Yoga as Therapy

Did you know that yoga can enhance medical treatments as it aides in restoring a greater awareness of your body? If healing is your ultimate goal, whether mentally or physically, yoga and medicine work synergistically to restore health.

For some, it's just gymnastics. For others, it's a way to relax. To science, yoga is this: a discipline that can help maintain psycho-physical health, helping to prevent and in some cases "cure" diseases that are very common today (from hypertension to back pain to digestive problems. Yoga techniques, such as asanas (positions), pranayama (breathing), relaxation, concentration and meditation help the individual to achieve awareness, balance and harmony. In recent times, the use of yoga as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of some pathologies is spreading, in particular with chronic diseases that are difficult to manage or with a psycho-somatic component.

What are the specific benefits if offers?

An increase in the efficiency of the cardio-circulatory system, slowing of the respiratory rate, improvement of body tone, lowering of blood pressure, general relaxation and reduction of stress and anxiety, to name a few. Yoga practices also contribute to improvements of psycho-motor coordination, posture, joint flexibility and concentration. Also, sleep habits begin to regularize and digestion becomes easier. With yoga you train the system of adaptation to life, you have a better perception of the self and you'll develop a loving attitude and positivity.

How does all this happen?

During yoga practice, parts of the cerebral cortex are activated that affect our ability to better manage the body, increasing self-control and awareness. Furthermore, with meditation and yoga, the structures that manage the will are influenced, stimulating those areas of the brain that would remain lazy, favoring the possibility of change at any age. With diseases and health disorders, on the other hand, yoga (through particular asanas pranayama's that activate different areas of the body) acts completely at the neuropsychic level for the management of anxiety and stress and therefore in the management of pain. And is restorative to the immune system as it increases the defenses and consequently at the endocrine level.

But how does yoga therapy work?

Let's start from the beginning: yoga teaches control. Control over the body, breathing, heartbeat but also over the mind as you focus on your practice absent of other worries in the world.

Yoga pursues an overall psychophysical well-being which is evident to those who have the patience to listen to oneself.

None of us can be truly peaceful when suffering from a migraine, just as after a great stress the body contracts causing bone and muscle pain.

It doesn't matter if the disease is due to neglect or abuse (mistreating our bodies with junk food, excess alcohol, etc.) or when the result is of a physiological imbalance.

Yoga will help you heal.

Illness is the result of an energetic imbalance and only by removing the blocks that prevent Pana from flowing freely will it be possible to regain lost health.

Yoga as therapy is there for you. One thing is for sure. It's not going to make the situation any worse.