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Yoga is a discipline that comes from India originated more than 5,000 years ago, which encompasses a whole philosophy of life whose ultimate goal is to achieve Samadhi or the state of peace, nirvana, liberation, happiness… For this, there are many techniques, types of yoga in which thanks to the combination of asanas, breathing, meditation, mantras, mudras, etc., we are achieving the balance of our body with the mind.
In the West, the yoga that is best known is that of yoga postures, or hatha yoga, from which all dynamic styles such as vinyasa, ashtanga, rocket, integral, power or jivamukti derive. But the reality is that yoga encompasses a very deep philosophy in which asanas are a small part. There are numerous types of yoga, as well as exercises, techniques, and postures that help us achieve greater physical and mental control, with great benefits. Yoga is for everyone: beginners or advanced, children or adults, men and women. The society in which we live prevents us from enjoying the essence of life, we have too many stimuli, confused thoughts, we accumulate material goods that we do not need, toxic friendships…
Yoga teaches us to be ourselves from the roots and with the soul, we learn to live in the here and now with what we really need, we enjoy, we appreciate, we observe, we love, we respect and we get rid of everything unnecessary.
The Eight Limbs Of Yoga The eight limbs of yoga form a moral or ethical code to help us live happier, more meaningful lives. They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Here is how they are defined:
1) Yamas focus on how we relate to others. They are expressed as five moral constraints:
2) Niyamas are how we relate to ourselves. They are expressed as five observances:
3) Asanas are the postures practiced in yoga. These yoga postures help us to develop discipline and concentration and are meant to help us master the body in order to sit still for long periods of time in meditation.
4) Pranayama are breathing techniques that are designed to control the prana or vital force, helping us feel alert, self-aware and calm.
5) Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses, a conscious effort to draw awareness away from the external world, away from distractions. This internal focus allows us to see our internal processes, such as cravings, emotions and resistance.
6) Dharana is concentration. After removing ourselves from outside distractions, the mind can be focused on a point, idea or object.
7) Dhyana is uninterrupted awareness. Whereas dharana is one-pointed attention, dhyana is being fully aware or mindful without focus. The experience is one of wide-open consciousness, effortless and calm.
8) Samadhi is a profound interconnectedness with all living things. It is also referred to as enlightenment.
It is through the constant practice of the eight limbs of hatha yoga that one may realize our true existence, samadhi, the realization that we are not separate from our surroundings, or that we are all connected by a universal consciousness. For most students, the most challenging aspect to fully realize is that samadhi does not ultimately arise through hard work. Samadhi arises from a clear understanding of what it means to commit yourself to an experience that is completely the opposite – surrender. Hard work is required to initially be on the path, but it is through letting go that we realize our true nature. It’s also important to note that with the exception of the last three, the eight limbs of yoga do not need to be practiced in any particular order. They are also all interconnected, non-exclusive and each helps cultivate the development of the others.
Known benefits of yoga
There are many and they begin to be noticed from the first day. Thanks to yoga you can increase your strength, gain flexibility, reduce stress and anxiety, relieve muscle pain, strengthen the immune system…
Research in recent decades has focused on the physiological effects of asana, breathing exercises and meditation. Many of the studies are small, but over time the results of many small studies can be combined to produce stronger evidence.
Within the many studies conducted, yoga has been found to help or ease symptoms of:
These health outcomes are due to physiological effects of the yoga practices used in the studies.
The physiology of breathing exercises
Although pranayama and breathing exercises are not exactly the same thing, breathing exercises are often used in pranayama practice and in many styles of yoga classes. A common feature in many breathing exercises is deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing. There is extensive evidence confirming the physiological benefits of this type of breathing. It appears that a slow exhalation phase of breathing is particularly relevant to achieving the beneficial results.
Physiological effects of deep slow breathing include:
Some of the effects of breathing exercises are direct responses to the physical changes in lung expansion and diaphragm movement. The diaphragm is connected to and supports the heart, and the aorta and the inferior vena cava (large blood vessels leaving and entering the heart) pass through the diaphragm. Studies of diaphragmatic breathing have found improved return of blood to the heart, especially during slow respiration. This is attributed to movement of the diaphragm assisting the collapse of the inferior vena cava as blood is emptied from it into the heart.
