Even though the development of yoga can be traced back thousands of years, scientific research supporting the benefits is still fairly new. Sure, you don’t need research to explain the benefits because with a regular yoga practices you can feel the benefits. But, Western medicine does. As a result of the growing body of research, yoga and mindfulness meditation is becoming an important part of pain management, mental health treatment plans, and physical therapy.
A 2016 study found that yoga can be instrumental in helping you reach your goals and help you break unhealthy thought patterns. “The study found that practicing just 25 minutes of Hatha yoga or mindfulness meditation per day can boost the brain’s executive functions, cognitive abilities linked to goal-directed behavior and the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses, habitual thinking patterns and actions” (Luu & Hall, 2016).
Further research conducted in 2017 dug deeper into the effects of yoga on anxiety, finding that yoga helps us stay focused and helps us stay aware and calm in the moment, even when that moment is stressful. “The mindfulness and meditation aspects of yoga are ways of training the mind so that one is not distracted and caught up in its endless churning thought stream. These practices build resilience, help the patient cope with stress and manage potential triggers for anxiety” (Stephens, 2017).
While this may be intuitive for yogis and yoginis with an established and consistent practice, an evidence-based approach that meets medical standards is good news for people with a variety of physical and mental health challenges. It can also mean growing opportunity for yoga therapists with proper training and certification. In fact, Beaumont offers a program approved by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) through their School of Yoga Therapy, which includes a hands-on practicum at top-ranked Beaumont Health hospitals.
The future looks bright for yoga.
References
Luu & J Hall, P. (2016), Examining the Acute Effects of Hatha Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation on Executive Function and Mood. Mindfulness, 8 (4): 873. doi: 10.1007/s12671-016-0661-2
Yoga, meditation improve brain function and energy levels, study shows. (2017, September 6). Science Daily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170906103416.htm
Stephens, I. (2017). Medical Yoga Therapy. Children, 4 (2). doi: 10.3390/children4020012
Beaumont School of Yoga Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.beaumont.edu/other-education/allied-health/school-of-yoga-therapy