What happens in the brain when doing yoga?
The strong mind-body connection established with yoga has been amply demonstrated. But what exactly happens in our brain when we practice yoga? This ancient discipline has numerous positive effects on a mental level and also provides emotional well-being. Dr. Singh Khalsa of Harvard University School of Medicine has spent more than a decade collecting material on yoga and its effects on the mind. In his book, Your Brain on Yoga, he explains what happens in our brain after an hour of practice. Khalsa is not the only one who has done research on it. For years countless studies have been carried out to find out what is behind yoga and how it affects us inside. The results are amazing. Here are six ways our brain changes when we practice yoga.
1. Increase our feeling of happiness Surely more than once we have heard of substances such as dopamine and oxytocin, chemical components that, when released in sufficient quantities, increase our feeling of happiness. Well, according to studies carried out at Boston University, during the practice of yoga, our levels of GABA increase, a neurotransmitter that directly affects the central nervous system and calms brain activity. This especially benefits people who have difficulty relaxing and concentrating. When we do yoga regularly, there is an increase in dopamine and oxytocin, which helps us feel more relaxed and prepared to better manage any stressful situation that comes our way. Antidepressants and anxiolytics try to achieve these effects, but with myriad side effects.
2. Goodbye to stress Any practice associated with yoga, from a simple exercise that helps us control our breathing to the most complicated inverted posture, reduces the amount of cortisol in the brain. Cortisol is a hormone that triggers when we are nervous. In addition, in stressful situations, the amygdala, responsible for basic emotions such as anger or fear, is activated and the activity of the prefrontal cortex, responsible for managing self-control and discipline, is reduced. Numerous studies show that through the regular practice of yoga, cortisol levels drop, which helps to keep stress and all the chemical reactions associated with it at bay. Even after just one yoga session, saliva samples have been taken showing reduced cortisol levels.
3. Improves memory and learning Gray matter is part of the central nervous system, which is responsible for muscle control and sensory perception. At Harvard Medical School they have discovered that after two months of practicing yoga, the density of gray matter in the hippocampus increases. In the opinion of the researchers, the density of this part of the mind leads to increasing our awareness and improving both memory and learning capacity. Changes have also been observed in the amygdala, the part of the limbic system responsible for controlling our anxiety levels. In summary, these studies conclude that the higher the density of gray matter, the greater our ability to learn and relax.
4. The best antidote to depression The depression rate in Western countries is ten times higher today than it was two generations ago. Our response to stress usually involves resorting to substances as harmful as tobacco, alcohol, drugs or medications, which have very negative consequences for our physical and mental health. Scientists studying the brain have discovered a biological component linked to happiness. People who consider themselves happier appear to have a larger and more active left prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain associated with positive mood. Activation of the right prefrontal cortex is associated with negative feelings. According to a study from the University of Wisconsin, meditation and yoga increase the activity of the right prefrontal cortex, associated with positive moods.
5. Activates the parasympathetic nervous system The autonomic nervous system consists of two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system, which helps us respond and act in stressful situations, and the parasympathetic, which helps us relax. The parasympathetic nervous system is our best ally and, as has been shown, yoga stimulates this part of the brain, facilitating our relaxation and helping us to regain balance in daily life. When it is the parasympathetic nervous system that dominates our body, the heart rate and blood pressure are reduced and blood flow to internal organs is increased.
6. Improve our decision making Numerous studies show that over time, the concentration we practice during asanas and meditation increases the thickness of the brain and strengthens neural connections. The latest research also indicates that the brain processes information faster and makes decisions more easily, by increasing the number of folds present in the cerebral cortex. Yoga and meditation are, therefore, a way to speed up mental activity. The good news is that we don't have to settle for the brain we've lived with until now. We know that we can establish changes, since the brain is endowed with a quality known as plasticity. Therefore, if we feel incapable of dealing with stressful situations or we go through a season in which we are sadder, we can resort to yoga and meditation, because, as has been proven, they transform our mood and can get us out of a depression.