Yoga Helps Every System of the Body Work Better by Alison Tigges
I am not one to make bold claims, especially about yoga. But the title of this blog implies “here comes a bold claim!”, and it is something I not only truly believe, but science even supports. I think each system of the body could be its own blog post (maybe I will do that next, hmmmm.) so I will do my best to scratch the surface as effectively as possible. This year in our inaugural 300-hour teacher training, Gabe and I challenged ourselves to really dive DEEP and learn even more about this subject we have made our life’s work. Anatomy is my jam, and time and time again I was floored at not only how amazing our body is (the systems are like a symphony that somehow works beautifully together) but how a consistent yoga practice helps ALL of them function better. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?
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Skeletal System
Bones, baby! Bones make up the whole structure of our body, so safe to say they are important. Yoga is a practice that moves our bones. And I would argue, it moves them in ways a lot of other physical disciplines don’t. For example, I aim to move the spine in all directions in my yoga classes. Extension, flexion, lateral flexion (sidebands), and oration (twists). Plus, as we age, our bones become more brittle. Yoga focuses on balance, safe weight-bearing, strength and posture. If yoga can help me from falling less when I am older (broken bones are no good, especially when elderly) then yes please!
Muscular System
I think most people think about the muscles when thinking about yoga. We most definitely “stretch” them! Yoga very much focuses on BOTH muscle flexibility AND muscle strength. I think at OTY we are exceptionally good and teaching you ways to strengthen your muscles through yoga. Stronger and more mobile muscles only benefit us as we age.
Fascia
Also known as connective tissue, the name implies (correctly) that fascia is EVERYWHERE in the body! It is connected and wrapped around everything. The tricky part about fascia is it is tougher to work with. It requires long, relaxed holds in order to shift it. Yin and restorative yoga to the rescue! When our fascia is happy, our joints are happier.
Nervous System
I think you can look back in the archives and find several blogs on the nervous system alone. It is so important! We live in a world where our sympathetic nervous system is operating on overdrive. It’s the gas pedal. It’s the flight or flight. We need it to survive! The problem is, we have evolved to treat everyday small stressors as threats. Our bodies feel this stress and we can’t switch it off. Our parasympathetic nervous system is not tapped into enough, if at all. Yoga (especially slower, more relaxing styles) allow us to practice tapping into the brakes, or the parasympathetic nervous system. This allows every system I am about to discuss below, work better.
Respiratory System
Pranayama, anyone? Breathing and breath work is at the cornerstone of yoga. It was what ancient yogis practiced before yoga poses were even a thing! Yoga teaches us to notice our breath and breathe more fully, deeply, and evenly. There are dozens of pranayama practices to explore that do different things and provide various benefits. Yoga sees the body and breath as connected.
Cardiovascular System
A healthy heart is so important and yoga gets you moving! Faster styles that get the heart rate up (think vinyasa or hot) are especially beneficial at getting the heart rate up in a healthy way.
Circulatory System
Yoga improves blood flow through movement and breath. When we are healthier in our bodies and minds, it can help lower blood pressure (this is not in replacement of blood pressure medication you may need-we love doctors, science and western medicine too!) When we move our bodies, our circulation improves. When we breathe and are more relaxed, the blood can flow more easily and get the heart and brain what they need.
Digestive System
This system amazes me. The fact that one bite of food can make it through all these channels every single time we eat is wild. The gut is also a common place we hold stress, so often when we are stressed, digestion is negatively affected. When we move our bodies and reduce stress, digestion can improve. Yoga is also a great tool for mindfulness, (noticing our thoughts, habits, feelings) and mindfulness of what we put in our bodies via food affects our digestion as well. Twists can be very effective for this system specifically.
Endocrine System
I could write 10 blogs about this system alone. Hormones are all the rage. They are important! This system has lots of glands that produce various hormones and those hormones effect how the body functions. There is so much more to this, but simply put, how we handle stress greatly impacts our hormones. Yoga is a tried and true tool to work with stress and learn to reduce it. This can very much help in regulating our hormones!
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These are just some examples and they are all physical systems. I have not even touched the energetic, emotional, spiritual, and mental benefits yoga provides! We have lots of old blog posts that address how yoga also benefits these areas. I can’t think of any other modality that touches every aspect of being human (in a positive way!) more than yoga.