Benefits of Yoga from HEAD to TOE (Based

on Scientific Research)
Dr. Rishita Chandra September 29, 2019 9 Comments

Many pieces of scientific research published in the past few years have proven the
immense benefits of yoga on the mind & body.

In this article, being a doctor I covered the published scientific research based yoga
benefits under a variety of categories. I also covered some less then a month
beneficial yoga practices which can help you in flexibility, anxiety/depression,
mental, physical health, decease prevention and social status etc.
Before exploring the research based yoga benefits, let’s see these Yoga
Statistics which show the growing popularity of yoga.
 Why does yoga become so popular ?
Because, In this hectic lifestyle, we all get so busy with our daily schedule which we
always forgot to take care of ourselves. Of course, taking care of our financial need is
necessary, but what’s more important is for us to take care of our body and mind as
well. And this is where yoga comes into play.
Contents
 Benefits of Yoga
 Physical Benefits of Yoga
 Mental Benefits of Yoga
 Spiritual Benefits of Yoga
 Yoga Benefits in Disease Prevention
 Conclusion

Benefits of Yoga
When it comes to elaborating the benefits of yoga, there aren’t only certain hundreds
of figures. Often, people think yoga is just for physical fitness and flexibility, but
when they start to practice it, only then they realize yoga more profound benefits.

Research has shown 1, the primary aim of 85% of yoga teachers was just physical
fitness, but later on, they realize yoga has changed their behavior, thinking, &
mentality completely. Now they feel themselves more flexible, clam, energetic and
into the spiritual aspect of yoga & their primary aim becomes spirituality, i.e., self-
actualization.
Read on to know the yoga benefits of each practice (physical, mental, and spiritual)
based on many published researches.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

We basically know Yoga for its beautiful postures and their physical benefits.
Physical benefits are those which you can see in a person who practices yoga
regularly. It can be a flexible body, a better balance & the charm on the face, etc.
1. Helps in Weight Loss
Hectic lifestyle & irregular diet plans have made obesity a problem in general.
Systematic dietary guidelines & regular Yoga practice can help you manage the
weight-related problems (whether its weight loss or gaining weight).
2
on 17 enrolled participants for 3 months. In this research, participants were asked
to follow up semi-standardized dietary guidelines along with the practice of
therapeutic yoga classes 3 times a week.
Participants, on average, have lost 3.5 kg of weight. On maintaining the same diet and
yoga practice in the next 3 months, participants have loose further on average 5.6 to
5.9 kg weight.

2. Prevents Premature Aging

Aging is a natural process which brings changes in the dynamics of an individual
characterized by a decrease in physical and mental capacity. Greying hair, wrinkled
and atrophic skin, and the growing risk of diseases are the common symptoms of
aging.

Yoga is a natural and marvellous anti-aging therapy which saves you from the
side effects of cosmetics and chemical products that claims to delay aging.
Yoga was proven effective in terms of improving the blood circulation and removal of
toxins from the body, maintaining the youthfulness of face with glowing skin and thus
preventing premature aging.
As yoga strengthens the body, it increases bone density, the flexibility of muscles, and
enhances mindfulness; therefore, it prevents the physical and mental draining. By
stimulation of nerves, it also improves the vision and helps in eradication of several
diseases.
3
has conducted to see the effects of Yoga and Meditation based lifestyle
intervention (YMLI) on cellular aging. It has shown in this study that, yoga
increased cardinal and metabotropic biomarkers of cellular aging and longevity in a
healthy population.
Adopting Yoga and Meditation as a habit, chronologically, we can make aging
graceful with the prevention of complicated multifactorial lifestyle.

3. Maintain Strong Spine

The spine supports our central nervous system (CNS), which controls every cell of the
body. It is the backbone protecting the spinal cord, providing structural support, and
maintaining the correct posture of the body to enable flexible motion.

