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Three times a week at 7AM my Dad drives to a dance studio five blocks from the beach. In the bright, hardwood room, which sits above a Radioshack, a muscular man with a shaved head and board shorts whispers instructions in a mix of English and Sanskrit. My Dad, and the rest of the class - mostly lithe, tanned actresses and trophy wives wearing black Lululemmon tights - bend and twis Read More
So that's it!
Thank you for this article. I've been practicing power yoga on and off for the past four years. This is the first clear explanation I've come across as to why yoga practice feels so calming and centering even though the sessions themselves can be very stressful and difficult.
From now on I will make sure to keep my face relaxed and breath like Darth Vader!
ah-ha
Nice to see a scientific mind "surrender"
practice
Great article. I appreciate your recognition of that key element that often gets overlooked: bringing the practice to your daily life – retraining the mind in a safe environment – and the body, too, building the strength to hold good posture throughout the day to keep your brain happy. And this mental and physical poise in an individual seems to seep out and help even those around him/her. This encourages me to return to my slow yoga – meditation practice.
Yoga and sleep
I have been having problem sleeping for many many years. I have tried almost everything but nothing really helped. I started practicing yoga a bout a year ago, it didn't really help either. I wonder if anyone out there has any experience in yoga and sleep relationships. I have a lot of yoga books but I don't find any information regarding this.
Thanks
-Matt
re: Yoga and sleep
I'm surprised that yoga didn't help at all. But there are many more direct, effective ways to improve sleep. I don't know what you've tried out, but often times difficulty sleeping can be exacerbated by poor sleep hygiene (which I should probably write a post about). In addition you may have a medical condition (such as sleep apnea) that is making sleep difficult. I suggest going to see a sleep specialist.
Yoga Nidra for sleep
Hi Matt,
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice performed while resting on your back that solves insomnia for many people. No poses required! It's much more than a sleep aid, though. I'm offering an online distance course in this practice. Stop by my website for more information on the course or contact someone locally. Good luck
Hi Matt, Have you tried
Hi Matt,
Have you tried headstnd (and its counter poses of course) before going to bed? Whenever i have sleep problem, i'll do at least 5 mins of headstand, keeping my eyes close and breath slowly...normally when I'm done with me, i feel so relaxed and fall asleep within a few minutes..
Aha!
I finally get it!
I always knew yoga was supposed to help in some way. Kept reading article after article about its great results, but I have always had so much trouble establishing a yoga routine even after hearing all about its ultimate benefits. Finally, I really do get it. Thank you!!!
validation
Many thanks for your insightful article.
I've been practicing Yoga for many years and in my tenth year of teaching. I've evolved to
teach exactly what you are saying here, calming the mind while under the duress of practice.
grace into effort.
developing an equal steady breath no matter which posture we're doing... it works, the ongoing feedback from students over the years correlates with the science very well.
Thanks again, I'll share with our students.
-john
http://www.yogawithjohn.com/blog
Many of these places are akin to cults
Make sure your dad didn't join a cult.
Be sure you don't live your
Be sure you don't live your life in fear of the unknown.
Yoga
Nicely written. Yoga can be experienced for a lifetime. I truly enjoy enjoy. I learn a little more about me each class I join. Namaste...
Thanks
Thanks for all the wonderful comments. Please share these ideas with others. My goal is to help people live better lives through a better understanding of their brain.
Great piece!
Alex, thanks so much for writing about this! I am sending it to clients and friends and family members who doubt what I keep telling them about yoga!!
Best,
Diane Barth
Yes, very interesting
Yes, very interesting article, it's just a shame about author's sexism. It undermines your professionalism, Alex, and your integrity as a scientist.
re: Yes, very interesting
Thanks for the feedback. I can assure you that any sexist suggestions are tongue-in-cheek. I'm attempting to bring a bit of levity to science, the general stuffiness of which can sometimes inhibit dissemination of information to the wider public.
Yoga
Thanks for the article. I'm probably your Dad's age and am somewhat amazed at all the benefits that come from practicing yoga. When I started I got into pushing the physical part until I hurt myself and had to quit. Now I'm back with Connected Warriors and am finding a spiritual connection and physical fitness coming in a way that may challenge me, but not as much as the more advanced classes.
nice views
wisely done article, congrates for being blessed by intelligent
observation.I am practising ayurveda for about 20 yrs.and it was
impressive to know your point of view,it will be more enlightening if you feel its importance in balancing basic humours
i.e. vatta,pitta and kuffa as ancient masters were smart enough
to hit the BALANCE among nervous,endocrinal and lymphatic systems
Any study on direct effects of yoga on dopamine levels and serotonin will be highly appreciated if available statisticaly.
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