YOGA: ANCIENT, BUT SCIENTIFIC AND PROVEN

 DNA 10.7.16

YOGA: ANCIENT, BUT SCIENTIFIC AND PROVEN

The International Day of Yoga has come and gone. On the 21st of June you have done your annual share of stretching, twisting, relaxing, breathing, etc. and therefafter relegated your learning and experience to the once-per-annum-retrievable corner of your memory. This in my view is a crisis situation and deserves a scientifically oriented counselling from the best self-proclaimed expert in all matters of logic and reasoning, such as your columnist. 

I belong to the place which famously figured, a few years back, in the TV serial “Mungeri Lal Kay HaseenSapnay”. Other than the said character, Munger in Bihar is better known as the place where the International School of Yoga is located. Influenced by the school, I have grown up playing games that revolved around competing in who-contorts-the-body-the-most, not knowing why exactly we were doing what we were doing. Age brings unforeseen, often unfathomed maturity, hence what I have to say now might strangely be of interest to you. 

Though the main purpose of Yoga is to unleash spiritual and mental powers of an individual, it has been the subject of intense global research for its inherent capacity to fight stress and anxiety. With the intention of ensuring that it acquires a permanent place in your head and life, let me take you through the scientific basis of yoga in a stepwise manner:

1. Cortisol, a steroid hormone, is made in our adrenal glands and then released into the blood. 

2. Almost each and every cell in our body has cortisol receptors.

3. Depending upon the type of cell it is acting upon, cortisol is responsible for controlling the body’s blood sugar level, regulating metabolism, acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation, balancing blood pressure/salt/water, and also in aiding fertility. 

4. The levels of cortisol in the blood show dramatic changes in the course of a day. Extra cortisol is released each time in response to any form of stress (even those we consider insignificant), such as working late night, emotional conflicts, physical hard work, etc. 

5. With the help of cortisol, the body responds to stress by completely shutting down certain other functions (such as the immune and reproductionsystems) so that the energies of the body can be redirected towards dealing with the stress. 

6. Over a prolonged period of time, too much stress leads to too much cortisol being released, which in turn lowers metabolism and immune functions, leading to rapid weight gain, susceptibility of body to pathogens, osteoporosis, blood pressure imbalance, muscle weakness, etc. 

7. It is proven that long term stress also has links to insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, thyroid disorders, etc. 

8. The best way to manage cortisol levels is to manage stress and take anti-inflammatory diet. 

Now for the good news. Modern research accepts yoga (I am focusing on Asanas, Pranayama and meditation here) as one of the best methods for moderating the production of cortisol, thereby managing the stress response of the body. By reducing cortisol levels, yoga therefore raises the immunity levels of the body. Secondly, when we hold our body in a yoga posture for a few breaths/counts, our parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, which in turn lowers our BP to enable a better post-stress response. Thirdly, no amount of exercise in the gym or outdoors, massages our internal organs, which are nothing but muscles performing a particular function. Yoga keeps these muscles exercised and active. Fourthly, yoga is able to enhance the body’s natural defense mechanism against free radicals. 

John Denninger of the Harvard Medical School has recently published his work after 5 years of sustained research, showing that Yoga and meditation can actually “switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function.” Another study published by the Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn from UCLA, found that just eight weeks of daily yoga meditation for 12 minutes each, substantially reduced stress-induced aging. Therenow! You have heard it from the horse’s (read scientists’) mouth! Need I add anything more?

Baboo Samjho Ishaarey, Yoga Pukarey!

 

ANITA KARWAL