There are many Yoga asanas, out of which some are specific for the spine. These
asanas emphasize cultivating awareness around the spine and also giving it space to
expand further.
Asanas for Stroger Spine – Tadasana, Ardha Uttarasana, Chair Bharadvajasana,
Supta Pavanamuktasana, Savasana, etc.
The main finding of a systematic 4 review suggests that the practice of yoga can
increase functional ability in patients with spinal pain and decrease pain.
4. Brings Flexibility in Muscles
Because of a sluggish and sedentary lifestyle, our body can get lazy and dehydrate
itself, which makes tissue less supple and more prone to injury. Muscles become
atrophic and stiff. The joints settle into a limited range of movement.
Yoga postures release tension from the body and minds. Stretching of the muscle and
holding it in a specific yoga posture helps to strengthen the muscle fibers and increase
its resilience.
In a pilot study 5 9 healthy young females were recruited and, included in therapeutic
yoga exercises. It aimed at increasing joint mobility and stretching shortened
skeletal muscles. Each training session comprised 10 minutes of pranayama, 10
minutes of warm-up exercises, 45 minutes of asana practice, and 10 minutes of
relaxation.
The result has shown that the regular practice of Hatha Yoga improves muscle
strength, increases joint mobility, and soft tissue flexibility. It also mobilizes the
nervous system, improves body posture, and encourages better awareness of the body.
5. Improves Sleep Quality
Insufficient sleep can cause weight gain, fatigue, and depression related problems.
Insomnia (a sleep disorder) is becoming a mass problem all around the world.

Only in India, 93% of people are suffering from some sleep-disorders and out of these
only, 2% know about it or consult the physician 6.
Yoga is excellent for reducing ‘arousal (which causes insomnia)’ using the practice of
meditation & relaxation postures.

In a 10 week research done on chronic insomnia patients, they were asked to

maintain sleep-wake diary & practice yoga meditation session by their own.
At the end of 10 weeks, it saw a significant improvement in SE (sleep efficiency),
TST (Total sleep time), TWT (Total wake time) & SOL (Sleep onset latency) as
measured from a sleep-wake diary

6. Enhance Hair Growth

Hair loss is one concern, which if involves at a young age group, causes emotional
trauma. It has various etiology.

Stress induces hormonal changes because of pregnancy, thyroid disturbances, or even

taking oral contraceptives responsible for hair loss. Physical stress, work pressure,
improper diet, and reduced blood flow to the scalp also lead to compromised hair
health. Therefore, modality to reduce hair loss and regrowth of the hair needs to be
focused upon.

If we combine Yoga with other tension-reducing techniques, including scalp

massage, it can benefit hair growth. Increase in blood flow to scalp improves the
nutrient delivery and contributes to the growth of hair.
A paper 7 published in the Journal of Harmonised Research in Applied Sciences
states:
The practice of hatha yoga helps to overcome hair fall, and massage using herbal
nutrients increases hair growth.

7. Improves Sexual Function

Yoga postures strengthen the core, which helps to have more control over the pelvis.
It also works out as Kegel exercises (for pelvic floor) and enhances the erection. Yoga
also increases the level of testosterone and enhances libido (sex desires).

According to a study 8 published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, regular yoga

practice improves several aspects of sexual function in women. It includes desire,
arousal, orgasm, and overall satisfaction.
Hence, Yoga proves to be a non-pharmacological method of improving sexual
function.
8. Helps Women During Pregnancy & Menstrual Cycle
Physical activity in the form of yoga during pregnancy & periods has suggested in
building a sense of confidence and competence in women.

In a pilot study 9, 16 pregnant women took part in low-intensity physical yoga

throughout the pregnancy period. Their living conditions & physical efficiency over
time was evaluated.
The report said women who took part in parental yoga, have a better effect on living
conditions, self-efficiency for physical activity & prenatal care.

9. Yoga Breathing Techniques Glows the Skin

Yogic breathing also called Pranayama, purifies the blood and increases the supply of
oxygen, which leads to glowing skin.
Yoga breathing techniques Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika, Bhramari,etc.
accentuate the effect of asanas and help to solve skin woes by having anti-oxidant,
cellular, and tissue effects for detoxification.
A review article10 explains various benefits of Pranayama, including its ability to
make the skin healthy.
10. Strengthens The Bones
Bones health depend on the mineral content with calcium and vitamin D, which plays
a significant role.

