Yoga reduces the effects negative of stress through the brain and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

Stress activates the hypothalamus in the unconscious brain which activates the sympathetic nervous system. External factors, like being chased by a tiger or internal factors like worry, can trigger the sympathetic arm of the ANS causing the fight or flight response. This increases the heart rate and blood pressure. This also floods the body with hormones that affect the entire body. The sympathetic side isn’t all bad, it’s meant to mobilize the body’s resources to do the work that the environment or mind is telling the body needs to be done, like running from danger. But it can be detrimental to your health if the sympathetic side is always activated.

Chronic stress creates an imbalance in the ANS.

We want a balance between the sympathetic side and the parasympathetic sides. You can think of the parasympathetic side of the ANS as the part that allows you to rest and digest. It’s also the side that allows for healing. We need both the parasympathetic and sympathetic sides for our bodies to function properly, it’s the imbalance and the ability to switch between that two, that can create a health hazard.

The type of health hazard an individual has with chronic stress depends largely on their particular physiology. 

An estimated 80 percent of all doctor visits are for stress-related issues. 

A regular yoga practice also helps to calm the mind. Remember the mind is one of the factors that can instigate the sympathetic response. Read more on how yoga helps calm the mind.

Yoga is a biopsychosocial approach to health. It considers biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions.  It addresses the whole person, and that person’s relationship to their environment. Therefore, it’s very effective at reducing the biological, disease creating, effects of stress.

Although yoga has many health benefits, it may be too strenuous for some bodies. You may want to check first with your doctor before taking your first yoga class.

Resources: Ross A, Thomas S. The Health Benefits of Yoga and Exercise: A Review of Comparison Studies. Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2010;16(1), 3-12.

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