While Yoga is often associated with flexibility, mobility, and strength, there’s way more benefits to it than just the physical. From over 350 physically active Filipinos surveyed, 67% have tried Yoga to get in a good stretch, soothe aches and pains, improve stability and flexibility, and relax the mind and body. It doesn’t just boost mindfulness, relieve stress, and sharpen focus, but it also directly affects brain function and structure—here’s how:
Gray matter consists of brain cells and are responsible for functions like learning and memory. The constant practice of control in posture, breathing, and mental activity through Yoga improves gray matter density and activation in one’s hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain. This results in better focus, emotional and impulse control, self-awareness, decision making, and risk-reward evaluation.
These folds contain brain cells—so simply put, more folds equals more brain cells. Yoga plays a part in this through breathwork, which serves as a simple introduction to meditation. Research shows that the meditation aspect of Yoga is directly related to the increase of brain folds, which results in better reasoning, perception, language, information processing, memory, and voluntary movement.
During Yoga, certain parts of the brain rest and slow down, which is why we feel relaxed and less stressed. Yoga lets your frontal lobe (which is responsible for thinking, planning , reasoning, self-awareness, and emotional regulation) take a break, as it decreases activity in this area. It also lets the parietal lobe, which takes charge of processing information from the senses, slow down too. Additionally, Yoga lowers the body’s cortisol and adrenaline levels, letting one feel less stressed during and after.
Given the numerous benefits Yoga brings, plus the added stress brought about by working from home, it’s no surprise that there has been an increase in people trying Yoga out. Begin your practice with REBEL Realign, a 30-day Yoga program to help their users recenter, refocus, and recharge, and reap both the body-and-mind benefits that Yoga has to offer.
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