Other changes brought about by breathing exercises are due to the influence of the breath on the parasympathetic nervous system. Measurements such as blood pressure, heart rate or heart rate variability indicate that slow and diaphragmatic breathing increase activity in the parasympathetic nervous system. Discussed in more detail below, this activation triggers ‘rest and digest’ mode in the body for a host of positive changes.
The physiological results are clear: breathing patterns that are slow, deep, and emphasize exhalations have a measurable calming effect on both body and mind. It should be noted, however, that breathing exercises must be practiced according to an individual’s ability and experience level. Hyperventilation (over-breathing) can trigger dizziness and even fainting as the body strives to return blood gases to a healthy balance. Alternatively slowing the breath too much, to the point of feeling oxygen-deprived can have its own negative effects. To benefit from the positive physiological effects of breathing exercises, you must practice exercises appropriate to you.
Effects of Yoga on the Nervous System
Many of the positive effects of yoga arise from activation of particular areas of the nervous system. The nervous system is the body’s communication system, carrying messages that control all the processes inside our body as well as the movements we consciously choose to make.
The part of the nervous system that manages our internal organs and involuntary functions is the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is regulated by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. It controls cardiac function, respiration, digestion and other reflexes including vomiting and sneezing.
The autonomic nervous system can be further divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These two systems, when working well, balance each other with opposite actions.
Sympathetic nerve fibres use the neurotransmitter noradrenaline to increase blood flow in skeletal muscles and lungs, dilate lungs and blood vessels and raise the heart rate. This is known as the “fight or flight” response and is a natural function of the body intended to help keep us safe. The physiological results prepare us to respond to or escape a threat, whether that threat is a lion or a pressing deadline at work.
The parasympathetic system regulates “rest and digest” responses such as reducing heart rate and increasing salivation, lacrimation (tear production to hydrate the eyes) and digestion. It uses the neurotransmitter acetylcholine for much of this inhibitory activity. The vagus nerve, a huge nerve network between the brain and the organs and glands, makes up a large part of the parasympathetic system.
In a balanced life the sympathetic nervous system responds to stressors in a healthy and productive way and is balanced by the parasympathetic nervous system responding to opportunities for calm. However, many people are chronically stressed or find it difficult to dampen the “fight or flight” mode even when a stressful event is over.
Chronic stress and yoga
Chronic stress is a state of feeling pressured or overwhelmed for a long period of time. It has been linked to negative health effects including psychological and cognitive issues. There is growing evidence that these negative mental states, in turn, increase our risk for chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, insulin resistance and diabetes. It’s also thought that the negative emotional and mental states create a harmful stress cycle by becoming an added source of stress themselves.
Research published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (a peer-reviewed medical journal) reports that this chronic stress cycle results in increasing emotional, cognitive, structural, and physiologic impairment. Their conclusion, based on reviewing a range of research, was that yoga can break the destructive cycle by relieving stress, improving mood, and promoting positive change in function and physiology.
Many of these beneficial physiological effects of yoga result from reducing reactivity in the sympathetic nervous system, and stimulating parasympathetic activity. Damping down the “flight or fight” response and balancing it with an enhanced “rest and digest” parasympathetic response has positive effects on neuroendocrine status, metabolic function and related inflammatory responses, and can also affect our mood and energy state.
One of the mechanisms for this improvement is particularly clear in Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga alternates active poses with resting poses, which promotes an awareness of the difference between the contrasting states of excitement (stress) and relaxation. Feeling and understanding the difference between the two states and practicing the shift between them can increase your ability to shift from stressed to relaxed in your daily life as well.
Studies have also found other measurable effects of vagal stimulation. Insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance may improve. Levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol may fall, and the body may be less inclined to deposit fat around the internal organs. Known as visceral fat, these internal deposits are more damaging to our health than the superficial fat stored closer to our skin.
Parasympathetic activation also reduces the levels of inflammatory markers that can be found circulating in our bloodstream. Inflammation can be a normal response to injury or infection, and form part of the healing process. However, inflammation that becomes chronic and never-ending is counter-productive. It starts to harm our organs and systems instead of helping them heal. Diseases associated with chronic inflammation are many, including diabetes, malignancy, kidney and liver diseases and auto-immune disease.
