“YOGA IS THE CULTIVATION OF A PARTICULAR FORM OF UNDERSTANDING: IT IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO OUR INNER MOST BEING TO DEVELOP NOTHING LESS THAN ITS CONSTANT RADIANT MANIFESTATION.”
YOGA OPENS THE BODY, MIND & HEART.
Regular yoga practice rooted in mindful movement and meditation benefits the body, mind, and heart by creating openness at every level of consciousness. This expansiveness allows us to connect with the whole of experience - to embrace our full humanity - our full aliveness. That is the essence of “practicing yoga.” The openness created through yoga practice strengthens, stretches, and destresses the body; soothes, relaxes, and decompresses the mind; and expands the loving capacity of the heart. The therapeutic and self-revelatory benefits of of yoga are numerous and profound.
BODY MOVER
Mindful movement builds muscle and bone, increases strength and flexibility, and improves endurance and balance. It also provides essential nutrients for joint mobility by squeezing and soaking cartilage and connective tissue. Mindful movement helps us “use it, so we don’t lose it,” keeping us active and vital. Mindful movement aids the healing of many diseases like diabetes, arthritis, asthma, hypertension, and cancer. Mindful movement also prevents cartilage and joint breakdown and osteoporosis.
IMMUNITY BOOSTER
Mindful movement and meditation boost immunity by eliminating toxins, lowering stress hormone production, and reducing inflammation. Mindful movement and meditation are associated with increased lymph drainage that helps fight infection and dispose of toxic cellular waste; lower cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone; and reduced inflammation response. Reduced chronic inflammation is associated with lower risk of many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
PAIN REDUCER
Mindful movement and meditation reduce pain by relieving muscle tension (especially pain related to the lower back) and improving overall neurological function through stimulation of the vagus nerve. Mindful movement and meditation can relieve lower back pain, reduce migraine intensity and frequency, and lessen the need for prescription pain reducers.
CARDIOVASCULAR IMPROVER
Mindful movement and meditation improve cardiovascular health and blood circulation. Mindful movement and meditation are associated with reduced body mass index measurement, cholesterol, heart rate, and blood pressure. Mindful movement and meditation can lower the risk of heart disease.
RESPIRATORY STRENGTHENER
Intentional breathing combined with mindful movement and meditation strengthens respiratory health by optimizing breathing patterns and increasing vital capacity (a measure of the maximum amount of air that can be expelled from the lungs). Nose breathing increases nitric oxide for vasodilatory and relaxing effects; optimizes oxygen and carbon dioxide homeostasis levels; protects lungs and airways by warming and humidifying inhaled air; ensures moisture in mouth cavity for oral health; and filters air. Intentional breathing combined with mindful movement and meditation can improve symptoms of asthma.
DIGESTIVE HELPER
Mindful movement and meditation help digestive health by stimulating the internal organs and promoting a relaxation response. Mindful movement is like internal massage for the digestive tract, stimulating internal organs for improved digestion and elimination. Engaging the parasympathetic nervous system through yin-type yoga and meditation promotes relaxation response. Mindful movement and meditation can relieve constipation, abdominal bloating, and digestive discomfort.
SLEEP AIDER
Mindful movement and meditation promote quality sleep and the feeling of being energized upon waking. Engaging the parasympathetic nervous system through yin-type yoga and meditation promotes relaxation response to aid the sleep process. Mindful movement can help work the body so that it naturally seeks rest. Mindful movement and meditation can lower the amount of sleep disturbances.
MIND SOOTHER
Mindful movement and meditation soothe, relax, and decompress the mind, which improves learning, memory, and decision-making. Yogi’s have bigger brain parts! Larger amygdala and cingulate cortex influence learning and memory. Larger prefrontal cortex and brain networks are essential in planning, decision-making, and multitasking. Larger hippocampus helps memory. Mindful movement and meditation can counter brain structure deficits associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
MOOD ENHANCER
Mindful movement and meditation enhance mood which can lead to a greater sense of emotional well-being. Mindful movement and meditation are associated with increased levels of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) which tends to be lower in people with anxiety and mood disorders. Mindful movement and meditation can reduce depression, alleviate postpartum disorder, relieve anxiety, and serve as an antidote to stress.
BELONGING BUILDER
When practiced in community, mindful movement and meditation build a sense of belonging. Mindful movement and meditation are related to improved function of the vagus nerve, a key factor in stress resilience and feelings of social connection. Synchronized movements and presence is known to foster feelings of interconnectedness. Mindful movement and meditation can alleviates loneliness.
INSIGHT CATALYZER
Mindful movement and meditation catalyze insight by fostering a relaxed yet alert state of being, leading to epiphany and creativity. Mindful movement and meditation are known to aide neurogenesis and neuroplasticity related to “idea genius” and to increases gamma waves and right and left brain integration for dynamic cerebral activity. Mindful movement and meditation can break the cycle of “stuckness” and replaces recurrent, ineffective approaches with innovative ideas.
HEART OPENER
Mindful movement and meditation open the heart by creating space to feel emotions, allowing us to feel into the whole of life and to feel most alive. Mindful movement and meditation counter face-paced, production-oriented values and promote an intimacy and connectedness with ourselves and others. Mindful movement and meditation can reduce automaton and robotic ways of being and the impulse to numb out through distraction and addiction.
MODERN SCIENCE CONTINUES TO AFFIRM THE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA KNOWN SINCE ANTIQUITY.
Modern science continues to affirm the physical and mental health benefits of yoga for people of all ages as well as the the therapeutic benefits of yoga for people experiencing disease, recovering from illness, and living with a chronic conditions.