Practicing Yoga Lifestyle Inspires Healthier Happier Life

Dor Raz

February 26, 2014

Abstract

This research paper provides support that a yoga lifestyle that includes physical postures, breath work, and meditation inspires a healthy, happy life. It answers how yoga can encourage a happier, healthier lifestyle and why yoga is important. It highlights specific aspects that make yoga different from other forms of stress relief such as regular exercise. It defines yoga as a combination of physical and mental practices that in turn deliver both psychical and mental benefits. Information was gathered from multiple reputable articles through Santa Barbara City College’s health resource database. The results support the link between yoga, better health and higher levels of happiness by showing a positive correlation using previous research conducted over recent years from 2010-2014. It would be beneficial to continue this research with larger sample sizes and study the physical and mental effects of a holistic yoga practice among various practitioners worldwide.

        Keywords: yoga, yoga lifestyle, health, happiness, meditation, asanas

Introduction:

Your sister is trying it, your best friend’s mother has an instagram account dedicated to it, and now your doctor is recommending it? Yoga’s ability to help us attain a point of stillness and inner clarity in this chaotic world is making it a popular choice for many people. Yoga supplies us with the tools necessary to get in tune with ourselves and be able to disconnect from the external factors that may distract us from our sense of peace. Through yoga, we can filter out which habits of ours are positive, and which ones are self-destructive. Yoga allows us to view ourselves from an outside perspective that is detached from the influence of others and allows us to think and feel freely. It allows us to observe our thoughts without judgement; to fully accept who we are and where we are in life. It leaves our bodies feeling refreshed and our minds cleansed. It washes over us with relaxation physically and mentally.

The proposition of this paper is that a yoga lifestyle that utilizes psychical postures, breath work, and meditation can help you lead a happier, healthier life. In this research paper, I will be addressing the immediate cause, historical background, defining key terms, and stock issues of this claim. By focusing on key results of a yoga lifestyle such as emotional health benefits, physical health benefits, and its potential for self transformation, I will expand on each topic in the following paragraphs.

Immediate Cause:

 Yoga is taking on a vital role in the health and well being industry in today’s society; with more and more individuals seeking yoga and its benefits, it is important to understand why. Throughout recent years there has been increasingly more attention being given to the subject of yoga research, however it is still a growing field that has limited data at this point in time. There are 15.8 million as of adults practicing yoga as of 2008 (Miles, 2013) taking a closer look into what leading a yoga lifestyle really entails and how society can benefit from it is worth further investigation.  The yoga lifestyle has been proven to increase levels of well-being and leading to a healthier, happier life, which is drawing interest from a large number of people.Whether it is being used as a holistic form of medicine or simply as a hobby, a yoga lifestyle has the power to increase health and happiness in a practitioner’s life. Yoga is accompanied by a long list of benefits that strengthen physical and mental well-being, overall resulting in better health and more happiness. These benefits include but are not limited to: more blood circulation, better brain functioning, more energy, lower levels of fatigue, lean muscles, improved posture, stronger muscles, improved concentration, and a decrease in stress levels. Leading a yoga lifestyle inspires mindfulness and healthy choices. Although yoga has been around for thousands of years, its recent rise is due to the fact that people in today’s world are actively seeking an outlet to help deal with stress. Yoga’s unique mix of calisthenic techniques and meditation offers an extremely effective method of stress management, so it is not surprising to see it gain so much popularity in the high stress, fast-paced contemporary society. The more science is unraveling about yoga, the more it is becoming a part of people’s lives.

Historical Background:  

Yoga is an ancient practice originating in India that has been around for thousands of years. The ultimate goal of yoga is to attain a state of euphoric bliss and peace within oneself.  Yoga has gained a tremendous amount of popularity recently, and has gone from a mystical, abstract concept to a field of growing scientific health research. Some people feel that yoga has lost it’s uniqueness in a sense by being so popular today. They feel that it’s purpose is being misunderstand by being mainstream and it has lost it’s magical effect of being a means for introspection and self reflection. This essay is argues that yoga has not lost it’s magic and is in fact full of magic for many reasons. Not only is it still effective regardless of becoming main stream, it is now more necessary than ever.

