Amber Cleveland

July 21, 2014

Investigating Yoga
Yoga is a practice that has been around for hundreds of years. It can be beneficial
to everyone in some way. In the countless studies done on people who practice yoga the
results always show improvement in physical health. Depending on the type of yoga
practiced, there are also a lot of mental and emotional benefits. I have personally
experienced an increased quality of life through practicing yoga so I wanted to look into
it further. Based on my research, I found that everything I have experienced matches up
with actual studies and medical evaluations done by qualified people.
The most obvious benefit of yoga is physical health. In a study done by the
University of Utah they found that Overall, pulmonary function appears to improve
with a minimum of 10 weeks of regular yoga practice, and the magnitude of this
improvement is related to fitness level and/or the length of time the subjects spend
practicing pranayama (Abel).
The next area in which yoga can transform someone is on the mental/emotional
level. In a study done by Healthy Living Technologies in Melbourne, Australia they did a
controlled test on people who had sleep disorders and insomnia. They found that the
group showed significant improvements in a range of subjective factors, including
overall sleep quality; sleep efficiency; sleep latency and duration; self-assessed sleep
quality; fatigue; general well-being; depression; anxiety; stress; tension; anger;
vitality; and function in physical, emotional, and social roles (Halpern). Though they
were just testing the effect of yoga on sleep issues, they discovered an improvement in
peoples level of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, etc. Another study that was done by
the University of Utah found that yoga practitioners have the highest pain tolerance,
thus, suggests that yoga regulates stress and improve pain response (Harvard Mental
Health).
The spiritual aspect of yoga is the most controversial or difficult subject to
discuss because of peoples individual beliefs. A lot of times this is the part of yoga that
scares people away and makes them not want to practice it at all. In my research on this
aspect I found an article that explored the many different practices. It was interesting
to learn that the goal of yoga shows that it is a holistic way of life leading to a state of
complete physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being and harmony with
nature (Kumar Taneja). It isnt something to be closed off to but rather something to
explore and find how it can work for you. In another study conducted to show the
emotional benefits of yoga they found that Yoga, practiced in a more integrated form,
ie, with an ethical and spiritual component, may provide additional benefits over yoga
practiced as an exercise regimen (Smith).
Yoga is growing in popularity in the United States for a reason. It can be
practiced by anyone and it has unlimited potential to improve lives. Old, young, male,
female, skinny, overweight, healthy, or sick - being intentional and giving yoga a shot
could do wonders for anyone. It can be done strictly as an exercise, just for meditation
and relaxation, or a combination of whatever you want to implement. Every element of
yoga has not only been practiced but also tested and analyzed and the results are clear -
it will improve your life.


Works Cited

Halpern, Jonathan, et al. "Yoga For Improving Sleep Quality And Quality Of Life For
Older Adults." Alternative Therapies In Health & Medicine 20.3 (2014): 37-46.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 July 2014.
Smith, J. Andy, et al. "Is There More To Yoga Than Exercise?." Alternative Therapies In
Health & Medicine 17.3 (2011): 22-29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 July
2014.
"Yoga For Anxiety And Depression." Harvard Mental Health Letter 25.10 (2009): 4-5.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2014.
Abel, Allison N., Lisa K. Lloyd, and James S. Williams. "The Effects Of Regular Yoga
Practice On Pulmonary Function In Healthy Individuals: A Literature Review."
Journal Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine 19.3 (2013): 185-190.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2014.
Kumar Taneja, Davendra. "Yoga And Health." Indian Journal Of Community Medicine
39.2 (2014): 68-72. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2014.