Symptoms that can develop due to chronic inflammation are similar to those you might expect from the closely linked condition of chronic stress, and include:
To improve health and avoid chronic diseases, it’s important to reduce the inflammatory load in our bodies. Yoga asana, meditation and breathing exercises have all been researched and found effective in alleviating stress-induced inflammation and its harmful effects on the body.
By reducing stress and inflammation, and improving a vast array of health markers, yoga activation of the vagus nerve can reduce our risk of chronic health conditions and diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Physiological Effects of Movement and Compression
Some of the body’s responses to yoga practice are the result of the physical actions rather than stimulation of the nervous system. This has been mentioned in the previous section on the effects of breathing exercises, with movement of the diaphragm influencing blood return to the heart.
Applying pressure to a blood vessel will temporarily reduce blood flow through that vessel. Pressure applied around organs or glands may therefore have the effect of reducing blood flow in that area. Upon release of the pressure, blood will flow with renewed vigour to replenish the supply of oxygen and nutrients. This was the effect sought by the ancient monks who devised yoga poses to improve their health.
Lymph
The lymphatic system is a network of tiny vessels throughout the body, along with a system of lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissue. The blood vessel system has the heart to keep fluid circulating, but the lymph system relies on movement, gravity, and a one-way valve system to move fluid from around the body to the lymph nodes.
The lymph system is collecting excess fluid from the tissues as well as cellular waste products and bacteria that entered through our skin. When the lymphatic system doesn’t drain fluids properly, the tissues become puffy and uncomfortable. The lymph nodes and other lymphoid tissues monitor the lymph flowing into them and produce cells and antibodies which protect our body from infection and disease.
The main roles of the lymphatic system include:
Physical movement and muscle contraction stimulate the flow of lymph along the lymph vessel pathway. Asanas provide a wide variety of muscle contractions to assist lymph flow. The movement of breathing exercises is particularly effective on the extensive lymph vessel system protecting the health of the lungs.
Yoga asanas also offer opportunities to assist lymph flow by altering the body position in relation to gravity. When any part of the body is inverted, whether that be a Legs Up the Wall or a Headstand, lymph fluid can more easily drain from areas that normally have to battle against gravity.
Fascia
Fascia is a connective tissue that forms a web throughout the body. It forms sheaths around muscles and organs and connects them to each other. Within muscles, each bundle of muscle fibres is surrounded by fasica; within each bundle, individual muscle fibres are surrounded by fascia. When a body moves, tissues and organs move and slide against one another. There is increasing evidence that this movement increases the health and hydration of the fascia. Fasica doesn’t have a blood supply – it relies on movement to deliver fluids. Lack of movement then becomes a debilitating cycle, as dehydrated and stiffened fascia prevents easy movement of the body.
It’s thought that poor fascial health, and particularly fascial dehydration, may be responsible for much of the creakiness and stiffness we attribute to old age.
Plentiful and varied movement is good for fascial health and hydration. Yoga asanas offer a tremendous variety of movement patterns and positions. This variety of movement prevents the cycle of poor movement leading to decreasing fascial health.
Joint Health
All the major joints of our body are surrounded by a membrane that produces a fluid the lubricates the surfaces of the bones or cartilage. This fluid, called synovial fluid, allows the bones to move against each other smoothly. It also carries oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage, which has no blood supply to keep it healthy.
The range of movements involved in yoga asana allow us to maintain the full range of motion that keeps joints healthy.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, exercise that involves joint movement has several effects including:
In addition, appropriate exercise strengthens the muscles, ligaments and tendons that surround and support the joints. This protects joints, helps them stay healthier for longer and can help relieve symptoms of arthritis.
Conclusion
If the practice of yoga is to move you towards a state of contentment and eventual enlightenment, it must also move you towards good health. Since ancient times, yoga has included philosophy and physical practices intended to improve the function of the body and its systems, organs and glands. Modern research is slowly catching up with ancient knowledge and experience, giving scientific explanations to the effects monks discovered centuries ago.
Ultimately, the physiology of yoga is simple: yoga can transform your body and your mind.
Sources – research reports
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615 – How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795 – The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009506.pub4/full?highlightAbstract=yoga%7Ceffects%7Cof%7Ceffect – Yoga for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3482773 – Physiological Effects of Yogic Practices and Transcendental Meditation in Health and Disease
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17658122 – Chronic stress and insulin resistance-related indices of cardiovascular disease risk
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422 – Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity
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