Yoga can stimulate the capacity of the bones to retain it. Weight-bearing poses like
arm balances, inversions, and standing poses helps in the bone deposition,
remodeling, and also reversal of the bone loss.
In a 10-year study (2005-2015) 11 741 volunteers were recruited via the internet. The
primary aim was to assess the effectiveness of selected yoga postures in raising Bone
Mineral Density (BMD).
This study suggested improved bones quality among the participated volunteers with
the reversal of bone loss in the spine and femur. It also increases BMD in the spine
using yoga postures.

Internal organs system in the body plays a vital role in the overall health of a person.
Every twist, bend, relax, and stretch in yoga asana affects the functioning of internal
organs.

11. Strengthens Immune System

The immune system is the defense mechanism of our body. It comprises a network of
cells and organs against foreign elements, e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other
organisms.

Directly linked common infections like cold and flu, allergies, asthma, and other
chronic respiratory conditions lead to a weakened immune response.

Breathing patterns in yoga (Pranayama) can increase the resistance of our respiratory
tract from regulating ‘Prana.’
A study 12 was conducted on 190 volunteers in the age group of 20 to 60 years. They
practiced yoga regularly for over five years for one hour daily. Also, they performed a
bout of moderate exercise and a bout of strenuous exercise. The non-yoga group also
showed similar exercises, suggesting that regular practice of yoga reduces the resting
levels of inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6.
Yoga increases natural killer cells and rejuvenates immune organs and channels.
Various poses of yoga boost our Immune System by affecting different
glands 13. Kurmasana (tortoise pose) has a positive effect on the thymus gland.
AdhoMukhaSvanasana (downward facing Dog Pose) increases the flow of sinuses
&Ustrasana (Camel Pose) lung mobility, which ultimately increases Immune System.
12. Increases Oxygen Intake
Breathing is one of the most important physiological processes which involves air
movement in and out of the lungs. Breathing is possible only through Prana.
Because of improper breathing, oxygen intake becomes less in the lungs.

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place in the lungs. Inhaled oxygen
moves from the lung’s alveoli to blood in the capillaries and carbon dioxide from the
blood to the air in alveoli.

The intake14 of oxygen can be increased, and its consumption 15 can be decreased with
the consistent practice of yogic breathing (Pranayama). It increases the flow of
oxygen, and various bending postures of yoga help to improve the pulmonary
function.
A study 16 was done to assess the effects of pranayama on the pulmonary function. It
shows that pranayama is beneficial in improving lung ventilation and strength of
respiratory muscles.
13. Boost Blood Circulation
Blood circulation is the process through which heart pumps a person’s blood around
their body. It’s responsible for delivering nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body.
Sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, irregular blood pressure & sitting all day at a
desk leads to poor circulation. This poor circulation affects health and can also cause
fluid retention and swelling in the body.

Physical movements of yoga postures compress and decompress the veins. Different
poses, for example, Warrior pose, Headstands, Shoulder stand, Bow pose, Downward
dog and deep breathing like Kapalbhati not only improves the flow of oxygen-rich
blood but cardiac rehabilitation too.
An article of a systematic review 17 found out that yoga is beneficial in improving
cardio-metabolic health, boosts circulation and becomes an aid for good health.
14. Better Heart Health
Heart Beats about 115,000 times each day, and it comes around 60-100 beats per
minute. You can imagine from these figures how consistently heart works.

Stress in heart functioning can lead to a heart attack, B.P, Cholesterol & Diabetes.
According to a fact published in Centre for Disease Control & Prevention
(CDC) 18 – 610,000 people in the US die cause of heart diseases every year (i.e. 1
in every 4 death).
According to the World Health Organisation, Cardiovascular diseases are the number
1 cause of death globally 19.
Various studies suggested that Yoga can affect heart functioning across the healthy
and pathological population. Via neurological pathways, yoga brings changes in the
operation of the heart.

