This Study Shows Yoga Alleviates Psychological Stress
The Stress-Relieving Power of Yoga - By Beth RushÂ
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Yoga combines physical activity and mindfulness. Both lifestyle habits have proved to increase stress resilience and tolerance.
Managing stress is an essential skill to handle the pressures of modern life. The increasing number of people with chronic stress has made health experts turn to nonpharmaceutical interventions as remedies. Experts found yoga practice to be particularly effective at alleviating pressure, boosting mental health, and improving people's quality of life. Learn how yoga reduces stress, according to studies.Â
The Sweeping Impact of Stress
Pressure can come from a host of sources and trigger an all-system response. When under stress, the body produces more cortisol. This hormone regulates the fight-and-flight response, sending the body into a continued high-alert state to dodge and eliminate threats.
Additionally, it accelerates the burning of sugar into energy for quicker response. In exchange, you may manifest symptoms like muscle pain, headache, anxiety, restlessness and anger outbursts. While not an illness, stress must be treated since unresolved distress can contribute to heart disease, obesity, stroke and diabetes.Â
Unfortunately, this same automatic psychological feature may function poorly in people with health conditions, like diabetes. Problems with insulin impede the transfer of glucose and fat reserves to the cells for absorption and energy conversion. They accumulate in the blood, causing a spike in glucose levels and depositing fat into long-term storage. People living with diabetes are more likely to be susceptible to stress because of this impaired dynamic.
How Yoga Reduces Stress
How effective is yoga* at relieving pressure? Several studies have proven mindfulness practice can be a complementary treatment to conventional methods that help people minimize the adverse health effects of stress.Â
Yoga Reduces Stress Reactivity
One study found that doing those asanas can minimize the intensity of how you respond to stress.
Experts conducted a study to find out the effect of yoga on five psychosocial mechanisms — interoceptive awareness, increased mindfulness, self-compassion, self-control and spiritual well-being, which experts believe were at play in reducing psychological stress.Â
A total of 42 participants practiced Kripalu yoga for 12 weeks. They completed a survey at the start, during and 12 weeks after the clinical trial. All mechanisms increased before and after the intervention except for self-compassion. With the exemption of self-control, these changes were also tied to reduced distress and perceived global stress.Â
Both psychological stress and stress reactivity declined during the trial, but the latter significantly reduced across the intervention time points.Â
Yoga Lowers Mental Distress
Another recent study echoed the result of yoga on staving off psychological distress.Â
Experts conducted an online survey of 1,352 yoga practitioners from Isha Yoga and 110 non-yoga control groups to evaluate their stress during the global pandemic. They found that Isha Yoga practitioners had significantly lower stress levels and mental distress than non-practitioners. In addition, they had higher well-being and effective balance. A minimum of three to four days of weekly practice showed a tremendous difference with the control group.Â
This mindfulness practice can elevate one's resilience to distress and mitigate the impact of stress on well-being.Â
Yoga Can Reduce Stress
Many wonder how yoga reduces stress. The practice combines exercise and mindfulness. Both are positive lifestyle habits that can help soothe pressure. Integrating it into your daily routine can increase your mental toughness and tolerance to pressure. Make it part of your habit to improve your health.
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