Yoga for Stress Reduction

With more research we are learning that yoga is not magic, it is neurobiology.  The practice of yoga has been shown to decrease physiological arousal, reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and easing respiration.  There is evidence that the practice of yoga increases heart rate variability, an indicator of the body’s ability to respond to stress flexibly.  The practice of yoga is very protective for physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Heart rate variability has been found to be impaired in those who have experienced trauma, leading to additional studies done on the effectiveness of trauma-sensitive yoga instruction in the treatment of PTSD symptoms.  See yoga therapy for additional information.

“We all experience pain and diversity in our lives and this allows us to be human, to feel empathy and to understand others.” — Natalie Jeanne Champagne