Yoga is capable of modifying the heart rate, blood pressure, improve lipid profile, and
reduce BMI which all have their impact on the cardiovascular system20.
A review article21 states that Yoga has not only been helpful in cardiac diseases but
also has proven its significance in cardiac rehabilitation after heart surgeries.
15. Increase Metabolism
Metabolism is a natural functioning of the body which comprises chemical reactions
that maintain life.

People having fast metabolism burn more calories during activity and even at rest as
compared to people having a slow metabolism. On the other hand, slow metabolism
tends to burn fewer calories, and people often eat less to avoid weight gain. Well, in
both cases, individuals find it unfair to either be lean or obese.

Therefore, balanced metabolism is a bridge to lead a healthy life.

Yoga helps burn fats and influences metabolism directly. Various asanas 22 have
proven to be helpful in weight loss, stimulation of endocrine glands, and increasing
one’s metabolism.
A study 23 shows that yoga practice over time, combined with asana, pranayama, and
meditation reduces the BMR.
Therefore, Yoga is a holistic practice to balance the metabolism depending on the
need of an individual.

16. Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure (H.B.P) or hypertension is when blood in arteries exerts much
pressure than the standardized value (140/90mm/hg).

H.B.P is also called the ‘Silent Killer’ as in the early stage, and it becomes very
difficult to detect its symptoms. Furthermore, it affects the function of the heart &
circulatory system by lowering oxygen content in the blood.
A study 24 shows that adopting some particular Pranayama & Meditation techniques
of yoga has reduced 10 mmHg systolic blood pressure & 8 mmHg diastolic blood
pressure.
Indeed, yoga practices increase GABA activity. This increase in GABA further
counteracts the muscles contraction activity of the Sympathetic nervous system.

Once muscles of the body come in relax condition (dominated Parasympathetic

nervous system), blood arteries get space to expand. In this way, diastolic blood
pressure decreased in the blood vessels.

Another research 25 suggests that practicing yoga without physical postures is

more effective in lowering short-term systolic blood pressure.
17. Increases Pain Tolerance
Pain is a subjective perception influenced by any noxious stimuli. It can be physical,
emotional, and mental as in case of injuries.

Yoga increases the tolerance to resist the pain 26 by producing neuroanatomical

changes in the brain, changes structural grey matter and increased intra-insular
connectivity.
Yoga Nidra reduces pain by stimulating Pituitary gland.

Yoga implements cognitive strategies like the detached observation of the present
moment, controlling immediate reactions and increases acceptance, mindfulness, and
relaxation. Therefore, yoga alters pain perception and increases the pain threshold.

18. Balance Hormone Secretion

Hormonal imbalance is a common phenomenon which impacts a person’s mood,
behavior, habits, and overall health, including extra stress on the body. This stress is
more common among females.

Imbalance in thyroid hormone can lead to insulin-dependent diabetes and various

other endocrine-related disorders. It deteriorates the life condition of an individual.

Studies have confirmed that practicing certain postures compresses the abdomen &
helps in stimulating the pancreatic hormone secretions. It further helps in avoiding
diabetes. Some poses for pancreatic hormone secretions are half-twist pose
combined with bow pose, half-spinal twist, and plow pose.
Yoga is a robust endocrine therapy. It is also concerned with 7 Chakras and
Glands. Each chakra is thought to correspond with a particular nerve plexus and
endocrine gland resulting in balanced hormonal secretion.
19. Balance Pulse Rate
Tachycardia is a condition in which the heart beats faster than normal or
arrhythmical, and pulse rate recorded over 100 beats per minute.
Yoga can be a promising tool to lower the pulse rate.

A study 27 has shown that yoga practitioners with an average of 16 months’

experience can drop the pulse rate.
Practitioners could effectively reduce their heart rates to 19.6 beats per minute when
using yogic strategies. Alongside, they could achieve a reduction of 22.2 beats per
minute when using pranayama as a strategy for heart rate reduction.