 A second criticism is that certain styles of yoga are not “real yoga” because they are more of a workout and exclude the other important aspects of yoga such as meditation and spirituality. This essay agrees with this criticism of yoga by arguing that other elements of yoga such as mediation, mindfulness, and breath work are vital to receiving the full benefits yoga offers.

 Today’s society is filled with constant multitasking, the need for instant gratification, and higher stress levels than previous generations. We live in a world where we are so consumed by the past or future that we barely have time to stop and recognize the present moment. We fill up our time with social media, material possessions, and constant movement. Now more than ever, we need to find stillness within our lives and learn to appreciate the present moment rather than escaping to the past or future. Yoga is the Sanskrit word for union, which can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Union means a sense of community. It also means the union of mind and body. Yoga originated in the East and was brought over by a few brave souls into the West. The types of yoga that are practiced range from yin yoga, to kundalini yoga, to power vinyasa flow. Yin yoga is restorative and allows the connective tissues to open up by holding seated postures for longer periods of time with the use of blocks or bolsters for support. Kundalini yoga uses chants and seated postures to unlock kundalini energy, or creative energy, stored in the root chakra. Vinyasa flow entails a series of vigorous postures flowing through a rapid pace. Although yoga has many forms, the most common of which among western practitioners is Hatha yoga. For the purpose of this argument, the focus will be strictly on Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga encompasses what this essay will be focusing on which are the physical postures, meditative aspects, and breath work in yoga. Due to pop culture, western practitioners tend to emphasize the importance of the physical benefits of yoga as a form of exercise. However, it is important to note that leading a yoga lifestyle is not merely limited to doing the physical postures; it equally involves engaging the mind and meditation.

Defining Key Terms:

The key terms mentioned in the abstract will defined in order to promote clarity and avoid misunderstanding of the proposition. “Yoga” is a practice that involves both physical and mental elements aimed to improve health and happiness through the use of breathing techniques, psychical postures, and mediation. Its aim is to purify the mind and keep the body healthy through the use of the above mentioned techniques. A “yoga lifestyle” is a way of living that is focused on healthy choices that encourage growth mentally and physically for the purpose of living a well-balanced, blissful. The tools used to manifest this are meditation, breath work and the physical practice of postures. “Health” is a balance of mental and physical well-being, functionality, prevention from illness, and maintaining personal care. “Happiness” is overall contentment in one’s life derived from physical and mental well-being. “Meditation” is clearing the mind and bringing awareness into the present moment. “Asanas” are the psychical postures practiced in yoga.

Stock Issues:

To help introduce the stock issues, below are the results from a study of the effects of  a yoga lifestyle conducted in 2010:

 This study was comprised of simple physical exercises, relaxation techniques, stress management, diet and other aspects of lifestyle. The results showed that even a short‑term lifestyle intervention reduced anxiety levels and to an extent enhanced subjective well‑being. This benefit, especially when achieved within a short time frame, appears promising. These benefits were spread over a wide range of chronic diseases, which implies that lifestyle intervention has an efficacy regardless of specific diagnosis as shown previously by other studies. (Yadav, 2012, Page 136)

This study clearly exemplifies the overall proposition of a yoga lifestyle aiding in creating a life of health and happiness. It shows both a decrease in stress and ailments along with an increase in perception of well-being.

Emotional Benefits

One of the most prominent ways in which a yoga lifestyle inspires a healthier, happier life is through its emotional benefits. According to Yoshihara’s study (2014), yoga has been proven multiple times to aid with hostility, anxiety, and depression- all of which are unhealthy cognitive emotions. These same findings have already been found in the past, therefore this more recent research strengthens the previous findings. (Yoshihara, 2014) These findings illustrate how yoga can inspire better mental health and increased levels of happiness. In addition, in a study conducted by Bonura in 2011, clinically diagnosed depressed participants reported lowered feelings of depression after just three consecutive yoga sessions involving basic postures and breath work. (Bonura, 2011) This fact shows that yoga is a powerful vehicle for change, even in a short period of time. It also backs up the claim that yoga has a positive effect on an individual’s quality of life.  To further support yoga’s part in increasing mental health, consider the following:

