Yoga and physiology
The stereotypes around yoga are still a turnoff for many people. However the health benefits of this practice aren’t to be proved anymore. I have seen gyms avoiding the word “yoga” to name theirs classes and using terms like “body balance”. It’s totally fine, the sequence is the same and that’s what matters. I recently completed an excellent NYU course about yoga and physiology. I finally got the scientific answers I was looking for.
The 6 week program is led by biologists Alexandra Seidenstein and Tommy Lee, and yoga teacher Eddie Stern. Available on Coursera, this course offers a deeper understanding of the physiological benefits of yoga. From the understanding of the cellular health to the exploration of the various systems in our bodies (nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive, respiratory, musculoskeletal...) it gives a great introduction to the mechanisms activated while doing yoga. It shows how yoga integrates the whole organism and creates an overall feeling of well-being.
A scientific article published in the North American Journal of Medical Sciences indicates that practicing yoga has considerable health benefits:
improves cognition and respiration
reduces cardiovascular risk, BMI, blood pressure and diabetes
it also influences immunity
ameliorates joint disorders
Besides theoretical lectures and practice sessions the class offers insightful discussions with specialized doctors, like neurosurgeon Erich Anderer, the chief of neurosurgery at NYU Langone in Brooklyn. "We are among the best at diagnosing and treating problems. Where we tend to fall down a little bit is in preventative and health maintenance type of modalities," Dr. Anderer explains. This is where yoga has a role to play as a great preventive practice.
Professors on this course were very clear on how just a few minutes of a mindful practice like yoga or conscious breathing can go a long way. "It's really amazing to see how much just a couple of minutes can have on the quality of your mind set," Alexandra Seidenstein says. And yoga teacher Eddie Stern invites you to tell yourself the following : "I can take 24 breaths out of my day to slow myself down. It's not a long time. Just takes a little bit of discipline."