Mindfulness And Yoga Health Benefits
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Yoga For Health:
Discover A World Of Benefits
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Practiced by an estimated 300 million people from all cultures and ages worldwide, yoga is one of the top 10 most popular forms of “exercise”, as practitioners and researches discover an ever expanding range of physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits
From greater fitness, mobility and strength to stress reduction, enhanced mood, and immune boosting, yoga delivers an abundance of health benefits to help you lead a healthier and happier life
The Mind Body Connection: Finding Health In An Age Of Stress
What Is The Mind Body Connection?Since the intention of this blog is to explore the many facets, practices and benefits of natural health and healing, it seems apt to begin our journey with a discussion of a central pillar of natural healing: the mind body connection...
The Physical And Mental
Health Benefits Of Yoga
The positive effects of yoga seem to touch every area of health. From pain management and stress reduction to better cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive health, research shows that regular yoga practice can boost virtually every aspect of your wellbeing
With its triad of gentle movement, breath regulation and attention, yoga helps you cultivate a deeper sense of your body, thoughts and emotions to reduce circulating levels of cortisol, the principal stress hormone while activating the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s anti-stress mechanism
The shift from stress to rest actively reduces inflammation, repairs tissue damage and boosts all your vital functions, while supporting greater emotional regulation
Once a week, or every day: the regular practice of yoga will help you feel on top of the world
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient Indian system for integrating mind and body to achieve personal growth, inner harmony and physical and mental health. Literally meaning union, the goal of yoga is to help you experience the essential underlying one-ness of mind, body and spirit. Yoga helps you become whole – and happy
Historically the yoga tree has four principle branches
- yoga of inquiry & wisdom – jñana
- yoga of love and devotion – bhakti
- yoga of selfless action – karma
- yoga of structure & method – raja (kingly) or 8-limbed (ashta-anga) yoga
Hatha Yoga
Despite the multiplicity of schools in the yoga world, the vast majority – effectively everything we non-Indians call yoga – are variants of Hatha Yoga. Believed to be an evolution of the eight-limbed Raja yoga above, Hatha yoga works with the body to access the innermost self. By means of postures, breath, and other practices, brought together by mindful attention yoga brings all aspects of ourselves into one harmonious unity
Yoga For Musculoskeletal Health
Perhaps not surprisingly, evidence of yoga’s benefits for structural health and fitness is compelling. Yoga has been shown to bring relief from back and neck pain, headache and joint pain and stiffness from wear and tear to improve overall functionality and quality of life
Yoga also enhances your overall level of fitness. Though more vigorous styles approach the threshold for being considered cardio training, studies show that slow and calming hatha practices provide comparable benefits for cardiovascular health, albeit via a different physiological pathway
Fast or slow, gentle or vigorous, yoga will make your body stronger, more flexible and more resilient. By being mindful of your movement and posture you can free your body from old postural and movement habits to release tension and build better and healthier ways of using your body
Check the list below, representing but a tiny fraction of the scope of yoga in musculoskeletal health:
Low Back Pain
A catch all for pain in the absence of serious signs such as trapped nerve, mechanical, or non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is the commonest form. Mechanical back pain can be precipitated by strenuous activity or appear apparently out of nowhere. It has strong links to psychosocial stress and a sedentary lifestyle
Mechanical low back pain usually resolves withing 2-3 weeks. Or it can persist to become chronic. It is also recurrent, leading some authorities to state that
Fortunately the most recent systematic reviews(1,2) continue to support yoga as an effective non-pharmacological method for managing chronic low back pain, with tangible improvements in pain and functional disability. A 2023 review(1) concludes that
Though not superior, the effects of yoga were of comparable size to active controls (other forms of active exercise)
Neck Pain
Neck pain is common, ranking second after lower back pain. It has a high incidence and prevalence and affecting women more than men with a peak prevalence at 40-49 years of age. It has a strong association with office work, though there are multiple causes, including psychological stress
Exercise, manual therapy, massage and yoga are all used with variable success
Yoga has been associated with a reduction pain and disability and improvement in quality of life(3-6). Despite the mixed methodological quality in the available studies the effect is sufficient for systematic reviewers to cautiously recommend yoga for the treatment of neck pain
Tension Headache
Tension type headache is the most common form with a world-wide prevalence of 50%. As the name suggests it is linked to muscular tension resulting from poor posture, desk work, stress and other factors. Genetic factors also play a role, though the exact mechanisms are unknown
Tension headaches respond to yoga, with systematic reviews yielding positive results for pain severity, frequency and duration (7,8)
Osteoarthritis
