Yoga is an ancient practice geared towards the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Yoga originated in India, specifically the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India, over 5,000 years ago. This practice started to be acknowledged in the Western world in the 1980s as a form of exercise, and it has become increasingly popular ever since.
Yoga incorporates controlled breathing, meditation, and diverse poses that relax the body and mind. It allows one to encounter a higher state of consciousness and self-awareness, as well as a heightened sense of peace and well-being, ultimately “experiencing one’s true self.”
Benefits:
- This ancient practice teaches proper breathing techniques, increases cellular oxygenation, decreases disease-promoting inflammation, and balances tissue and fluid pH.
- It speeds up cellular metabolism, which stimulates fat burning, increases energy levels, and filters toxins more effectively.
- Yoga helps one to relax and reduce stress, lowering the excessive secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. When stress is chronic, cortisol levels elevate, signaling blood sugar levels to increase to deal with the stress. When cells become resistant to insulin, insulin still gets released from the pancreas leaving consistently elevated insulin and cortisol levels. This, in turn, increases fat storage and food cravings as blood sugar increases and cells starved for glucose. This results in weight gain and stressed organ systems. When left unresolved, anxiety, digestive issues, sleeping problems, and lowered immunity will ensue.
- Yoga and flexibility are basically synonymous allowing your muscles and joints to cultivate a greater range of motion and prevent injury. This loosens tight muscles allowing for the release of acid waste accumulation.
- Yoga intensifies sexual desire.
Yoga brings the nervous system back in balance and influences positive uplifting emotions and mental clarity. Various yoga poses stimulate the lymphatic system, especially inverted ones, helping to further induce toxin release and elimination.
There are many studies that show how effective practicing yoga can be for decreasing anxiety and depression while increasing overall mood.
In a 2007 study published in PubMed, researchers found that one 60-minute session of yoga increased GABA levels by 27%! GABA is a feel-good inhibitory neurotransmitter that suppresses neural activity similar to anti-anxiety medications without the side effects. The meditative stretching and breathing help the central nervous system to rewire itself to be more calm and relaxed when dealing with daily stressors. (1)
In 2015 M. Catherine Bushnell, PhD, scientific director, Division of Intramural Research, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and her team examined multiple studies showing a link between yoga and increased grey matter (tissue) in the brain. They found that the more grey matter, the better one is able to tolerate pain. Researchers also found that decreased gray matter is associated with emotional issues, depression, decreased cognitive functioning and can lead to memory impairment. (2)
1- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17532734
2- http://americanpainsociety.org/about-us/press-room/yoga-bushnell