YOGA-- does your body (&mind!) GOOD!

Well here I am in the home stretch. One week of regular classes left, then finals and a nice break until Spring quarter starts. I've really enjoyed my classes this quarter, loved the conditioning principles and yoga every week. A good balance between strength & flexibility. I've definitely fallen in love with Yoga, and am planning on continuing practicing after the class ends next week. I was just writing up a paper that's due tomorrow for this class, and I thought hey, I oughta share this with my healthy is hott-ers ;) So, read on, learn, and try it out for yourself!

New research is emerging that documents the effectiveness of yoga therapy for the body. Few studies had been done in Western countries in the past, such as the United States, on yoga. In previous years, Indian yoga research was highly dismissed by scientists due to problems with the methods such as lack of control groups. However in recent years, the methodology has vastly improved and it could be argued that many Indian studies of yoga far surpass those done in the West.

Yoga has been documented to be effective for conditions such as back pain, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, heart disease, and even cancer. The benefits it can have include increased strength, flexibility, and balance, as well as enhanced immune system function, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improved sense of psychological well-being. One of yoga's most famous effects is stress reduction, something almost anyone could use in their day to day lives. To understand the importance of stress reduction in relation to your health, first you need to understand how stress effects the body.

Stress can cause a wide range of adverse health conditions, such as migraines, ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as big time killers like diabetes, heart attack, and osteoporosis. Stress effects the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls function of the liver, heart, intestines, and other internal organs. The ANS works in two branches that work together, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Generally when activity is high in one branch, it's low in the other.

The SNS works in conjunction with stress hormones (such as adrenaline and cortisol) starts a series of events within the body, including raising blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. This means more energy, blood, and oxygen flowing to the large muscles in the trunk of the body and in the arms and legs, allowing a person to run or fight ("fight or flight" response).

The PNS, in contrast, slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure, letting the body recover after stress. Blood flow returns to the intestines and reproductive organs, whose functions aren't important in crisis/stressful situation. PNS can be thought of as "rest and digest." Yoga practices increase activation of the PNS and leads to mental relaxation and stress reduction. Some practices of yoga, such as vigorous sun salutes, breath retentions, or kaphalabhati breathing actually activate the SNS. Research documented in research from the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation has found that more active practices followed by relaxing ones lead to deeper relaxation than just relaxation practices done by themselves.

Some of yoga's most outstanding effects on health is connected to its ability to alter dysfunctional behavior, such as lack of exercise or poor diet choices. People also have unhealthy habits of thought (negativity, pessimism, holding grudges) that can undermine their health without them really realizing it. Sometimes we do realize it, but don't know how to change. It's not uncommon for people who start practicing yoga to start eatting better, stop smoking, cut back on alcohol or caffiene, spend more time doing things they truly enjoy, and eliminate stresses (such as too demanding jobs or too many time commitments) from their lives. Once you're aware of what makes your body feel good, you want to do things that make your body increasingly feel better.
 
I can attest to some of these claims.. I tend to stress out over school/work/relationships... it's hard not to. I also suffered from headaches, nearly every day for a long time. I tried medicine, prescription and over the counter, change in diet (which helped some but not entirely)... This quarter, while practicing yoga once a week for 90 min, and 10 or 20 minutes here and there throughout the week, my headaches have almost vanished. I feel more at ease with myself and life in general. It's a great feeling. I really recommend yoga to anyone who hasn't tried it. You'll walk out feeling relaxed and refreshed, and with a smile on your face. Give it a try, attend a class, or just try some moves on your own, and let me know how it goes!! :)