if you're a chiropractic patient and you're wondering whether or not you should take up yoga, take a few minutes to research how much they have in common. Yoga and chiropractic care can complement each other well enough to maximize the effectiveness of both while still being different enough not to become redundant. In fact, yoga can actually enhance the results of your chiropractor adjustments, so unless you currently have a back injury (or some other injury that requires rest rather than movement), now is probably a great time to take up this beneficial habit. Here are three lessons yoga can teach you that can help you become a better chiropractic patient.

1. Pay attention to your body

Yoga is a discipline that requires not only physical stretching but also mental involvement. You have to focus on your body and on what you're doing and how it feels while you complete each stretch. This helps you get used to what is normal for you and allows you to more easily discern when something is going wrong. As a chiropractic patient, this is important because if you can pay attention to what your body is telling you, you may be able to catch injuries earlier and make your chiropractic appointment right away rather than waiting and hoping it'll straighten itself out (and then ending up with a more severe injury). 

2. Relaxing makes things easier

If you schedule your chiropractic appointments after a long workday, you may notice that your chiropractor has to start these sessions by helping your body to calm down and relax. If you preface each session instead with a yoga session rather than a workday, you'll notice that your chiropractor can accomplish the same adjustment in a smaller amount of time because you started out more relaxed. Tension is the enemy, and yoga can help you to become more aware of this enemy and overcome it.

3. Take responsibility for your body

As you become more aware of your body and how your actions affect it through the mindfulness of your yoga practice, you'll start to see that your chiropractor can't take care of everything. You can't just do whatever you feel like during the week without regard to your body's needs and then expect your chiropractor to fix everything at your appointment. The importance of caring for your body is one of yoga's most important lessons. In fact, yoga itself is one of the best habits you can start to help you care for your body along with healthy eating and a more active lifestyle overall.

These three lessons are all applicable to you as a chiropractic patient, but they're even more applicable to you as a pursuer of whole-body health. If you listen to the lessons yoga has to teach you, you'll be well on your way to maintaining a higher level of health in your day-to-day life.