Yoga Changes Your Brain

Current and extensive research has now confirmed the remarkable benefits yoga. Listed below are a few of the reasons to start incorporating a daily yoga practice into your routine:

It controls stress and lowers anxiety

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), yoga supports mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, stress management, weight loss and quality sleep. Specifically, yoga helps us pay attention to the way we hold stress and anxiety in our bodies. For example, clenching your jaw, or tensing your neck and shoulders. It helps us become aware of a tight lower back or stiff hamstrings.. and who doesn’t have tight hamstrings? Scientific research has also confirmed that it can help with easing a racing heart and high blood pressure, which are common symptoms of stress and anxiety. Since we now know that stress causes and/or worsens 90% of diseases, yoga is a great resource to help counter this startling statistic.

Yoga promotes quality sleep

Anywhere between one to two months of consistent yoga can have a major effect on your sleep quality and quantity. Consistent yoga practice allows you to sleep more peacefully and for a longer duration of time. While you are asleep, the body’s glymphatic system (aka the body’s waste management system) goes to work. The primary role of the glymphatic system is to filter toxins from the brain. Pretty amazing, right? This relatively recent discovery helps us understand why we feel so much better with a good night’s rest, and on the contrary, why we are more prone to stress or hormonal imbalances when we don’t get enough sleep. Since yoga helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system through relaxation, it lowers the amount of interruptions during sleep, which then allows the body to detox and heal.

It helps reduce fatigue and gives you more energy

Yoga helps boost focus and energy which helps people physically and mentally. If you don’t have an hour to do yoga, even a few minutes of simple stretching at home or your workplace can help boost energy levels. This is extremely beneficial for people who spend hours sitting at a desk. These simple movements allow for increased blood circulation in the body, bringing fresh oxygen to your brain.

Yoga helps relieve back pain

According to John Hopkins Medicine and the American College of Physicians, yoga is recommended as the go-to treatment for chronic low back pain. This makes sense as we store stress and emotions in our body which makes yoga an effective way to release this tension. A few recommended poses for releasing lower back tension are: 1. Happy Baby 2. Seated Staff 3. Forward Fold 4. Downward Dog 5. Cat Cow 6. Seated Spinal Twist 7. Child’s Pose (my favorite).

Yoga changes your brain

We now know that yoga increases our body’s GABA production, which is a neurotransmitter that helps us calm down and relax. This feeling is similar to what people experience after they have a drink in a social situation. What is so incredible is that a session of yoga, in fact, increases GABA levels by 27%. People are prescribed anti-anxiety medicines to achieve this type of calmness. While these medications are necessary and can be life saving, it’s also important to recognize we can incorporate yoga or choose it as an alternative healing method with the same benefits, yet no scary side effects especially when coming off of the medication or likelihood of experiencing drug withdrawal.

Yoga can help with weight loss and build muscle

There are some people who do not consider yoga an exercise, but I can assure you there are various forms of yoga practices that provide a quite intense work out, especially if you combine yoga with a heated room. Not only can you balance hormones and find relaxation, but you can also lose weight and build muscles through holding challenging positions. In addition, if you choose hot yoga you are set up for an extra detoxing work out.