring a much-needed anchor to calm the mind.

Improves immunity:

The immune system benefits tremendously from the practice of yoga. Yoga poses massage organs and strengthen muscles, improving their efficiency. Halasana and Bhujangasana directly improve the immune system by releasing white blood cells.

Improves flexibility and posture:

Yoga asanas stretch and tone the body muscles and make them strong. This in turn helps improve your body posture when you stand, sit, sleep or walk. The change is apparent and almost automatic after regular practice of yoga.

Relieves ache in joints:

Balasana is effective in relieving neck, back and hip strain — which are common complaints of the modern tethered-to-desk lifestyle.

Improves blood circulation:

Inverted yoga poses facilitate blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it is pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. Moreover, yoga boosts haemoglobin and red blood cell levels, which carry oxygen to the tissues.

Improves cardiac health:

Yoga thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins. This is beneficial as blood clots are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes. (Source: PTI)

Improves respiratory health:

Yoga has been shown to improve various measures of lung function, promotes breathing through the nose, which filters the air, warms it and humidifies it, removing pollen and dirt and other potential allergens.