The Science of Yoga: Understanding How Yoga Affects Your Body and Brain on a Cellular Level.
Yoga is one of the most accessible and gentle forms of activity that can boost your flexibility and muscle to get in touch with a good breathing level. You all are aware that yoga is good for everyone but don’t know the scientific study of how it can be effective and valuable in myriad ways.
The term yoga is derived from the word “yuk,” a Sanskrit word that means unite about the self and higher self.
Yoga offers many benefits, including body and brain benefits for all people regardless of age, gender, race, and class. And if you are suffering from any illness, living with a chronic condition, and recovering from surgery, you can play a significant role in your treatment and accelerate the recovery.
BUT BEWARE : YOGA is not the magical solution for all your physical problems and issues. For the body or physical part, the practice could eventually have a preventive healing role, however always consult a doctor if any persisting issues. Meditation and other practices related has been proven to help on mental health issues, and the point noted on this articles are back up by science. There is other important topic and benefits and we strongly recommend to read and consult books and studies about Yoga ( Back up by science ) .
Yoga is considered an ancient Indian practice that evolved through time in various forms and methods. In this modern world, we have seen yoga asanas on Television, in clips and videos on various social media platforms.
Neha Gothe, an associate professor of Kinesiology and Community Health at Illinois Urbana University, studies yoga’s impact on the body and brain. She mainly focuses on Hatha Yoga and says it’s a good starting point for a beginner who has never practiced yoga before.
According to Gothe and others, yoga can simultaneously benefit the body and brain. So let’s discuss some benefits of yoga that provide a windfall for the body and brain:
- Hone Thinking Skills.
Your muscles become more prominent and more robust when you lift weights. But when you perform yoga, your brain cells shape new connections and structural and functional changes that help to boost cognitive development, like learning and sharp memory. Attention, memory, awareness, cognition, thought, and language are boosted by yoga. Consider it brain weightlifting.
As per Gothe, many beneficial effects of yoga increase the set of skills, and you need to set goals, follow directions and stay concentrated. Furthermore, one of the crucial reasons is that regular yoga stimulates emotional regulation. It means that it helps in reducing stress, anxiety, and other adverse reactions. She says many studies have illustrated a connection between mood improvement and better brain and body functionality.
- Lower Stress And Inflammation
If you crack the word “disease,” you are inferring stress: dis-ease. The daily hustle and bustle of lifestyle can bring about this anxiety. Or it can be a symptom of another illness you are suffering. Whatever it is, it hurts your health.
Stress not only harms your physical health but also affects your mental health. In other words, tension and anxiety can hurt your mental state. Your muscles start to tense up, your breath level becomes short and shallow, your heart beats faster (lifting blood pressure), and your body begins discharging cortisol. This stress hormone increases inflammation in your organs and tissues.
Regular practice of yoga can make your body fit and fine. Through some efforts of moving your body parts, you can relax through asana, which relaxes the mind and all those vagal and emotional forces. It can lead you to intentional ease and offers an opportunity to unwind from the outcomes of stress on your systems.
- Lessen Chronic Pain
Research on people with chronic pain found that yoga can benefit from back pain, fibromyalgia, neck pain, and arthritis. But, as per Conte, the consequences for back pain are particularly striking.
As per Conte, a work published in “A Study in the Annals of Internal Medicine” depicted how 313 people with persistent chronic low back boosted mobility by performing yoga classes once a week, which proved more beneficial and successful than the standard course therapies.
Furthermore, before starting the medications, the American Academy of Physicians advises regular yoga to relieve chronic low back pain.
- Boost Mindful Eating
“Does yoga truly helps to reduce body weight?” It’s one of the familiar questions inquired by several people. Yes, it can, but not in the way you thought.
It’s usual in fast-paced American culture to desire to reduce a practice like yoga to an acceptable tune fitness regimen. However, as per Moss, these former integrative ways of living were intended for much more than that.
Yoga is about learning about one’s own experience and stepping ahead in the stage of healing. However, it’s not about getting flat abs or standing on your head.
Moreover, research shows that folks who do yoga daily for at least half an hour tend to gain less weight in midlife than those who do not. In the same event, overweight people always lose weight.
Bottom line
Yoga is constantly praised for its benefits to the human body and mind. It fosters flexibility and strength, boosts mindfulness, and lessens anxiety. However, recent studies have demonstrated that it also supports your brain. It boosts your brain function and significantly changes the brain structure. When you perform yoga, you don’t only involve your body but your mind as well, which can make you a more intentional eater. You better recognize your body’s cues when it’s hungry and, more significantly, when it’s time to stop eating. So, it’s good to practice yoga regularly to maintain your body and brain health.
ADDA YOGA STUDIO IN BALI : If you are looking to practice Yoga while in Bali, our studio offers meditation classes, breath work and asanas practice. We are regular Yoga workshops too and miscellaneous spiritual events. Please check our website for more information !
Come and join us !