Benefits of Yoga

     

         There is no doubt that yoga has a multitude of benefits. These lists, taken from http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/yogabenefits.asp, show the extent to which yoga heals, balances, strenghtens, and    generally improves our entire system. With all these benefits, who would not want to do yoga? 

     

    Physiological Benefits of Yoga 

 
  • Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium    
  • Pulse rate decreases    
  • Respiratory rate decreases    
  • Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)    
  • Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases    
  • EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)    
  • EMG activity decreases    
  • Cardiovascular efficiency increases    
  • Respiratory efficiency increases    
  • Gastrointestinal function normalizes    
  • Endocrine function normalizes    
  • Excretory functions improve    
  • Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase    
  • Breath-holding time increases    
  • Joint range of motion increase    
  • Grip strength increases    
  • Eye-hand coordination improves    
  • Dexterity skills improve    
  • Reaction time improves    
  • Posture improves    
  • Strength and resiliency increase    
  • Endurance increases    
  • Energy level increases    
  • Weight normalizes    
  • Sleep improves    
  • Immunity increases    
  • Pain decreases    
  • Steadiness improves    
  • Depth perception improves    
  • Balance improves    
  • Integrated functioning of body parts improves    

     

    Psychological Benefits of Yoga

  • Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase    
  • Mood improves and subjective well-being increases    
  • Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase    
  • Social adjustment increases    
  • Anxiety and Depression decrease    
  • Hostility decreases    
  • Concentration improves    
  • Memory improves    
  • Attention improves    
  • Learning efficiency improves    
  • Mood improves    
  • Self-actualization increase    
  • Social skills increases    
  • Well-being increases    
  • Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase    
  • Self-acceptance increase    
  • Attention improves    
  • Concentration improves    
  • Memory improves    
  • Learning efficiency improves    
  • Symbol coding improves    
  • Depth perception improves    
  • Flicker fusion frequency improves    

     

    Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

  • Glucose decreases    
  • Sodium decreases    
  • Total cholesterol decreases    
  • Triglycerides decrease    
  • HDL cholesterol increases    
  • LDL cholesterol decreases    
  • VLDL cholesterol decreases    
  • Cholinesterase increases    
  • Catecholamines decrease    
  • ATPase increases    
  • Hematocrit increases    
  • Hemoglobin increases    
  • Lymphocyte count increases    
  • Total white blood cell count decreases    
  • Thyroxin increases    
  • Vitamin C increases    
  • Total serum protein increases