Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — June 21st marks the International Day of Yoga, a practice that started thousands of years ago in ancient India and today, it’s not just about stretching or relaxing. Researchers are now finding yoga may help everything from chronic pain to mental health, to heart function.
From downward dog to warrior, yoga can improve flexibility and balance, and science shows it may also change what’s happening inside your body.
“The most random thing that you could try to pull out and say, does yoga help with this? The answer to that is always going to be yes,” said Theresa Curameng, College Park Yoga Co-Director.
One of the biggest benefits, you’re breathing.
“Yoga breathing is one of the best ways to help with asthma, fibromyalgia,” said Calvin Curameng, College Park Yoga Co-Director.
That controlled breathing can help open airways, calm the nervous system and reduce feelings of panic or pressure. And for people with chronic conditions, the impact can be even bigger. A study of women with fibromyalgia found yoga reduced pain by 24 percent, fatigue by 30 percent, and decreased depression by 42 percent.
“It alleviates the mind from that pressure of feeling like you’re being closed in,” said Calvin.
And a 2024 study found yoga decreased atrial remodeling, plaque in arteries and carotid, inflammatory cells, and oxidative stress, and increased beta cell stimulation.
“Yoga practice got me to also be able to calm my mind, learn about meditation, but also make my physical body move in ways it never even moved before,” explained Theresa.
And maybe the best part, you don’t have to be flexible or experienced to start.
Just a few minutes a day could make a difference you can feel inside and out.
One part of you that can improve with yoga that you may not expect is hearing! Theresa says yoga teaches you to turn your hearing inward to listen to the inner workings of your body, like your breath and heart rate. Then in times of stress, you can focus on what you’re hearing inside your body to decrease the stress.
Contributors to this news report include: Marcy Wilder, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://observances.global/international-day-of-yoga/
https://theyogainstitute.org/a-brief-history-of-yoga
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga
https://womenshealth.obgyn.msu.edu/blog/yoga-combats-fibromyalgia
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2010.08.020
https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/fitness/science-based-benefits-behind-yoga
https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.13m08561
https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_55_24
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11495302/figure/ijoy.ijoy_55_24-F2/
