|
Yoga
Yoga is a way of life that includes ethical precepts, dietary prescriptions, and physical exercise. Its practitioners have long known
that their discipline has the capacity to alter mental and bodily responses normally thought to be far beyond a person's ability to modulate them.
Uses/Research Base:
During the past 80 years, health professionals in India and the West have begun to investigate
the therapeutic potential of yoga. To date, thousands of research studies and have shown that with the practice of yoga a person can learn to control such physiological parameters
as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory function, metabolic rate, skin resistance, brain waves, body temperature, and many more bodily functions.
Regular yogic meditation has also been shown to reduce anxiety levels; cause the heart to work more efficiently and decrease respiratory rate; lower blood
pressure and alter brain waves; increase communication between the right and left brain; reduce cholesterol levels (when used with diet and exercise); help
people stop smoking; and successfully treat arthritis.
|
Sparrow Health System: Center for Health, Humanities and Wellbeing
|