Osteo-arthritis is joint pain from wear-and-tear. Associated with age, it can also affect younger people, especially as a long term consequence of fracture and other injuries
Though joint wear is not significantly reversible, pain and stiffness do decrease with improved joint function, providing a rationale for the use of exercise in the rehabilitation of osteoarthritic pain
This is confirmed by systematic reviews, which have found yoga to be helpful with osteoarthritis-related pain, stiffness and function (9,10)
Join one of our twice weekly yoga for healthy structure classes, and discover for yourself yoga’s fantastic musculoskeletal health benefits
Yoga For Internal Health
Key to hatha philosophy is the system of channels coursing through the body known as nadis (rivers) which carry the vital life force prana. Of the 72,000 nadis three are of special significance as they course through and alongside the spine. In the midline is the shushumna nadi, the absolute core and centre of being. Ida, the left channel, is related to tha, the cool “moon” principle, while on the right the warm “sun” channel Pingala is related to ha
Physiologically the brain, spinal cord and nerves regulate and maintain all life processes and provide a major connection between soma (body frame), viscera (vital organs) and psyche (mind, or soul)
Thus, in yoga a healthy spine is considered to be an essential for health. For similar reasons, the functional relationship of spinal segments to organ systems is also a major focus of holistic systems of body work such as chiropractic and osteopathic medicine
Of significant interest, as discussed in various blog posts, are also the relatively recent discoveries of a gut-brain axis connecting mental to digestive health, mediated by the vagus nerve, the role of stress in systemic inflammation, and the anti-inflammatory effects of the vagus nerve and others, all of which can be positively influenced by yoga and meditation
Here’s what science has to say about the role of yoga in internal health
Cardiovascular
Systematic reviews (11,12) have found yoga helps reduce the major risk factors for the world’s number one killer, cardiovascular disease, at levels comparable to aerobic exercise:
This has practical significance, since yoga could be recommended to individuals whose level of fitness and mobility might not easily permit them to engage in conventional cardiovascular exercise
A recent 2023(11) review found that:
Other reviews focusing specifically on the effects of yoga on blood pressure(13-14), a top risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, after recommending improvements in study design, reach similarly positive conclusions
Respiratory
An essential part of yoga practice, breath regulation is your passport to calming the mind, developing attention and stimulating parasympathetic tone, the body’s rest and repair mechanism, to boost every aspect of you health
This is borne out in a 2018 systematic review (17) showing how slow breathing increases parasympathetic activity and shifts brain activity towards alpha waves which are associated with emotional control and psychological well-being
Yoga breath-work has also been shown to improve respiratory function in people with serious respiratory disease. A 2024 systematic review(16) found that breathing techniques, including diaphragmatic, pursed lip and yoga breathing, improved breathlessness and health-related quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD and asthma
Yoga may also be helpful in managing stress-related dysfunctional breathing. Though the small number and low quality of studies on hyperventilation syndrome, an extreme form of dysfunctional breathing, are insufficient to inform opinion(15), yoga has been found to help with the anxiety and emotional dysregulation which are the main drivers of the symptoms
Irritable Bowel
IBS is a common condition of unknown cause affecting the digestive system, with symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. It affects 11 of 26 people globally
It is likely that IBS is not a single entity but an umbrella of dysfunctions which we have not yet identified. As with all digestive dysregulations diet has a significant role. Nevertheless IBS is strongly liked to psychological stress and responds to stress reduction programmes
Following and earlier review(18) showing that yoga may be effective in the management of IBS, a more recent 2024 systematic review(19) found that yoga improved IBS symptom severity, mood-related symptoms, and quality of life. Both studies recommend further research to establish yoga as a definitive treatment for the management of IBS
Sign up for one of our twice weekly wellness yoga classes, and discover for yourself yoga’s fantastic physical and mental health benefits
Yoga Benefits For Mental Health
Dr Jon Kabat Zin’s development of mindfulness-based stress reduction, a secular practice derived from ancient Buddhist meditation in 1970’s, saw an explosion of research into the effects of mindfulness meditation, and by extension yoga, into virtually all areas of health
Yoga and meditation have been widely studied within the field of mental health and has helped to widen our perspective of psychosomatic disorders and mind-body medicine in general
Bearing in mind mental and physical health are intimately connected, here is the evidence of the benefits of yoga on your mental wellbeing
Stress
Together with being sedentary, stress is one of the biggest killers of adults worldwide
Perceived stress creates arousal with effects including a rise in blood pressure, systemic inflammation, anxiety and a lowering of your mood and energy
Combining gentle exercise with mindfulness and deep relaxation techniques such as yoga nidra, yoga helps you keep your body active and your mind relax to offset the harmful effects of stress and being sedentary
