Yoga intersects with the brain and mechanisms in your body and can promote emotional and mental health and affect physical health, according to the National Institutes of Health. Scientists are increasingly curious about yoga, and mental health practitioners suggest it as therapy for stress, anxiety and eating disorders in adults and children. In addition, yoga may increase a sense of empowerment and well-being as you cope with illnesses like cancer and HIV/AIDS.
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is a 5,000-year old practice dating back to the region that is modern-day India. It focuses on rhythmic stretching movements, holding poses and deep breathing. Yoga joins both physical and mental discipline to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage your stress and anxiety levels. Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. The aims of traditional yoga philosophy include a strong and flexible body free of pain; a healthy autonomic nervous system with all physiological systems, like digestion, respiration and hormonal functioning optimally; and a calm, clear, and tranquil mind. Beyond these specific aims, yoga practices are intended to promote self-improvement and good quality of life.
Stress Reduction
Yoga can be effective in reducing stress and anxiety. Because it requires that you get in a quiet place and focus on precise movements, it takes your focus off your busy, pressure-filled days, produces calmness and concentration, reduces anger and frustration and improves your confidence in your ability to handle your problems. In addition, the increase in fitness yoga brings, as an entirely separate benefit, also boosts your self-esteem, which protects you from stress. A 2009 report published by Harvard Medical School says yoga modulates your stress response system. It reduces your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and eases respiration. These benefits condition your body to respond to stress better.
Therapy for Mental Disorders
Yoga is used in therapies for people with both mental and physical illnesses. Therapeutic yoga helps ease suffering, promotes rehabilitation, increases coping and improves quality of life, according to findings published in the August 2010 issue of "Psychiatry." Research has found yoga effective in treating conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and eating disorders. Yoga also had mood-altering, enhancement and stabilization effects. In studies among college students, the Hatha form of yoga produced consistent decreases in tension, fatigue and anger and prompted students to play hooky less often.
Complementary Therapy for Coping with Physical Health Problems
Yoga promotes quality of life and eases depression in patients with HIV/AIDS. Research reported through the National Library of Medicine indicates that yoga techniques help people living with HIV/AIDS to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. The exercise, breath work and meditative aspects create a deep sense of awareness of the body and a connection to the inner self. Researchers also are investigating the possibility that yoga boosts the immune system and prevents opportunistic infections that are common to HIV/AIDS patients. Yoga has also been used to assist with treatment of asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and diabetes with positive results in studies.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Yoga: Tap into the Many Health Benefits
- Psychiatry: Yoga as a Complementary Therapy for Children and Adolescents
- Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Psychophysiologic Effects of Hatha Yoga on Musculoskeletal and Cardiopulmonary Function
- NLM Gateway: Connecting with the Inner Self: Yoga and HIV
- Perceptual and Motor Skills: Mood alteration with Yoga and Swimming
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