In a research 28, 50 participants performed one hour of daily yoga for six months.
After that, the group’s average heart rate had dropped from 77.8 beats per minute to
71.3 with the improved heart function.
20. Lowers Blood Sugar Level
A hormone secreted from the pancreas regulates the level of glucose in the blood.
This hormone is Insulin.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t secrete insulin properly, and in Type 2 there
is insulin resistance.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the condition when the blood sugar level of an individual
becomes high. Its also termed as hyperglycemia.
In both cases of diabetes (Type 1 & Type 2), the adverse effect because of increased
blood sugar has seen, which are, e.g. fatigue, headache, excessive thirst and hunger,
frequent urination, hypertension, blurred vision, etc.

Yoga has positive effects on endocrine glands and its cognitive approach to reduce
stress and anxiety helps to regulate this mechanism.

To assess the beneficial effects of yoga on blood sugar levels in normal and Type 2
DM volunteers, research 29 conducted & demonstrated a significant decrease in
Fasting Blood Sugar and Post Prandial Blood Sugar level.
It has attributed the beneficial effect of yoga in Type 2 DM in terms of increased
insulin sensitivity at target tissues. Increased insulin decreases its resistance and
consequently increases peripheral utilization of glucose.

It has also been postulated that yoga can rejuvenate or regenerate beta cells of the
pancreas. A review article 30 states there was a significant fall in blood sugar
values within three months of Yoga interventions among Type 1 DM patients. It
also marked a significant reduction in drug requirements.
Mental Benefits of Yoga
In ancient time, Yogis supposed the evolution of yoga to eliminate the random
thought patterns of the mind. Yoga is primarily the practice of mind controlling.
You can feel the following mentioned below the emotional and mental benefits of
yoga.

21. Uplifts Mood

GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid is a neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain

and reduce anxiety. Reduction in GABA levels is the main reason behind mood
swings and anxiety disorders.

A study conducted by Boston University showed that yoga reduces stress and
improves the mood by boosting the production of GABA.

According to the outcomes of this study 31: “The 12-week yoga interference has
shown larger improvements in mood and anxiety than a metabolically harmonized
walking exercise”.
It indicates that yoga uplifts the mood and makes a person feel euphoric.

22. Stress Buster

Stress manifests itself in many forms like mental, physical, and emotional. I especially
find Yoga to be useful in handling stress.
According to recent research 32: Yoga is an easily available alternative method for
stress relief because it lowers the cortisol (stress hormone) production and increases
the production of endorphins.
Endorphins are hormones known to be natural pain and stress fighters. They act as
drugs like morphine and codeine and help you relax.

Another study 33 shows that yoga produces similar outcomes in minimizing stress as
cognitive behaviour therapy.
23. Brings Positivity
Positivity in life can get you through even the toughest of moments. Another well-
known fact 34is that positive emotions make you feel healthy and also reduces the
chances of falling ill. In this regard, yoga fosters emotional vitality, positivity, and
self-regulation.
Yoga does not exercise for just building muscles and reducing weight. It is a practice
that offers psychological well-being, as well.

A week-long yoga camp study 35 in an urban setting shows that:

Yoga reduced the negative emotions and increased positive feelings in regular healthy
volunteers.

24. Calms The Mind

In yoga, there is a lot of emphasis on breathing control and meditation. These two
things help you forget about all your troubles and just live at the moment. However, to
validate this point, an experiment 36 was conducted.
 The remarkable discoveries of this investigation were
 Yogic breathing was established to be an excellent method for harmonizing the
autonomic nervous system.
 It helped shift the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (related to stress and
anxiety) to the parasympathetic nervous system (associated with calming the body).
25. Reduces Negative Emotions & Increases Happiness
This follows on the heels of the point mentioned above that yoga brings positivity in
life and attitude. Because yoga minimizes the cortisol levels, the negative emotions
too diminish in their intensity.

Practicing yoga consistently & regularly boosts the production

of Serotonin (happiness hormone) in the body.
A cross-sectional comparative study 37 was conducted on 50 subjects. The
hypothesis that meditation increased positive thinking & thus increases happiness, had
been tested in this study.
The study concluded that the mean happiness score of the meditators was
considerably more significant than those of the non-meditators.

