News from Yoga Research Conference

Letter From Diane

Hello All:

So much news from the yoga research conference.I ’m STILL flying high from all the information I took in at the PureAction.org, sponsored First Annual Yoga Research Conference held in Austin, Texas July 22-24.  The young researchers were so full of light and love and life. They were searching for positive results from the effects of yoga on all kinds of issues. And they are finding them.

This is right off their web site…”PURE Action is a non-profit formed in 2010 based in Austin, TX, USA. Through anecdotal information and personal transformation, we believe that the modern world’s health problems and diseases can be prevented and/or treated with the regular practice of yoga. The purpose of this organization is find the facts. We have focused our efforts towards accelerating the integration of yoga in health care systems. Through research studies, global education, and community outreach. Our goal is to see yoga used as therapy in our national and global healthcare system.” Please visit their website if you want to donate.

Some of the information I found interesting, I have simplified here for brevity.

A 2013 study on Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Bikram Yoga found that arterial stiffness improves with yoga and that stretching had the biggest effect (compared to exercise) on those arteries. A depression study conducted here in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Maren Nyer actually discovered the biggest benefit of all…a better quality of life for patients doing Bikram Yoga twice a week for 12 weeks.

A cell biologist, Dr. Sundar Balasubramanian (my personal favorite), has discovered a pranayama breathing exercise that increases Nerve Growth Factor (which decreases as we age) and alleviates dry mouth by increasing saliva. Check it out a pranascience.com. Click and LEARN. And don’t miss the clip on the Home Page from his TED talk. A study on Diet and Yoga by Dr. Lindsey Hopkins showed that there were lower levels of cortisol in the body after just one yoga class.

There has been an unprecedented increase in yoga studies on PubMed, with 20 categories under the subject of yoga, citing hundreds of research studies. We are headed in the right direction. I think we will see insurance paying for yoga and traditional doctors prescribing it in my lifetime. But then again, I’m going to live to be 124!

Keep learning…keep loving life.

Love,
Diane
www.26and2.com

Go to the web site and join the Discussion Board if you are not already on it.  It’s a wealth of information from years of teachers asking questions.