The practice of yoga originated over 3000 years ago in India and was developed as a way for communities to live in divine harmony. In fact, the word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “yug” or “yuj,” which means “union.” Traditional yoga practice seeks to unite the body and mind to achieve a sense of balance. Through a combination of meditation, poses, and breathing techniques, deep relaxation and mindfulness are often achieved. It is no wonder that in today’s hectic world yoga has become more popular than ever, as people seek ways to reduce their stress.
The health benefits of yoga are well understood. They include:
- Lower blood pressure and heart rate
- Reduction of stress-related conditions like migraine headaches, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and gastrointestinal conditions
- Relief from back pain and joint stiffness
- Improved sense of well-being, mood, and self-control
Until recently, the evidence of yoga’s health benefits have been based mostly on anecdotal accounts. However, over the last decade, numerous scientific research studies have investigated the mechanisms of exactly how yoga affects the human body. Using brain-imaging technology like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood and body chemistry evaluations, evidence-based results are beginning to demonstrate a causal connection. Even though many of the studies have included only a small number of participants, similar findings are being duplicated over and over again, making it less likely that they are due to random chance.
One noteworthy researcher in this field of study is Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts (a full biography for Dr. Khalsa can be found at the end of this article). We recently had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Khalsa and discussed his and Jodie Gould’s 2012 work, Your Brain on Yoga (A Harvard Medical School Guide). This publication offers a fascinating look at the biological mechanisms within the brain, and the effect yoga has on them. It uses the published findings of the worldwide neuroscience community to affirm that the practice of yoga can, in fact, provide lasting health benefits with a low risk of harm.
Yoga and Health — What Research Has Discovered
In Your Brain on Yoga, Dr. Khalsa presents compelling evidence that something physiologic is really happening within the body:
In a 2008 study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, blood samples taken from healthy long-term yoga participants were evaluated both before and after doing yoga. They discovered significant changes in the way the genes associated with stress-related diseases were expressed. Relaxation seems to have a positive impact on inflammation and cellular aging, which increase our vulnerability to disease.
In a German study conducted in 2005, a group of women with “mental stress” were evaluated after participating in an 8-week yoga program. Saliva tests revealed a reduction in cortisol, a hormone that is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, diminished immune system, and inflammation when present in high levels.
Researchers at Boston University investigated the effects of yoga on anxiety and depression. They used MRI technology to evaluate the brains of yoga practitioners involved in a 12-week trial. They discovered that when compared to participants in a walking program, the yoga group demonstrated higher levels of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a brain chemical associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety.
A 2012 review of evidence-based research on the effects of yoga on high blood pressure found compelling evidence to suggest it be taken seriously as a complementary alternative to medication. Researchers at the Medical Center of Central Georgia and Kennesaw State University demonstrated that reductions in blood pressure, blood glucose (sugar), cholesterol, body weight, and other risk factors for heart disease were achieved through yoga practice.
In 2010, researchers from several organizations, which include Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, investigated the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) (a meditation-based program that includes some yoga practice) on specific areas of the brain. MRI studies on participants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) revealed positive changes in the regions of the brain associated with concentration, regulation and expression of emotion, and production of mood-enhancing and anxiety-reducing neurochemicals, among others. Ninety percent of the participants reported significant reductions in anxiety in just 8 weeks of practice. More importantly, a follow-up conducted three years later showed that the improvements were sustained.
How Yoga Can Improve Your Health
While the exact mechanisms for how yoga influences these very positive changes in the body remain unknown, Dr. Khalsa mentions the three key factors involved. First, through meditation, relaxation, and deep breathing the stress response is reduced. As discussed, stress causes many different mental and physical health ailments, so improved stress management means better health. Second, yoga improves the mind-body connection. By clearing the mind of “cluttered thinking,” an awareness of how one feels in response to certain behaviors, situations, or dietary choices emerges. Focus can be redirected so an awareness of how drinking a liter of Coca- Cola, smoking cigarettes, over consuming alcohol makes your body feel is achieved. Once this awareness is realized, positive lifestyle changes naturally follow. Finally, the third mechanism is a deeper transformative experience, where there is a connection to the harmony and flow of the surrounding world. Positive perceptions of identity emerge, and that contributes to lifestyle change.
