Yoga has been shown to physically reshape the brain, unlocking various physical and mental health benefits. It can boost grey matter and rewire essential brain networks, offering promising potential for mental health improvements.
The Physical and Mental Connection of Yoga
My right arm shakes as I twist from a side plank into “Wild Thing” – or Camatkarasana. Sweat beads on my forehead while I arch my back, stretch my left arm overhead, and gaze upward. Despite the strain, I feel invincible. One Sanskrit translation of Camatkarasana is “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart,” and it truly brings confidence.
Initially, I approached yoga to build strength and sweat, thinking it was only physical exercise. Over time, I discovered it was so much more. Yoga originated in ancient India over 2,000 years ago. Today, styles like meditative yin and dynamic vinyasa share a core focus: the mind-body connection through movement, meditation, and breathwork. Studies now suggest yoga offers benefits beyond the physical, with potential to aid conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Yoga’s physical benefits are well-documented. It enhances strength, flexibility, and cardio-respiratory fitness. Athletes, including footballers and basketball players, credit yoga with improved stamina, injury prevention, and performance. However, yoga’s impact extends further, helping manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes, chronic pain, and stroke recovery. It’s even shown promise for epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and cancer recovery.
Yoga’s Impact on Brain and Mental Health
Yoga doesn’t just change your body—it reshapes your brain. Research shows yoga alters brain structure and function, particularly in regions like the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. It increases grey matter, essential for learning, memory, and decision-making. Notably, grey matter loss is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and studies suggest yoga may slow memory decline in at-risk women.
Yoga also influences mood by reducing stress hormones and increasing endorphins. Its blend of postures, breathwork, and meditation further reduces anxiety, depression, and stress. Studies confirm yoga’s ability to ease short-term depression symptoms.
Heather Mason, founder of The Minded Institute, credits yoga with transforming her life after years of battling depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Her journey inspired her to blend yoga, neuroscience, and psychotherapy into a therapy school. Mason highlights yoga’s accessibility problem, noting its narrow portrayal often excludes diverse groups. By integrating yoga into healthcare systems, such as the UK’s NHS, she believes it can become more accessible for those with mental health challenges.
Yoga’s effects extend to brain chemistry, increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that slows brain activity and reduces anxiety. A 12-week yoga program has been shown to boost GABA levels, correlating with improved mood and reduced stress.
Yoga and Trauma Recovery
Yoga may also help those with PTSD. Mind-body practices like yoga reduce inflammation by decreasing cytokine production, linked to stress-induced inflammation. Chronic inflammation, fueled by persistent stress, increases risks of aging-related diseases and depression. Research indicates yoga reduces these risks and may aid trauma recovery.
Rachel Bilski, a yoga therapist and manager at PTSD UK, shares her own journey with PTSD. Conventional treatments failed her, but yoga helped her process trauma and reclaim a sense of safety in her body. She emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed yoga teachers and yoga therapy, which provides personalized, therapeutic approaches.
While some yoga styles, like kundalini and hot yoga, show promise for PTSD sufferers, not all forms are suitable. Yoga therapy incorporates grounding techniques, breathing exercises, and mindfulness to help individuals manage trauma-related symptoms. Experts agree yoga therapy complements traditional treatments, offering a vital role in trauma recovery.
The Whole Package: Yoga’s Mind-Body Power
Studies suggest yoga’s benefits may arise from its integrated approach—movement, breathing, and relaxation working together. Neuroimaging confirms these combined elements positively affect brain networks, promoting emotional regulation and self-awareness. Though researchers continue exploring the exact mechanisms, the results are clear: yoga has profound effects on both brain and body.
In Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2), feet grounded, arms extended, and focus steady, I feel calm, strong, and present. Yoga’s power to transform the mind-body connection explains why it has been practiced for millennia. As Heather Mason says, “Yoga can shift the whole mind-body complex. It’s a long road, but it has that power.”