Yoga also has proven an efficient practice at the workplace, published in an article
on Forbes 38. In this article, it’s shown how yoga programs boost the mental health of
employees which certainly helps them in achieving career goals, reducing stress and
hence increases overall happiness.
26. Makes Emotionally Strong
Look at the soldiers; they are emotionally strong not because they were born that way,
but because they were taught emotional resilience from the very commencement of
their training. Grit and determination make you ready to face any challenge that life
throws in your way.
Yoga instills emotional well-being and fosters better tolerance to stress and anxiety.
Therefore, it helps build our level of resilience.

A randomized controlled trial 39 was conducted at a British University to test the

emotional resilience of 48 employees. The conclusion drawn at the end of the study
was that yoga is highly effective in enhancing psychological well-being, and it also
made the employees emotionally healthy to handle stress.
27. Boosts Confidence
Having confidence depends on how well you can or cannot do something. Another
aspect of being confident is to understand your body in its entirety (i.e., mind, body,
and soul) and knowing its limitations.

Since yoga is known to teach its disciples to be entirely in tune with their body, it
makes them more self-assured. But this is not just a plain stated fact.

In a bid to study the true effects of yoga on psychological well-being, multiple types
of research 40were piloted.
It was found that yoga improved confidence levels by enhancing the physical and
mental state of the body. Coming to terms with your body image and having greater
control over your emotions gives a power thrust to confidence or self-esteem.

Working of Yoga on Brain Performance

The brain is an essential part of the body. Yoga works on better functioning and
improves the overall efficiency of the brain. These experimental studies prove the
working of yoga on brain performance.

28. Increases Gray Matter

Gray matter is that area of the brain, which is integrally associated with muscle
control and sensory perceptions. It plays a vital role in seeing, hearing, memory,
speech, decision-making, etc.

A study 41 pointed out that long term yoga practitioners had more gray matter
volume in the brain as compared to those who did not do yoga. It was also found that
the volume of the gray matter was directly proportional to how long a person had been
doing yoga.
So the more you do yoga, the higher is the gray matter volume and vice-versa.

29. Improves Concentration

Success can be measured by the efforts you put in to achieve your goals and how
attentively you do. Yoga claims to improve the attention span of those who practice it
regularly. It teaches the participants how to channel their energies in the right
direction and makes the mind more determined.

A study 42 of 69 male volunteers between the ages of 18 to 48 indicated significant

improvement in their concentration and visual-spatial perusing abilities.
30. Boosts Memory
Retention of what you have learned is very important. This is where memory comes
into play. But everybody does not have the same memory retention powers. However,
yoga claims to boost memory. This claim is not without proof.
A review 43 was completed at the school level to discover the evidence of yoga-based
interventions on educational, cognitive, and psychosocial advantages. Memory
assessment tools were used to figure out how yoga impacted memory.
The results showed increased memory performance for the group that practiced yoga.

31. Quick Reaction Time

Reaction time is all about how fast your mind processes the external simulators and
takes appropriate action. Hand and eye coordination, brain and eye coordination, etc.
determine the quality of performance. Therefore, it becomes necessary to be quick and
mentally sharp.

In an experiment 44 on 25 healthy male individuals, between the ages of 18 to 25

years, it was found –
“The Auditory Reaction Time (ART), the Visual Reaction Time (VRT), and the
Cutaneous Reaction Time (CRT) have a reduction in the alert responses after a
session of yoga.” This indicates that the Brain will now quickly responds to any
signal from the body.
It was thus concluded that yoga has a positive effect on improving the body’s reaction
time.

32. Drives Focus

In yoga, the emphasis is laid on letting go of your troubles and focusing on the now
and current, instead of what was or had been. Doing so results in getting rid of all the
unnecessary distractions and interruptions. This gives clarity of thought and brings to
the forefront, which is really important.
A study 45 was conducted to explore the benefits of yoga on a sample population of
firefighters. One of the reported benefits of this study was improved focus amongst
the firefighters.
33. Makes Mentally Tough
Having control over your emotions, being able to focus and concentrate better, all
make a person mentally strong.

