Introduction:
The practice of yoga has been around for thousands of years now, with its origin being in India. Yoga can be defined as a form of lifestyle that incorporates spiritual, physical, and mental practice that paves the path towards self-discovery. Similar to how positive thinking can affect one’s actions and initiate good results, discussions on how yoga can have a positive impact on the brain have also gained massive traction. In this article, we will explain more about how you can use yoga to positively reorganize your thoughts and approach.
How does yoga help to positively rewire your brain?
Yoga is often regarded as a low-impact form of exercise that offers tons of physical benefits like improved flexibility, enhanced body balance, increased endurance and strength and so on. Besides this, yoga is also a key practice that helps to boost mood and improve the state of one’s mental health and outlook. Here’s how it can impact your brain:
- The effect of yoga on grey matter
The human brain is composed of white and grey matter, where the former accounts for around 60% and the latter for 40%. The grey matter is responsible for things like controlling movement, and memory, learning new skills, and also handling various sensory perceptions like hearing, smell, sight, and touch. Some experts suggest that the regular and controlled use of breathing, asanas and mental activity included with yoga may increase the density of grey matter. This can result in improved cognitive abilities, better focus, stress reduction, a heightened sense of creativity, enhanced mental energy, better impulse-control abilities, and so on.
- The effect of yoga on cortical folding
Cortical folding or gyrification is a process that involves the development of folding patterns of gyri and sulci on the brain’s surface. These wrinkle-like folds play an important role in the brain’s cognitive functions, including language, consciousness and memory, and also help to elevate overall brain function. Experts state that the regular practice of yoga can positively impact the process of gyrification. Meditation is a key concept included in yoga, and several studies suggest that it can increase the number of folds in your brain. Some MRI scans done on individuals who practised long-term meditation, showed results of increased gyrification in their brains.
- The effect of yoga on stress and anxiety
Another major and well-known benefit of yoga is that it helps to reduce stress. Some studies suggest that it does it by minimizing the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in your body. Even though stress is a natural phenomenon, chronic stress can take a heavy toll on your body and mind. Thus, a regular habit of yoga can help lower stress and promote mental well-being. Anxiety is another associated issue that can be defined as the body’s reaction to stress. Some common signs of anxiety include feelings of nervousness, sweating or trembling, increased heart rate, hyperventilation, etc. According to certain studies, yoga is found to have a positive impact on individuals who suffer from anxiety and many experts recommend practising it to alleviate its symptoms. Some widely preferred yoga asanas for anxiety include the tree pose, hero pose, child’s pose, extended puppy pose, and so on.
Conclusion:
Yoga is more than just a practice that offers physical benefits as its range of effects expands beyond the general idea. Its careful and systematic use of controlled breathing techniques, asanas, hand signs, and meditation can help in the positive rewiring of your brain. It allows you to walk the path of self-discovery and enlightenment and helps you improve your overall outlook, approach, and brain function.
