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Is There A Prescription for Yoga In Your Future?
There is now neuroscience research that support yoga’s positive effects on anxiety, stress and depression. As the medical community continues to embrace the healing benefits of yoga does this mean that one day your doctor just might prescribe yoga for what’s ailing you?
We’ve heard about the amazing healing effects of meditative techniques such as relaxation, meditation and yoga for many years, including how these reduce the activity of the autonomic nervous system, alleviating stress-related maladies, including migraines, anxiety and depression, among others. Now there’s additional medical research available to back these claims. Dr. Chris C. Streeter Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine practices yoga and conducts research on its effects.
Dr. Streeter conducted a study with doctors of McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, comparing two groups of exercisers (group 1) people doing yoga and (group 2) people walking. After 12-weeks, those in the yoga group showed greater improvements in their mood and anxiety levels compared to the walkers, and there was a positive correlation between increased Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), a key neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA levels were measured through brain imaging, and improved mood. The results of her study latest study is published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicinein 2010.
There is an estimated 20 million Americans practicing yoga. It’s no wonder that yoga and alternative therapies have shown up as elective courses at many medical schools across the country, including Boston University, Dr. Rob Saper of BU a former burned out medical student in the 80′s took a year off to study at Kripalu, the yoga retreat in western, Massachusetts, which he says, inspired him to “try to change medical education and medical care in a way that’s more wholistic” with an emphasis on self-care. Medical students at BU learn of yoga’s research-based benefits, in hopes that these future doctors will be able to exploit their knowledge to help patients as they become comfortable enough to include this alternative therapy in their evidence-based practice (EBP), perhaps one day prescribing yoga as they would Prozac or even pain killers.
Thanks to much research, the medical community continues to embrace the healing benefits of yoga among other natural and alternative healing methods, this is a wonderful news for those of us with who live with invisible chronic illnesses, and their multitude of symptoms, and many of which we might choose to manage naturally. Yoga is also great for chronic pain, it also lowers levels of inflammatory proteins, and helps with many other ailments. As an avid yogi and sufferer of Ankylosing Spodylitis, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction, I for one look forward to seeing yoga or even acupuncture appear on doctor’s electronic prescription pads. Perhaps doing so will garner even more support from insurance companies, hopefully making alternative treatments affordable and accessible to everyone.
Natural Stress Management Techniques
The Best Medicine for Stress is an Inner & Outer Smile
Controlling your anxiety and stress levels might be helpful in controlling inflammation, as well as ward off aging related chronic illnesses. When we are in a constant state of worry relating to daily life such as work, school, finances, family etc; our bodies begin to recognize this continued exposure as a threat. Thus Immediately activating the stress response by switching the body’s systems to “fight or flight” mode, a physiological response normally reserved for dangerous situations. The hypothalamus gland in the brain sets the response in motion by triggering the nervous system, which in turn alerts the adrenal glands to release a huge surge of stress hormones known as epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and cortisol directly into the bloodstream which causes several physical changes in the body. Including increasing the heart rate, elevating blood pressure and boosting our energy supply. Cortisol the primary stress hormone, also increases our levels of glucose in the bloodstream and enhances the brain’s use of glucose, which allows us to think faster to plan an escape. The release of cortisol also minimizes the use of crucial functions of the body. Functions such as the immune system, digestive system and reproductive system, rendering them temporarily useless, which would allow us to flee a truly dangerous situation much more quickly. Because several areas of the brain are alerted, this physiological state also effects our mood among other things. In a real life emergency these responses would be beneficial, but imagine what’s happening to the body each time you are under mental, physical or emotional stress. Being exposed frequently to stressful situations creates a constant release of these hormones and over long periods of time can be incredibly be harmful to the immune system.
In a real “fight or flight” situation the body completely returns to normal after the perceived threat has been removed. Stress hormone levels 
decrease, cortisol levels drop, heart rate returns to normal, blood pressure returns to its original level and body functions such as, the immune, digestive and reproduction systems resume their normal routines. However, with the continued exposure to stress, the body remains in constant “fight or flight” mode with the inability to regulate itself. The continued release of these stress hormones can lead to an impaired immune system. Thus breaking down the body’s ability to discern allies from helpers. As a result, the body begins to view everything as a threat causing immune malfunctions such as chronic inflammation. Which is the number one contributing factor to aging related diseases and major symptoms and conditions such as allergies, chronic headaches, obesity, diabetes, adrenal fatigue, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, heart disease, strokes, insomnia, digestive issues, depression and memory impairment. It can also trigger the inflammatory response in the body, which would naturally effect chronic inflammatory diseases of the joints (arthritis) and skin (eczema). Imagine what the continued exposure to stressful situations can do to someone battling an autoimmune disease and chronic inflammatory conditions such as Ankylosing Spondylitis, or a syndrome such a Fibromyalgia which is directly effected by stress.
We are living in very stressful times, but stress does not have to dominate your life. If you learn to master healthy stress reducing techniques now, you can limit your risk of chronic illness, aging related disease or the risk of exacerbating symptoms associated with diseases or conditions that you may already have. There is one technique that we can employ at anytime allowing us to reap immediate positive health benefits, while allowing us to regain control of our minds & bodies and that would be to adapt both an inner & outer smile. It sounds far too simple to actually work, but you can have confidence in knowing that by putting on an immediate outer smile, in spite of whatever stressful situation that you might be experiencing, it forces an inward shift. Which then becomes an inner smile or a positive mental attitude. This chain reaction then tells the body that everything is going to be ok. This causes the body to then immediately stop releasing stress hormones, which returns the blood pressure to normal, while also allowing the immune and digestive systems to regain their normal functions. It also releases endorphins which is a natural pain killer and serotonin which is a mood enhancer. By simply utilizing this little technique we can immediately create a positive mental attitude, which not only allows us to problem solve more effectively, but when used regularly combined with a healthy lifestyle can also extend our lives. Remember when you are under stress, remove yourself from the situation, close your eyes, take a deep cleansing breath and immediately adapt both an inner & outer smile. Have several each day and share a few with friends. Wishing you many beautiful and stress free days ahead “The Positive Pear” Blog:)
Other natural stress management techniques here on the positive pear.
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