Yoga’s potential for reducing stress-related symptoms is so strong, and so well established, that the National Institutes of Health recommended meditation over prescription drugs as the preferred treatment for mild hypertension in 1984. Yoga practice may reduce participants’ perception of stress and reactivity to stress, including the stress chronic conditions, such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and the stress of caring for an individual with a chronic condition. For example, regular yoga practitioners were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva samples. (Bonura, 2011, Page 130)

With such an impact on stress relief, doctors are choosing yoga as an approach to promote health and happiness in patients over conventional medicine. Smith wraps it up well by stating that choosing to practice yoga as a more spiritual practice rather than just a form of physical activity is rewarding to emotional health. (Smith, 2011). With yoga offering a homeopathic, holistic approach to healing, here are clearly many benefits beyond the widely recognized yoga postures.

                When practicing meditation in yoga has been shown to reduce stress levels significantly through the practice of mindfulness, thus leading to greater feelings of health and happiness.  A study done in 2011 helps better understand the link between meditation and stress. Meditation has been proven to reduce levels of stress and feelings of anxiety in a large diverse sample of people. Practicing yoga and meditation while incorporating spiritual elements has proven to be connected to positive thinking. Positive thinking is a repeating factor as a method of coping with stressful life situations. Incorporating spiritual elements into meditation and yoga practice can promote positive thinking and thus create a ripple effect of mental health improvements. (Smith, 2011) Therefore, meditation in yoga can be a means to create a less stressful lifestyle and increase health and happiness. To further illustrate this point, Brisbon’s study revealed that the higher the level of mindfulness in meditation participants, the lower their stress level.  There have been previous studies supporting this claim, therefore only making the claim stronger than ever. (Brisbon, 2011) Thus showing a positive link between practicing mindfulness through meditation and a decrease in unhealthy stress.  This positive correlation has been found in previous studies as well, so it is not news to the heath world.

These results are consistent with previous research; with higher experience levels of meditative practice, such as Hatha Yoga, higher mindfulness levels in the practitioner result, which may help decrease levels of stress (Easterlin and Cardena 1998; Oman et al. 2006; Ramel et al. 2004; Valentine and Sweet 1999). (Brisbon, 2011, Page 938)

Interestingly, not only can meditation in yoga be a form of medicine on it’s own, but it can also ensure that prescribed conventional medicine functions properly in conjunction to the body. According to Yadav, stress harms the body and as a response can make medicine less likely to function properly. As previous findings suggest, meditation greatly reduces stress levels.  Therefore, by practicing a yogic lifestyle including meditation, medical patients are can positively transform their life and make sure that the medicine they are taking is not harmed or altered by stress. (Yadav, 2012) By reducing stress, meditation in yoga can increase levels of emotional happiness by positively affecting multiple areas of a person’s life.

Physical Benefits

                The most commonly discussed benefits of yoga are the physical ones. When people feel healthy, people feel happy; when people practice yoga asana, they feel healthy. Feeling less stressed out is one thing, but the beauty of yoga is that it effects the human body internally in complex ways. For example, the following research by Diamond in 2012 illustrates yoga’s impact on our physical health:

Yoga has been found to improve not only the perception of stress but its physiological impact on the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and the immune system. All of which can, over time, lead to disease, illness, and potentially death. It can also reduce the need for health care services and hence cost. (Diamond, 2012, Page 19)

In other words, yoga can help maintain a healthy functional body that prevents serious illness and diseases. In practicing yoga, people tend to feel better because they are taking an active role in improving their health. Yoga makes our bodies run better by  increasing blood circulation, and strengthening our bodies’ immune systems to ensure we stay healthy. Good health is essential to living a long, happy life. As the research above implies, with a consistent yoga practice, you can increase your likelihood of living a healthy happy life. Even in a short period of time, those who were placed on a study consisting of a yoga-based lifestyle reported feeling better.

