yoga & health

Yoga has a lot of benefits for the health and the well-being. In particular, it can prevent and tackle non-communicable diseases.

yoga therapy

What is yoga?

Yoga is a health practice that combines mental focus, controlled breathing, and body movements to help relax the body and the mind. For this reason, it may be used to help controlled pain, stress, anxiety, and depression, and for overall health. For instance, mind-body practices include meditation, hypnosis, guided imagery, yoga, and tai chi. Therefore, a mind and body practice is a type of complementary and alternative medicine. Also called mind-body modality. 

Yoga In Healthcare to foster self-care

Cause of death - worldwide
Non-communicable diseases 70%

Non-communicable diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths worldwide. As a result, they are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Most importantly, the healthcare systems should reinforce patients’ self-care and healing capacity. Patients would profit from the inclusion of complementary therapeutic approaches, such as Yoga.

1 Source: WHO
2 Morbidity: the number of people who have a particular disease (Oxford Dictionary)

About the benefits of Yoga in Health

a mind and body practice

Yoga is a mind-body practice based on physical postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), deep relaxation and meditation. Consequently, together these techniques promote well-being by reducing the negative effects of physical and mental stress. For instance, it increases individual awareness and consciousness empowering people to establish more positive attitudes and lifestyles.

Research on the well-beings of yoga

Additional research is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of Yoga as a complementary preventive and curative treatment. However, evidence already shows the advantages of a regular Yoga practice, such as:

  1. Introduction to Yoga
  2. 9 Benefits of Yoga
  3. WHO launches mobile application for Yoga
  4. UN – International Day of Yoga. 2022 theme: Yoga for humanity

reduces back pain conditions

Reduces disability and pain of non-specific low back pain conditions;

  1. Yoga as a treatment for chronic low back pain: A systematic review of the literature
  2. Yoga eases moderate to severe chronic low back pain
  3. Yoga for people with back pain

decreases cardiovascular risk

Decreases cardiovascular risk factors: overweight, smoking, hypertension and type 2 diabetes indexes;

  1. The Yoga-Heart connection

  2. The effectiveness of yoga in modifying risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

  3. The Effects of Yoga on Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

lessens depression

Lessens depression and regulates emotions in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder;

  1. Treating major depression with yoga: A prospective, randomized, controlled pilot trial

  2. Influence of Yoga on Cancer-Related Fatigue and on Mediational Relationships Between Changes in Sleep and Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Nationwide, Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga in Cancer Survivors

  3. The Use of Yoga to Manage Stress and Burnout in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review

     

better sleep

Improves body awareness and happiness;

  1. The effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  2. Hatha yoga for acute, chronic and/or treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

  3. Yoga For Depression

learn more about yoga & health

sharing evidence

We aim to share evidence about the benefits of yoga on an online library, social medias and informative sessions.

Scientific Research

YIH is willing to work with academics to develop a scientific research about the positive effects of yoga to the health.

library

We created an online library where we will publish references to evidence-based yoga and YIH summaries.

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