16 Uncommon Yoga Facts

1. Yoga is a 5, 000 year old tradition, and is classified as a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

2. 300 million people practice yoga globally (72% are female).

3. The practice produces a physiological state (an interruption in the stress response); a sense of balance and union between the mind and body is achieved.

4. It has 4 basic principles.

5. The most form of yoga practiced is Hatha yoga.

6. Yoga shifts the balance from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic system.

7. It lowers breathing and heart rate & decreases blood pressure.

8. Generates balanced energy which is vital to the immune system.

9. It inhibits the areas responsible for fear, aggressiveness and rage, and stimulates the rewarding pleasure centres in the median forebrain - lower anxiety, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output.

10. Consistent practice improves depression and increases serotonin levels. It decreases the levels of monamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters and cortisol.

11. Improved flexibility - a gradual loosening of the muscles and connective tissues surrounding the bones and joints occurs; reduced aches and pains.

12. Builds muscle mass and/ or maintain muscle strength, which protects from arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain.

13. During a yoga session, the joints are taken through their full range of motion, squeezing and soaking areas of cartilage not often used and bringing fresh nutrients, oxygen and blood flow to the area.

14. Yoga thins the blood which can decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. Twisting poses wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in when the twist is released. Inverted poses encourage venous blood flow from the legs and pelvis back to the heart and then pumped through the lungs where it becomes freshly oxygenated.

15. Restorative postures, savasana, pranayama, and meditation encourage pratyahara, which enables downtime for the nervous system, the byproduct being improved sleep.

16. There are 30 different types of yoga, so explore until you find your fit.

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