PERSPECTIVES Benefits of Yoga – it’s a physical and mental health thing As a yoga practitioner for 25 plus years, I have experienced the benefits of yoga physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It started in a gym yoga class as I was recovering from a complicated surgery. Not only was I struggling with generalized weakness and pain, but I was also struggling with depression and alteration in self-image due to the surgery. I started in the back of the class moving slowly and gingerly. Using the breathing techniques, I found that I let go of negativity and pain. I slowly moved to the front of the class, feeling better than I did before the surgery. I know that yoga helped me through that crisis.
WELLNESS By Nancy Harvey Executive Summary: More Americans are seeking out yoga for many reasons including general health, strength, relaxation, and healing.
As a health care provider, I needed more than my own personal anecdotal evidence of benefit. In the past fifteen years the field of yoga research has grown significantly, with well-designed studies published in peer reviewed journals documenting the potential benefits of yoga in areas of pain management, mental health, substance abuse recovery, and musculoskeletal disorders. Increasingly, science is beginning to confirm the benefits that we, yogis, have known from our own practices. The International Association of Yoga Therapists summarized benefits that have been documented by research, the physiologic, psychologic, and biochemical effects (Trish Lamb, www.iayt.org/page/HealthBenefitsOfYoga). Physiologic: stabilizes autonomic nervous system equilibrium; decreased pulse and respiratory rates; cardiovascular efficiency increases; gastrointestinal function normalizes; musculoskeletal flexibility and range of motion increases; posture improves; endurance increases; energy level increases; sleep improves; immunity improves; pain decreases; dexterity and fine motor skills improve; steadiness and balance improves. Psychologic: mood improves and subjective well-being increases; self-acceptance and self-actualization increases; social adjustment increases; anxiety and depression decreases; attention and concentration improve. Biochemical: decreases glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, cortisol and inflammatory markers; increases HDL (healthy) cholesterol, red blood cell measures, lymphocytes, thyroxine; increases oxytocin, prolactin, vitamin C; oxygen levels in the brain increase.
Nancy S. Harvey, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, MS, C-IAYT, operates Guiding Star Yoga in Roanoke. GuidingStar Yoga@gmail.com
30
Marlynn Wei, MD, JD reported on a survey done byYoga Alliance andYoga Journal noting that the number of Americans practicing yoga has grown by over 50% in the past four years to over 36 million in 2016. More than 15% of Americans have done yoga in the past 6 months. More than a third say they are very likely to try yoga in the next year. While the majority of yoga practitioners are women (70%), the number of American men doing yoga has more than doubled from 4 million in 2012 to 10 million in 2016. The number of American adults over 50 doing yoga has tripled over the past four years to reach 14 million. Increasing numbers of Americans are participating in this ancient practice and are experiencing what is confirmed by science.
t SEPTEMBER 2021 / vbFRONT.com
