According to recent research highlighted by Berkeley, yoga has a profound impact on our nervous systems, enhancing overall health and well-being. While many in the Western world are familiar with yoga’s physical poses, the practice encompasses a broader approach that includes mindful breathing, meditation, chanting, philosophical teachings, cleansing techniques, and ethical principles promoting kindness, selflessness, non-materialism, and nonviolence. Over time, yoga has diversified into various forms, such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, hot yoga, and core power yoga.
Currently, more than 36 million people in the U.S. practice yoga regularly, most of whom follow Vedic yoga traditions that combine 12 foundational postures with deep breathing and mindfulness techniques.
Exploring the Wellness Benefits of Yoga
Yoga harmonizes the mind and body, offering numerous health and happiness benefits through its direct impact on the nervous system. Key to yoga is breath awareness, including techniques like “ujjayi pranayama” or the breath of fire. Deep breathing, intrinsic to yoga, stimulates the vagus nerve, which enhances functions such as digestion and immune response. Slow breathing techniques in yoga, which activate throat muscles, also help regulate blood pressure. Research has shown that regular yoga practice can significantly lower blood pressure levels.
In a recent study, participants engaged in either stretching or yoga breathing exercises (ujjayi breath) for four months. The yoga group demonstrated notable improvements in cardiovascular and respiratory functions compared to the stretching group.
Additionally, a UC San Diego study found that individuals who participated in a three-month yoga retreat experienced reductions in inflammation linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. The cardiovascular and nervous system benefits of yoga contribute to its overall health benefits. Consistent practice can relieve muscle and joint discomfort by loosening muscles and connective tissues. A study on rheumatoid arthritis patients revealed that yoga significantly reduced pain and improved overall health, vitality, and mental well-being, with benefits persisting nine months after the study.
Yoga has also been shown to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, often with greater effectiveness than traditional medications, when practiced daily for at least a month. Moreover, it can support recovery from addiction and increase reports of happiness among regular practitioners.
The Impact of Yoga on Happiness
The link between yoga and happiness may be related to its effects on heart rate variability and the vagus nerve. An analysis of 59 studies involving nearly 2,400 individuals found that higher heart rate variability and vagus nerve function are associated with increased kindness and compassion, which contribute to a happier life.
Yoga also influences brain chemistry. Research by Chantal Villemure and her team at the National Institutes of Health used magnetic resonance imaging to observe changes in gray matter, which typically declines with age. Their findings showed that yoga practitioners experienced less decline in gray matter in regions of the brain linked to positive emotions like happiness and joy.
Furthermore, yoga increases activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex—brain areas related to empathy, gratitude, and kindness. Incorporating yoga into daily routines may enhance our ability to experience positive emotions and foster a more altruistic outlook, leading to lasting happiness.
