What’s really happening when we practice yoga? Part I

BY: TRISHA CURLING

Do you want the short answer or the long answer? I am going to give you both.

The short answer: A LOT!!!!!

Let’s dive into that with a longer answer. Where do we start? The impact it has on our muscles and bones? Our nervous system? Connective Tissue? Organs? Immune System? Respiratory System?…see what I mean? There’s a ton going on and that list just scratches the surface, believe me.

When we come to our mats though, we go there for our very own reasons and those reasons can vary quite significantly day to day, or even moment to moment. The intention of our practice has quite an impact on the outcome and this is wonderful. As we learn more about ourselves and our own yoga practice we begin to add so much value. Knowledge is power, right? The beauty of it all is that, even if we are not fully aware of all of the specifics, our bodies, minds, and spirits, are all still reaping the benefits.

Let’s begin to scratch that surface I mentioned though. Let’s consider the impact on muscles and bones. When practicing a Vinyasa Flow style of class, for example, our bodies are receiving the benefit of strength and resilience in our muscle tissue. This leads to things like creating less pain in the body and moving more efficiently. In regards to yoga’s effect on bone health, there have been wonderful studies completed that show the increase in bone density when a yoga practice is done consistently as a part of our daily routines. What does this mean? That means better alignment and balance, which also means fewer injuries from falls, particularly as we age. This is huge on its own. This is what is happening when we practice yoga.

Our nervous system, a big bag to unpack, but let’s look at the long, short answer. One of the larger focuses when we come onto our mats is the breath and how it informs our poses. As we practice, we begin to see the power of the breath in many aspects. Due to the fact that we become more aware and intentional in how we breathe, we create opportunities for ourselves to slow down. Slowing down our breath creates a wonderful response in the nervous system. We activate the parasympathetic nervous system response. This response aids in our digestion and waste elimination and is heightened during rest. What we don’t necessarily realize is that a lot of healing goes through the body when we activate this response. We crave homeostasis and because we are very often existing within the sympathetic nervous system response, our bodies are tense and often contributing to pain we are already experiencing. We must carve out time for opportunities that create a more balanced state in order for healing to occur. A restorative yoga practice is a great way to tap into this.

We can see that we don’t necessarily have to know the intricacies of how the body is doing all of this, but if we trust ourselves to come to our mats and practice, just practice, we can begin to reap the benefits that are waiting for us. Let’s dive into more in the next edition.