Yoga & meditation

Restorative postures, savasana, pranayama, and meditation encourage pratyahara, a turning inward of the senses which enables downtime for the nervous system, the byproduct often being improved sleep. Because of its ability to increase relaxation and induce a balanced mental state, yoga has been studied to evaluate its possible effects on sleep and insomnia. Regular practice of yoga resulted in a significant decrease in the time taken to fall asleep, an increase in the total number of hours slept, and in the feeling of being rested in the morning.

The sensory nerve endings are razor sharp due the stretch given by the asanas and this in turn maintains the neuro-vascular functions of the skin. The skin blood flow is stimulated preventing senile changes. The joints are adducted, abducted, rotated and circumducted in yogic practices which in turn gives corresponding stretches and compressions for the skin also.Yoga practice has the potential to reduce facial wrinkles and produce a natural ‘face-lift’. This is mainly due to the inverted postures such as the head and handstands. Performing these postures for a few minutes each day has the potential to reverse the effects of gravity and use it to our advantage. It also increases the circulation to the fact that will bring much-needed nutrients and oxygen to rejuvenate and remove toxin-causing matter. Mentally one will become calmer and the body will not experience stress like effects that will cause one to frown. The quality of the sleep improves a lot that helps in a fresh ready to go look.
The inverted postures causes an increase in blood supply to the hair follicles in the scalp, even increased flexibility of the neck produced by the asanas also help by removing the pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the neck, therefore giving the head an even greater blood supply on the scalp. The nerves in the neck supply the scalp muscles and the release of pressure on the nerves in the neck will help the scalp muscles to relax. This gives the hair follicles better nourishment and in turn thicker hair is the ongoing result. Pranayamic practices promote healthy excretory functions of the skin. It promotes excellent blood flow to the dermis. Toning up of the glandular function of the skin occurs. Thermal regulatory functions of the skin are well regulated by pranayama.

Stress has a negative impact on the immune system and prolonged exposure increases susceptibility to disease and leads to physical and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Practicing yoga and meditation as a means to manage and relieve both acute and chronic stress helps individuals overcome other co-morbidities associated with diseases and leads to increased quality of life. As a non-pharmacological form of treatment, yoga based interventions are an alternative option for the treatment of mood disorders.

Yoga increases blood flow and levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells which allows for more oxygen to reach the body cells, enhancing their function. Yoga also thins the blood which can decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke, as they are often caused by blood clots. Twisting poses wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in when the twist is released. Inverted poses encourage venous blood flow from the legs and pelvis back to the heart and then pumped through the lungs where it becomes freshly oxygenated.
In addition to the effects of yoga on mood disorders and stress reduction, yogic practices are shown to improve cardiorespiratory performance, psychological profile, and plasma melatonin levels and also significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and orthostatic tolerance. Furthermore, yoga helps to improve the cardiovascular efficiency and homeostatic control of the body and results in improvements in autonomic balance, respiratory performance, and overall well-being. Yoga based lifestyle modifications were also shown to aid in regression of coronary lesions as well as to improve myocardial perfusion in patients with CAD. Inevitably, cardiovascular parameters alter as one ages, but these age-related deteriorations in cardiovascular functions are slower in persons who practice yoga regularly as yoga practitioners had lower heart rate as well as lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than matched controls.

Yoga helps to build muscle mass and/ or maintain muscle strength, which protects from conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain. During a yoga session, the joints are taken through their full range of motion, squeezing and soaking areas of cartilage not often used and bringing fresh nutrients, oxygen and blood to the area, which helps to prevent conditions like arthritis and chronic pain. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage will eventually wear out and expose the underlying bone. Yoga also increases proprioception and improves balance.
Judicious practice of asana, meditation or a combination of the two can reduce pain and disability while improving flexibility and functional mobility in people with a number of conditions causing chronic pain. Additionally, in some cases use of pain medication can also be reduced or eliminated completely. Yoga was also shown to improve gait function and reduce age-related changes in gait among a group of healthy, non-obese elders.

Practice of yoga helps cancer patients to reduce the post-chemotherapy-induced nausea frequency, nausea intensity, intensity of anticipatory nausea, and anticipatory vomiting. Yoga practice also help to decrease anxiety, depression, and distressful symptoms and also showed significant reduction in toxicity scores compared to the controls. Yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation can reduce stress, promote healing, increase energy, decrease adverse treatment effects, and enhance quality-of-life for patients with cancer.

Practice of yoga improves the self-reported quality-of-life as well as measures of physical function among an elderly population. Yoga can produce an invigorating effect on mental and physical energy that improves fitness and reduces fatigue. Additionally, when practicing yoga, a fundamental emphasis is placed on accepting one’s moment-to-moment experiences creating mindfulness and not forcing the body past its comfortable limits. Having this healthy sense of acceptance is especially important for individuals dealing with life-threatening illness as it decreases the stress one experiences from unpleasant symptoms. As this tension is released, energy flows more readily throughout the body and allows patients to experience a sense of increased well-being and strength as well as a balance of mind, body and spirit. Yoga also shown to improve gait function and reduce age-related changes in gait among a group of healthy, non-obese elders.

In today’s modern, technologically advanced world, the youngsters, especially the adolescents, are prone to addition to electronic media, gadgets, internet, games and lot more of such kind. The excessive use of them not only makes these young minds addictive but depletes them of their health and mental calibre.
The roots of addiction to gadgets/social media/gaming/visual media etc. are absolutely mind-related and the practice of regular meditation encourages these addicts to accept the basic impermanence of human experience. It helps them to develop a detached awareness of thoughts. Yoga and meditation practices exert positive influence on addictive behaviours. Through the practice of yoga, addicts shift from self-inflicted harm and disrespect toward their bodies to more respectful, caring, and loving behaviours. Consistent yoga practice improves depression and can lead to significant increases in serotonin levels coupled with decreases in the levels of monamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters and cortisol.

Eating disorders are a specific type of addiction and yoga appears to be beneficial in improving body image disturbances and useful in the recovery from eating disorders. One study found that female yoga practitioners attribute their positive feelings and sense of well-being to yoga practice and report less self-objectification, greater satisfaction with physical appearance and fewer disordered eating attitudes compared to non-yoga practitioners.

Currently, treatment for anxiety and depression involves mostly psychological and pharmacological interventions; however, mind-body interventions are becoming increasingly popular as a means to reduce stress in individuals. Yoga, a form of mind-body exercise, has become an increasingly widespread therapy used to maintain wellness, and alleviate a range of health problems and ailments. Practice of Yoga helps as complementary therapy or alternative method for medical therapy in the treatment of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders to create a greater sense of well-being, increase feelings of relaxation, improve self-confidence and body image, improve efficiency, better interpersonal relationships, increase attentiveness, lower irritability, and encourage an optimistic outlook on life.