Yoga improves the psychological health of not only ill patients but also that of the
healthy population. When a person is mentally competent and robust, taking even
tough decisions is easy.

There was a review 46 conducted by the University of British Columbia in Canada

which aims to verify the claim that yoga offers a plethora of mental benefits.
The patient experiences claimed that yoga motivated them to try different things,
thereby giving the sense, “It can be done by me.” It helped them focus on what they
did right rather than what was wrong and helped them overcome the “can’t do
anything about it” mentality.

Spiritual Benefits of Yoga

Growing spiritually allow us to explore the vastness of resources and opportunities
surrounding us.
Yoga has enormous spiritual benefits which let open our heart for the universal
consciousness. In this way, spiritual development is an integrated part of yoga, which
makes union possible between individual to the universal consciousness.

The following studies have found the spiritual benefits of yoga.

34. Enables Self-Acceptance

Spirituality doesn’t relate to religion; rather, it’s an art of living life happily. Self-
acceptance is a key to evolve spiritually.

In a yoga class, people are asked to look inwards and not at each other. Here the key is
not to compare but to accept yourself as you are.

An article published on Harvard Health Blog 47 states that yoga helps you come to
terms with who you really are and therefore, it provides long-term satisfaction.
Some people might try to bolster their self-worth and acceptance by doing great
deeds. But the satisfaction it provides is short term and temporary.

35. Better Social Skills

Yoga classes are a melting pot where like-minded people meet and practice yoga
together. These classes are especially useful for introverts who are forced to come out
of their shells.

A content analysis 48 was done to find out how yoga affects relationships qualitatively.
The Conclusion of this analysis was – Yoga could be valuable for people who are in
danger of social isolation, such as those who are aged, widowed, and miserable, as
well as people experiencing an interpersonal crisis.
36. Teaches Self-Control
Through deliberate movements, yoga teaches its participants self-control. This may be
in the form of concentrating on just one thing, regulating breathing, letting go of
negativity and anger, etc.

Further, self-control drills down into all aspects of your life and makes an individual
physically, mentally, and socially fit.

In a scientific study 49, it was found that yoga helped control anger, depression, and
anxiety. All this is possible only through self-control.
37. Instills Emotional Sensitivity
In the age of cut-throat competition, people have left emotional sensitivity way
behind. To succeed at all cost is an alienating behavior not conducive to a social and
emotional setting. But we humans are social creatures who cannot live without
interacting with fellow beings.

So, it follows that emotional sensitivity is a characteristic we all must have.

A Research 50 on yoga therapy brought to light the fact that –

EQ (Emotional quotient) of the study subjects was improved with yoga. The key
takeaway was that yoga allows you to regulate your own emotions so that you can
behave sensitively towards others.

38. Awakens Kundalini

Beyond the physical and mental benefits of yoga, we can understand the vastness of
energy inside the human body through the concept of Kundalini.

Through spirituality, a yogi seeks to cultivate awareness inside the body, and it further
let stimulate the kundalini energy resides at the base of the spine. When Kundalini
 awakens, it pierced through different chakras present along the spine and finally
reached the top of the head.

Yoga Benefits in Disease Prevention

Many studies have proved that yoga works as a natural remedy to cure chronic
diseases and helps people to come out from severe health conditions. All it is needs
regular practice and yoga can cure any disease.

39. Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s

The most feared illness during old age is dementia. Alzheimer’s is a kind of dementia
that causes memory, behavior, and thinking related issues. Its symptoms start slowly
and worsen over time.

