A spiritual practice from India dating back thousands of years, yoga is now a multi-billion-dollar industry endorsed by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Sting and is practised by millions of people from all walks of life. Yoga encourages an awareness of the breath, creating mindfulness and body awareness through moving and stretching. The aim is to flow between postures in tune with your breathing, increasing flexibility and openness, which helps to soothe the nervous system and reduce stress.
Books such as “The Wisdom of Yoga” by psychotherapist Stephen Cope[1] and “The Science of Yoga” by journalist William Broad[2] highlight a multitude of research showcasing the benefits of this ancient practice. For instance, studies have found that yoga can reduce the risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI),[3] as well as lowering levels of anxiety and depression, improving sleep quality, increasing energy levels, decreasing inflammation, back pain and improving quality of life for those with conditions such as cancer, stroke and arthritis.[4] Meta-studies have found that yoga is also great for cognition, stimulating brain functions such as working memory and mental flexibility, and preventing cognitive decline in old age.[5]
It is not just adults who benefit from yoga either; children and young people also show improvements in stress alleviation, focus, self-awareness, resilience, mood and emotional self-regulation.[6] Yoga also helps sufferers of trauma. In “The Body Keeps the Score”, Van der Kolk discusses how yoga can be a useful way for trauma sufferers to become aware of their emotional blockages and understand how the body experiences them so that they can then work on releasing them. There are many studies highlighting that veterans suffering from PTSD find yoga to be an effective way of improving mental health symptoms, sleep and quality of life.[7]
*This is a short exert from my upcoming book 'The Ripple Effect; Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Planet' to be released November 23rd 2024
[1] Cope, W. (2007) “The Wisdom of Yoga: a Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living”, Bantam Books
[2] Broad, W. (2013) “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards”, Simon & Schuster
[3] Chu, P., Gotink, R., Yeh, G. (2014) “The effectiveness of yoga in modifying risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials”, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, www.journals,sagepub.com (accessed 20/08/22)
[4] Bubnis, D. (2019) “What are the health benefits of yoga?” www.medicalnewstoday.com (accessed 20/08/22)
[5] Bhattacharya, K and Small, B. (2021) “Effect of yoga-related mind-body therapies on cognitive function in older adults; a systematic review with meta-analysis”, Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Vol 93, www.sciencedirect.com
[6] Hagen, I. and Usha, S. Nayar (2014) “Yoga for children and young people‘s mental health and wellbeing: research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga”, Front Psychiatry Vol 5 (35), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (accessed 20/08/22)
[7] Zaccari, B., Callahan, M., and Loftis, J. (2020) “Yoga for veterans with PTSD: cognitive functioning, mental health and salivary cortisol, Psychological Trauma”, 12 (8), p913-917, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (accessed 20/08/22)
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