The science behind yoga.
Why we feel so good after a yoga class.
There’s no doubt that we feel amazing after a yoga practice. Calm. Rejuvenated. Balanced. Yoga can stir up a whole load of feel-goodness. In fact, I’ve almost never felt or heard anyone say they have felt awful or worse after practicing yoga.
So what’s happening? Is it just because we generally feel good after working out? Well, partially yes; for one, physical exercise can give us a “runner’s high”. Some research suggests that [cardio or high intensity] exercise may release chemicals in the brain-- dopamine, which is responsible for happiness, or seratonin, which improves mood. Not to mention, we feel productive, more confident, and de-stressed after exercising. Yoga also forces us to stretch and use muscles that we often neglect, so it relieves areas of tension that build from improper posture, sitting at a desk all day, and tightness that accumulates in parts of the body.
Something is happening in the brain too. First, research has found that yoga can cause cortisol levels, aka the stress hormone, to drop, even after just one class. There's also evidence that with continuous yoga, grey matter (brain cells) and parts of the brain actually grow larger in size, including the somatosensory cortex (a mental map of your body), hippocampus (the area that reduces stress and anxiety), superior parietal cortex (which helps attentiveness and concentration), and the precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex (which help us create a concrete sense of self). I know, it's a lot of cortexes, but the main thing to remember is that long term, yoga is actually improving aspects like our introspection, concentration, and memory by altering the brain itself.
Studies have also shown that GABA (a neurotransmitter in the brain) levels in the brain increase during a yoga session. GABA sends messages through the brain and nervous system, plays a vital role in our body, cognition, and response to stress, and can also help control fear and anxiety. Individuals with anxiety and depression tend to exhibit lower than normal levels of GABA. Yoga can naturally increase GABA levels; compared to walking (or physical exercise in general), research has shown that changes in increased mood and decreased anxiety were more significant for participants who did yoga, as compared to those who did only walking. These changes in stress reaction and anxiety could largely be because yoga increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system , which is responsible for calming and soothing.
Speaking of, yoga can activate both parts of our autonomic nervous system, depending on the type of yoga we’re practicing. Without getting too into the biology, our autonomic nervous system is the involuntary messages and responses that our brain tells the rest of the body through nerves, down our spine and out to the periphery of the body. And it has everything to do with stress. It's broken down into 2 systems, which work in opposition:
Parasympathetic nervous system: “rest and digest”, responsible for calming, soothing, relaxation. It slows down the heart rate, stimulates digestion, promotes growth.
Restorative or yin yoga can activate the PNS, as can deep breathing and meditation.
Sympathetic nervous system: “fight or flight”, responsible for dealing with stress or a crisis. The SNS raises blood pressure and heart rate, inhibits digestion, stimulates adrenaline.
Vigorous vinyasa flows and kaphalabhati breathing (a technique of forceful, quick exhales) can activate the SNS.
This is actually amazing, because if we feel anxious and need to calm the nerves, or lethargic and need some energy, we can do a yoga workout that will counter our distress and ignite a balance.
It means we can elevate and balance our moods through yoga and movement.
And one more reason (but certainly not the last!), is mindfulness, which coincides with yoga when we focus on our breathing and body. Mindfulness does wonders for our mental wellness. There’s a ton of research, and more ongoing, that exemplifies the benefits of mindfulness activities on our brain and mental hygiene. Those moments in yoga when we center in at the beginning of class; are told to focus on our on breath; ending in savasana/corpse pose to calm the mind and scan the body-- these are teaching us how to tune in to the immediate moment and be mindful of what’s happening in our body. It’s pulling us out of the whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, to-do lists, and stresses that muddle our ability to be in the present moment. That’s why we leave a yoga class with a sense of lightness, a more clear head.
I haven’t touched upon the spiritual or philosophical sides of yoga, which are also fascinating and aspects that some folks really connect with, but for now, I’ll leave it to this little bit of the science behind why yoga is SO great for us. More blog posts to come on, diving deeper into all of this <3
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