4 health benefits of Yoga for the body and mind 

A well-established and known practice for the body and mind, yoga has long been a firm favourite for well-being enthusiasts. City Lit’s Yoga Tutor and Health & Wellbeing Course Coordinator, Biljana Cacic, explores some of the key benefits in further detail.   

1. Pain relief and management 

Yoga, Pranayama (breath work) and mindfulness can help with chronic pain. Many research studies show that yoga and mindfulness techniques can lead to improvements in standardised measurements of pain symptoms, fatigue, mood, catastrophising, acceptance and coping strategies. They also show a reduction in pain intensity and improvement in overall quality of life for people with chronic pain.  

Yoga is often used to help ease chronic back pain to help strengthen and stretch the back. Gentle and simple yoga positions such as cat-cow or a child pose are a great starting point for beginners to yoga.  

2. Boost immunity 

As the world has battled against the Covid pandemic in recent years, it has led to a heightened sense of awareness and preservation of our health. As many seek out healthier lifestyles, yoga can be a great way to boost immunity.   

In restorative yoga poses, by putting the body in a comfortable position supported by various yoga props, we are directing our attention to breath; we give our system a wonderful opportunity to deeply rest, restore and recover. Seated, forward and back bending, twisting and inverted poses work on the respiratory, lymphatic, and circulatory systems and therefore enhance the immune system. 

Furthermore, being upside down in some of the inverted yoga poses alters the blood flow and flow of cerebral spinal fluid. If there is increased blood flow to the area, there will be increased bioavailability of oxygen and glucose – the two most important metabolic substances for the brain. 

3. Improve symptoms of depression and anxiety 

As the calming nature of yoga practice is universally recognised, studies have been carried out to further show the impact that yoga may have on mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.  

These days, more and more these studies are revealing the short and long-term benefits of yoga, especially for depression and anxiety.  

Researchers at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, in corporation with the Yoga Research Society, found that practitioners experienced a significant drop in cortisol levels after a single yoga class. According to some studies, over some period of time, yoga and meditation can alter the very biochemistry of the brain more directly and efficiently than regular alternative exercise. 

4) Improved quality of sleep and relaxation 

Getting a good night’s sleep is a critical part of sustaining a healthy mind and body. The stresses of the every day often weigh heavily on us and can disrupt our sleep. An overactive mind and an unrelaxed body can prevent us from getting the deep sleep we need.  

There is scientific evidence that Yoga Nidra is associated with increased endogenous dopamine release in the ventral striatum of the brain. Yoga Nidra is a state of conscious ‘deep sleep’, a simple yet profound technique that unwinds the nervous system and induces complete physical and mental relaxation with inner awareness. The regular practice of Yoga Nidra has also been found to reduce tension and anxiety and improve sleep quality. 

Whilst there is a range of benefits to yoga, these are just some of the key ways that making yoga a part of your regular routine can positively impact your body and your mind.  

To explore how yoga can help you with a healthier lifestyle, the health and wellbeing department at City Lit offers a wide range of both in-person and online courses.