The Role of Meditation
Newer studies have begun to identify the areas of the brain that are activated during the process of meditation itself. Dr. Khalsa writes, “meditation is a simple, cognitive process of controlled attention,” which is directly connected to the stress response and our emotions. He cites research where differences in the size of the pre-frontal cortex region of the brain in long-term meditators, as compared to non-meditators, were discovered. It is speculated that regular meditation enhances the ability of the study’s participants to respond with less reactivity, stress, and emotion. “People who are stressed tend to react emotionally and not in a very uplifting way,” states Dr. Khalsa. He goes on to say, “what happens when you start this meditation practice is that not only do you cope with stress and mood more effectively, but you start engaging areas of the brain that are associated with more positive behaviors. It can be a huge step forward.”
How Yoga Changes Lives: Real-Life Experiences of a Yogi
Goli Gabbay is a Los Angeles, California based yoga teacher who specializes in yoga as a therapy for recovery and psychological health. With over 20 years of professional experience, she has witnessed first hand the life-changing effects that practicing yoga can produce, especially for people suffering from anxiety, depression, and trauma (a full biography is provided at the end of this article). We interviewed Gabbay about her experiences and heard some amazing stories. Gabbay supports Dr. Khalsa’s findings on yoga’s ability to improve health and provide relief from ailments like fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal conditions, depression, and anxiety. “By learning how to breathe fully, deeply and properly, students learn to utilize breath to create spaciousness and calm in their minds. Calming the mind is a key element in healing insomnia and any anxiety-related health issue,” states Gabbay.
Gabbay describes the experience of one of her students who had suffered panic attacks and depression her entire life. After three failed stays at different rehab centers with a cost of $50,000 apiece, she worked with Gabbay using yoga as a therapy. Eight years later, Gabbay received the following note from her:
“Having suffered from panic attacks my entire life, I had never found anything that truly helped me control them. Medication was a disaster for me and ultimately proved to be hurting my life rather than helping me. When I met you, I was in an acute state of panic attacks and suffered from depression because of it. I had never tried yoga therapy but was willing to try anything. In our first few sessions I could feel a transformation in my mood and started to believe that your work might help. To make a long story short, it worked a miracle! My life has totally changed and I have been free of panic attacks since our last session over eight years ago.” –Kate (age 32)
In response to Dr. Khalsa’s findings that imaging studies reveal an activation of the area of the brain associated with happiness and well being, Gabbay offers her own anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon. She describes the experience of a student named Ben. He was in his late forties and was so depressed that he had tried to commit suicide. Gabbay started working with him regularly. She noticed each week how much he began to smile. Intrigued, she asked him what was so enjoyable. He replied, “Goli, I don’t know what it is. I was so disconnected before and now I feel so connected to my Soul… I feel so connected to God.” Even though his life circumstance was the same, he had shifted and transformed.
Even though yoga has been shown to have very low risk for injury, it is always advisable to talk to your health care professional before engaging in any new form of exercise. Make sure to do your homework when investigating yoga practitioners and locate one with a good reputation.
Biographical information:
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. has been fully engaged in basic and clinical research on the effectiveness of yoga and meditation practices in improving physical and psychological health for over 10 years. He has also practiced a yoga lifestyle for over 40 years and is a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor. He is the Director of Research for the Kundalini Research Institutes and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Khalsa also teaches an elective course at Harvard on mind body medicine. To purchase a copy of Your Brain on Yoga (A Harvard Medical School Guide), click here.
Goli Gabbay is a pioneer and a leading expert in yoga therapy for mental, emotional, psychological, and physical health. With 20 years of experience in the wellness field and over eleven years of focus working as the resident yoga therapist at two high-end psychological treatment facilities, Goli has developed a unique system of yoga that has helped transform the lives of thousands of individuals. She is widely renowned for her expertise in relieving anxiety disorders, trauma, and depression, among other imbalances. Goli was also the lead yoga teacher working with UCLA Medical Center, where she helped patients gain relief from physical ailments ranging from IBS to cancer.
From: Living Healthe