The results of current study support our previous findings where this short‑term lifestyle intervention was effective in reducing oxidative stress, and also improved serum lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose. This study therefore re‑emphasizes the benefits of a short‑term, yoga‑based lifestyle intervention program. (Yadav, 2012, Page 137)

To summarize, yoga helps your body on a cellular level by helping it better detoxify free radicals caused by oxidative stress. The detoxification helps prevents damage to important cellular components.This reduces the risks of various aliments ranging from less severe conditions such premature aging, to extremes, such as cancer. In a separate study, average people who practice yoga reported to have an increase in heart health, a faster metabolism, and improved self image. They also reported regulated body temperature, sharpened memory, and contentment (Akthar, 2013).

These effects of yogic practices appear to be mediated through an interaction between the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system, wherein pineal secretion of melatonin may play an important role and also conditions autonomic functions mediated through limbic system and higher centers of central nervous system. (Akthar, 2013, Page 76)

To summarize this point, yoga seems to improve the body’s functionality by reducing stress on vital systems.

         There are thousands of exercises you can part take in, so why choose yoga? Well, yoga stands out from other forms of exercise. According to Miles (2013), unlike practicing other aerobic exercises, yoga asanas lead to a raised blood pressure by elongating skeletal muscles through muscle contractions that do not occur in other forms of physical activity. (Miles, 2013) The postures are designed to elongate muscles, increase flexibility, and strength the body. As Akthar claims, practicing yoga postures is not only directly linked to an increase in strength and flexibility of the practitioner. Furthermore, it is directly linked to positively effect the practitioner's metabolism, psychological and physical health. (Akthar, 2013)

Yoga does not target one specific area of interest like weight lifting does. Instead, it systematically engages various muscle groups simultaneously, ultimately creating a full body workout.  However, unlike other forms of exercise, yoga likes the breath to the movement, increasing levels of mindfulness throughout the entire exercise. Yoga postures also require you to keep certain parts of the body relaxed while engaging others, thus increasing your sense of control of the body movements. In addition, Bonura’s research reveals that practicing yoga leads to an increase in self-control. To sum up the data, a well-developed sense of control has a domino effect of spilling over into other parts of a person’s life and can lead to healthier habits such as eating right, maintain good hygiene, getting enough sleep, and other various daily tasks. (Bonura, 2011) Yoga can help in other areas of your life, not just your physic.

Self-Development/ Quality of Life

Current studies support the claim that practicing yoga and meditation can improve an individual’s self-development in addition to mental and physical health. (Brisbon, 2011) As Yadav suggests, since a yoga lifestyle encompasses many different factors such as diet, mindfulness, awareness, meditation, and postures, it is more effective than simply trying to incorporate just a single change in an individual’s life. By practicing mindfulness through meditation, obtaining a sense of community, and making yoga a primary influence in your lifestyle, it can help transform your life. (Yadav, 2012)

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware in the present moment instead of reminiscing about the past or worrying about the future; it is the practice of being in the now. Bonura helps illustrate his point by stating that by focusing energy into the present, we can accept things for what they currently are rather than dreaming of the future. Mindfulness leads to acceptance and the combination is a powerful instrument for self-development. (Bonura, 2011) Having an identity and feeling that you belong are keys to happiness, and yoga can help fulfill those roles. As Bonura states, the yoga community creates a supporting environment and a sense of belonging since classes are conducted in a group setting. Through yoga, people form social connections and relationships, which increase their sense of belonging. Feeling a part of this a community promotes physical and mental health, thus promoting happiness. (Bonura, 2011)

Although practicing yoga in a group setting leads to a sense of community and increased happiness, making it a part of your lifestyle and practicing at home by yourself has shown to have significant benefits as well. As Ross suggests, practicing yoga at home has been shown to increase mindfulness, perception of overall well being, amount of fruit and vegetable intake, as well as quality of sleep. This study revealed that practicing consistently was more important than the length of practice in order to reap the benefits. (Ross, 2012) Therefore proving once again that the true beauty of yoga is that it bleeds into other parts of your life, ultimately changing multiple habits and creating a strong foundation for a leading a healthy happy life through your personal choices. Eating right can be hard to maintain, but research by Ross in 2012 reveals that practicing yoga at home has a real benefit: it is linked to increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables (Ross, 2012).