Studies(20-24) show that a number of movement therapies, including yoga, dance, Tai ‘Chi and others are effective means of managing stress. Styles of yoga studied, including Hatha, Bikram, Kundalini, Sudarshan Kriya, Kripalu and Yin were all effective
Anxiety & Depression
Yoga’s claims to fomenting inner calm and happiness are borne out in several studies
Systematic reviews(25,26) have found that in addition to being effective for reducing anxiety, yoga has a positive effect on emotional wellbeing generally
Studies(25-29) also conclude that yoga is an effective tool for individuals with elevated levels of depression as well as those diagnosed with major depressive disorder
Cognitive Function
Yoga is effective in improving executive brain functions and memory in healthy individuals, and may help mitigate cognitive decline in older adults(30-35)
Reviews have found that yoga may improve cognitive function and help slow down further decline in people with mild cognitive impairment
In healthy populations yoga is linked to improvements in executive function, memory, attention and processing speed
Conclusion
In a tumultuous world yoga brings solace and health to millions, helping to offset the effects of stress and anxiety, bring relief from pain and offering a way to reconnect with our bodies and our deepest self
With an estimated 300 million practitioners worldwide, far from being a fad, yoga continues to offer humanity a means to living a healthier and happier life
Experience for yourself the fantastic health benefits: join one of our range of therapeutic online yoga classes now
References
- Efficacy and safety of yoga for the management of chronic low back pain: an overview of systematic reviews. X Zhang et al, 2023
- Yoga for treating low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. D Anheyer et al, 2022
- Effects of yoga on patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain: A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis. D Anheyer et al, 2022
- Effects of yoga on chronic neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. H Cramer, et al, 2017
- Effects of yoga on chronic neck pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sang-Dol Kim, 2016
- Effectiveness of Iyengar yoga in treating spinal (back and neck) pain: A systematic review. Crow EM, et al, 2015
- Yoga for Treating Headaches: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Anheyer D, Klose P, Lauche R, et al. 2019
- Effects of yoga exercises for headaches: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Kim, Sang Dol. 2015
- Yoga for Osteoarthritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. R Lauche, et al. 2019
- The Effects of Yoga on Pain, Mobility, and Quality of Life in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. Kan L, et al. 2016
- The Effect of Yoga on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Meta-Analysis. A Isath, et al 2023
- The effectiveness of yoga in modifying risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. P Chu, et al. 2020
- Yoga as Antihypertensive Lifestyle Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Yin Wu et al, 2019
- Effect of Yoga on Blood Pressure in Prehypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis J S Khandekar et al 2021
- Breathing exercises for dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome in adults. Jones M, et al. 2013
- Breathing techniques to reduce symptoms in people with serious respiratory illness: a systematic review. A T Burge, et al. 2024
- How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. A Zaccaro, et al. 2018
- Effect of Yoga in the Therapy of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review, Schumann D et al. 2016
- A systematic review of yoga for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. E R Thakur et al. 2024
- Effects of yoga on stress in stressed adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Alina Schleinzer et al. 2024
- Effects of Yoga on Stress Among Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review F Wang, A Szabo. 2020
- A systematic review of randomised control trials on the effects of yoga on stress measures and mood. Michaela C. Pascoe, et al. 2015
- Effects of yoga on stress management in healthy adults: A systematic review. Chong CS, et al. 2011
- How does yoga reduce stress? A systematic review of mechanisms of change and guide to future inquiry. Kristen E. Riley & Crystal L. Park 2015
- Yoga-based interventions may reduce anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders and depression symptoms in depressive disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. J Martínez-Calderon, et al. 2023
- Effect of yoga-based interventions for anxiety symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. S Zoogman, et al. 2019
- Yoga for Depression and Anxiety: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Hanson, Rachel, Social Work Master’s Clinical Research Papers. 2016
- Yoga for anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cramer H, et al. 2018
- Cramer H, Lauche R, Langhorst J, Dobos G. Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Depress Anxiety. 2013 Nov
- Influence of Yoga on Cognitive Functions in Individuals with Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. C Kaligal, et al. 2023
- A systematic review of the health effects of yoga for people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Diana Karamacoska, et al. 2023
- Effects of yoga-related mind-body therapies on cognitive function in older adults: A systematic review with meta-analysis. K K Bhattacharyya, et al. 2021
- Effects of yoga-based interventions on cognitive function in healthy older adults: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sara Hoy, et al. 2021
- Impact of mind-body interventions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review. Farhang, M, et al. 2019
- Yoga and Cognition: A Meta-Analysis of Chronic and Acute Effects. Gothe, et al. 2015
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