How Yoga Changes Your Brain And Mental Health Tremendously
Featured photo credit: Freepik via freepik.com
If you are a yoga fan, you are probably well aware of how many
physical benefits this practice can bring. Studies in the past have
shown that yoga can help with weight loss, muscle building and toning,
joint flexibility and health and even chronic painful conditions like
fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. But did you know how much this
ancient practice could also improve your mental health and abilities? A
recent study of adults with mild memory loss showed just how healthy yoga is for your brain.
The Study and What it Found
Researchers,
well aware of the physical benefits of yoga, sought to understand more
about the mental/cognitive benefits of this exercise regimen. In order
to do this, they recruited a group of middle-aged and older volunteers
who had, upon interviewing, expressed concerns about their memories and
had in fact been diagnosed with a mild form of cognitive decline, a
condition that can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms
of dementia. These conditions, if they worsen, can have a serious and
negative impact on a patient’s quality of life.
The researchers did a brain scan on all patients in order to establish a baseline for their mental activity/function.
They then divided participants into two separate groups, one which
received a one hour brain training session plus fifteen minutes of
practice daily while the other received a one hour kundalini yoga
session with fifteen minutes of at-home practice daily (in other words,
both groups spent the same amount of time with these interventions each
week).
At the end of this three month study, all the participants
were given a brain scan again to see if the interventions had had any
affect on their cognitive health. It was found that both groups of
patients had experienced cognitive improvement in areas of the brain
that affect memory and language skills. However, the group which
participated in yoga also displayed improvement in areas of the brain
which control concentration and attention; in other words, the
yoga group also came out of this study with enhanced ability to focus
and multitask, showing that yoga was superior to the brain training
program to improve mental functions.
“We were a bit surprised by the magnitude of the brain effects,” noted Helen Lavretsky, the lead researcher in this study, when commenting upon the results.
The Study in Context
What
is perhaps one of the most interesting parts of this study is that it
does not stand alone. It is, rather, part of the growing body of
evidence which shows that yoga’s mental/cognitive benefits may well
equal or even exceed its physical ones.
In the past, for instance, similar clinical studies on yoga have found a positive link between this practice and depression and anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even serious psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.
One study even found that this seemingly mild, gentle practice was
actually better than aerobics at improving brain functions such as speed
and accuracy of mental processing.
In short, this study on
patients with mild cognitive decline is simply part of a growing body of
clinical evidence which shows that yoga, in addition to improving the
health of the body, is able to improve the health of the mind as well,
not only for problems like memory loss but for mental health issues such
as anxiety, depression, ADHD and even more serious issues like
schizophrenia. In short, this practice is a truly holistic method to
improve all aspects of your health, apart from bringing a high degree of
enjoyment and satisfaction to those who participated in it on the daily
basis. More Info: lifehack.org
GONO
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