Increased mindfulness, being part of a community, and cultivating healthy habits are all gifts of yoga that support a happy life. In a survey conducted in 2010, 97% of yoga practitioners reported that they almost always feel happy. The same question was asked to those who do not practice yoga and their result was lower at 88%. This seems to imply a correlation to practicing yoga and feelings of happiness. (Monk-Turner, 2010) In addition to being happier, yoga practitioners even expressed more spontaneity and positivity than those who do not practice yoga. According to Mon-Turner, those who practiced yoga had an adventurous approach to life, expressed positive attitudes, and were likely to be open to new experiences to promote personal growth (Monk-Turner, 2010). These findings support the claim that yoga can be a transformation journey and an instrument for self development to increase quality of life.

Conclusion

Overall, yoga has been proven to be conducive to leading a healthy, happy life in multiple ways in studies conducted by credible sources. As discussed above, practicing only one aspect of yoga individually does not carry the same effect as the combination of meditation, postures, and breath work (Ross, 2012). The findings of a study conducted by Levine support the claimed benefits discussed throughout this essay. According to his study in 2012, participants who took part in practicing yoga to test its effectiveness showed an increase in their overall physical and emotional well-being including higher levels of happiness, more exercise, more energy, more peaceful sleep, and more fluid breathing. Participants credited exercise, breath work exercise, meditation, and a sense of community as important factors for increased of health and happiness (Levine, 2012). With a focus on emotional health benefits, physical health benefits, and it’s potential for self transformation, it’s not surprising that yoga has become such a popular topic in the health industry. It offers a world of opportunity and promises to leave a positive imprint on your life. With yoga being a mind-body connection, it carries onto other areas of your life increasing health and happiness through subtle yet effective ways. With its unique ability to be life altering, it truly is for everyone.

References

Akhtar, P., Yardi, S., & Akhtar, M. (2013). Effects of yoga on functional capacity and well being. International Journal Of Yoga, 6(1), 76-79. doi:10.4103/0973-6131.105952

Bonura, K. (2011). The psychological benefits of yoga practice for older adults: evidence and guidelines. International Journal Of Yoga Therapy, (21), 129-142.

Brisbon, N., & Lowery, G. (2011). Mindfulness and levels of stress: a comparison of beginner and advanced Hatha Yoga practitioners. Journal Of Religion And Health, 50(4), 931-941. doi:10.1007/s10943-009-9305-3

Diamond, L. (2012). THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN IMPROVING HEALTH. Primary Health Care, 22(2), 16-19.

Levine, A. L. (2012). Yoga and Quality-of-Life Improvement in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Literature Review. International Journal Of Yoga Therapy, 2295-100.

Miles, S., Chun-Chung, C., Hsin-Fu, L., Hunter, S., Dhindsa, M., Nualnim, N., & Tanaka, H. (2013). Arterial blood pressure and cardiovascular responses to yoga practice. Alternative Therapies In Health And Medicine, 19(1), 38-45.

Monk-Turner, E., & Turner, C. (2010). Does yoga shape body, mind and spiritual health and happiness: Differences between yoga practitioners and college students. International Journal Of Yoga, 3(2), 48-54. doi:10.4103/0973-6131.72630

Ross, A., Friedmann, E., Bevans, M., & Thomas, S. (2012). Frequency of yoga practice predicts health: results of a national survey of yoga practitioners. Evidence-Based Complementary And Alternative Medicine: Ecam, 2012983258. doi:10.1155/2012/983258

Smith, J., Greer, T., Sheets, T., & Watson, S. (2011). Is there more to yoga than exercise?. Alternative Therapies In Health And Medicine, 17(3), 22-29.

Yadav, R., Magan, D., Mehta, M., Mehta, N., & Mahapatra, S. (2012). A short-term, comprehensive, yoga-based lifestyle intervention is efficacious in reducing anxiety, improving subjective well-being and personality. International Journal Of Yoga, 5(2), 134-139. doi:10.4103/0973-6131.98235

Yoshihara, K., Hiramoto, T., Oka, T., Kubo, C., & Sudo, N. (2014). Effect of 12 weeks of yoga training on the somatization, psychological symptoms, and stress-related biomarkers of healthy women. Biopsychosocial Medicine, 8(1), 1. doi:10.1186/1751-0759-8-1