A fascinating read 51 from the Institute on Aging talks about how rewarding is yoga
for the existing Alzheimer’s patients. The experience can be successful in offering the
patients freedom to be just in the moment without the burden to recollect and fulfill
other’s expectations.
A clinical trial 52 of a yoga intervention for treatment and prevention of cognitive
decline was conducted with 81 participants. The main observations giving hope were:
 Short and long-term improvements in executive functioning.
 Better control over depressed mood.
 Better resilience.
 Improved Memory Enhancement Scores.
40. Minimizes the Risk of Diabetes
Many people have diabetes, and a thousand others are pre-diabetic, putting them at a
higher risk of becoming diabetic sometime in the future. Giving hope to millions of
people all over the world, yoga claims to help bring down the blood-glucose levels.
Validating this point is a study on the effects of yoga on blood glucose levels in
patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The volunteers in this study were all male and consisted of 30 diabetic patients and 30
non-diabetic volunteers. The volunteers were trained on yoga and made to practice it
regularly. The outcome suggested that yoga was indeed beneficial in bringing down
the blood glucose levels in patients with T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus)

41. Alleviates COPD

A common lung condition that makes breathing difficult is Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Scientists considered 53 yoga helps in improving breathing in patients suffering from

COPD.
Scientists conducted a study for this. The participants in this study led to evaluate
COPD condition were divided into 2 groups. One group was imparted yoga training
while the other was put through a controlled and predesigned pulmonary rehabilitation
program.

The results of each groups breathing and lung functions were compared. The 2 groups
discovered similar advances in their lung function and stamina to exercise. Therefore,
researchers believe yoga can be successfully used to manage COPD.

42. Reduces Heart Diseases

Lifestyle changes and increasing daily pressures have increased the likelihood of heart
diseases in the general population. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc. make the
situation even worse.
Yoga, in its entirety, claims to reduce all the symptoms that increase the risk of
cardiovascular diseases.

A post in the Harvard Health Blog talks about how yoga is more than just a stretch
and that its benefits may extend to the heart.

Study of European Journal 54 has proved the Harvard blog point of Preventive
Cardiology and benefits of yoga on heart diseases.
This study was done to evaluate the usefulness of yoga in transforming risk factors for
cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Promising evidence was found in
the form of lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Additionally, there
were positive changes in the lipid profile as well.
Altogether it pointed towards the fact that indeed yoga is good for the heart.

43. Decreases Risk of Osteoporosis

Another age-related medical issue that troubles a lot of people is osteoporosis. It
weakens the bones and makes them more fragile.

Harvard Women’s Health Watch posted a study 55 on how a dozen yoga poses,
performed every day may increase the bone density.
202 women diligently practiced yoga every other day for 2 years. 83% of these ladies
had less bone density. At the end of the study, a significant increase was found in their
bone density, thereby validating the fact that yoga is good for the bones.

44. Lowers The Risk of Stroke

The brain is a vital organ of the body. When the supply of blood to it gets cut, a stroke
occurs. In the absence of blood, brain cells begin to die and the functions associated
with the cells suffer.
Yoga can help prevent strokes by improving blood circulation in the body.

A few subjects underwent a 12-week training program in Iyengar Yoga. At the end of
this program 56, the brain scans showed a definite improvement in the blood
circulation to the brain.
45. Pain Relief
Most people practice yoga to keep pain manageable. The various yoga postures loosen
the tight joints and make the body more flexible. Evidence for this claim is available
on the Harvard Health Blog.

According to the published study Yoga for pain relief 57 – Yoga helps in relieving
chronic pain and modification in yoga postures allows the practitioner to make
exceptions for any health conditions, age, and stamina for the best possible outcome.
46. Helps In Quitting Smoking
Smoking is injurious to health. Everyone knows that and yet find it impossible to quit.

Yoga can be considered a corresponding and harmonizing treatment for terminating

smoking.

A controlled pilot study Yoga: complementary treatment for smoking

cessation58 indicated that yoga trains the mind to stay away from smoking.
Yoga reduces the anxiety, caused by refraining and also distracts the body by
channeling the energy to other more useful areas.

Yoga increased the abstinence rate of smokers as compared to those who did not
practice yoga.

Conclusion
 Yoga is not an impossible discipline to follow. It asks for very little and offers an
abundance of benefits in turn. Inculcating a few minutes or hours of yoga routine in
daily life is to your advantage. Even science has proven the benefits of yoga.
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