The Many Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a tradition that arose from the Indian sub-continent around, what some would argue, nearly six thousand years ago. Yoga traditionally is a formal practice of integrating the body, the mind, and the soul for the purpose of ultimately achieving transcendence. But since many of its more esoteric teachings seem far out of reach to the contemporary person, the benefits of the practice have been proven to be beneficial for numerous reasons.
Today the most popular type of yoga practiced is traditionally known as “Hatha” yoga. “Ha” equates to the warm solar energies of the sun, while “tha” the cooling energies of the moon. The practices of Hatha Yoga are meant to help an individual find balance where it is needed. And in today’s fast-paced and stressful world, there are many issues that people face which affects their general health and well-being. Many studies point to the fact that yoga may hold the key to many health benefits that we are looking for.
In a February 28, 2017 post by Harvard Health Publications, Executive Editor Julie Corliss discusses how yoga may help in lowering heart disease. In the article she quotes Dr. Gloria Yeh, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School as saying, “Yoga is unique because it incorporates physical activity, breathing and meditation.” And Corliss goes on to say that each of these elements alone has positive affects to cardiovascular risk factors, so when combined, they are “bound to show a benefit.”
Of course the ancient yogis knew hundreds and thousands of years ago the benefits of yoga. But we are still catching up today. So what else can yoga help with in today’s society?
Some of the most common complaints of any yoga student upon entering a yoga class is having low-back or neck pain. Most of the ways in which we hold our bodies all day long do not support the natural curves to the spine. Sitting in a chair, driving in a car, typing on a phone or computer – these all can create unhealthy postural integrity for anyone when done for hours each day. Back in January 2015, Israeli researchers reported in their medical journal, Harefuah, that yoga may be a valuable tool to treat chronic neck and low-back pain. The article explains how yoga therapy can work: “When you hold a pose, your muscles contract and then slowly relax as you breath in and out. When relaxation sets in, back pain starts to go away.”
Sounds good. But let’s talk about some more benefits!
Graham McDougall Jr., Ph.D., lead researchers of the report published in the Journal of Neurosciences Nursingsays that yoga helps sharpen the brain, “Focused breath equals maximizing oxygenation and movement increases blood flow to the brain and body.” Participants in his study showed significant gain in memory performance as well as having “fewer depressive symptoms.” And since yoga has been proven to help lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, it also is known to help better control anxiety.
The Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Researchreported that yoga increases the digestive processes in the body, which can improve blood sugar, and has great potential for preventing and controlling diabetes, a disease affecting at least 29 million people each year in the United States alone.
Today many hospitals have implemented yoga for cancer treatments and recovery programs. The Journal of Clinical Oncologyfound that performing yoga twice a week for as little as three months could lower inflammation, boost energy and lift the mood of female cancer patients. And hospitals right in our area currently host yoga and meditation classes for their patients in ongoing cancer treatment.
The fact is that yoga has been proven to have a positive effect on every system of the body. Today more studies continue to prove that this ancient practice can help people in many ways to improve their level of health and in living a more fruitful and positive life. Studies continue to be performed on the benefits of yoga on various diseases or illness, and one by one they continue to come back either reporting positive benefits or at the very least potential benefits. So while the yogis of yore may have not had to deal with many of the issues that we do today and could focus on enlightenment, yoga does have a positive impact on the daily lives of those of us living in the 21st century too.
Yes, yoga is for anyone and everyone. The most important thing is to find a reputable studio and a knowledgeable teacher in which to work with. To find such a studio or teacher, try searching the National Yoga Alliance®website www.yogaalliance.org.
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