Yoga for Life: Yoga stimulates thinking

Posted 12/1/21

At the present time, in this New Age of Technology, the computer does much of the thinking. When human beings use technology to think and reason in determining...

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Yoga for Life: Yoga stimulates thinking

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At the present time, in this New Age of Technology, the computer does much of the thinking. When human beings use technology to think and reason in determining a personal outcome, how does this compare to thinking with the mind/body in a yoga practice that stimulates mental/physical/emotional growth in body/brain and decision-making from improved brain function? According to research published in the journal, “Brain Plasticity,” by Elizabeth Millard (Dec. 23, 2019) they reviewed the results of 11 previous studies comparing yoga practice and brain health. The research included participants with no yoga background, practicing over a period of 10 to 24 weeks with those who practiced yoga on a regular basis, two or more times per week. The researchers used brain health markers, checked at the beginning and end of the study timeframe and compared results (https//medicineplus.gov). The study linked yoga practice to better mental functions, particularly during aging, with more cortical thickness of brain structure linked to higher intelligence. The study indicated that yoga enhances brain function and positivity which affects the structure of the brain. These brain-boosting benefits also enhance physical movement for greater strength to prevent injuries as well as mental focus involved in learning how to hold postures and concentrate. When looking to improve brain health, you don’t need to decide between a high-intensity aerobic exercise and the more low-impact, slow-moving practice of yoga,” according to Neha Gothe, Ph.D., study coauthor and director of the Exercise Psychology Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You can take yoga with you mentally and physically anywhere. When unrolling your yoga mat in nature the experience is further enhanced as you challenge the mind/body to adapt and calm down in different environmental conditions of nature.

Today’s experience unfolds in the beautiful, historical setting of Morgan Park, in Arcadia, where an old road reaches across the Peace River. The road has remained the same for many years and offers a beautiful place to pause for yoga. Begin by standing tall beside the bridge, extend one leg forward and lift it upon the railing as you lengthen your upper body with arms into the sky. Hold the posture and deeply breath in the clean fresh air. Slowly forward bend over the extended leg and relax!

After a few minutes, return the extended leg to the ground and stand in Tadassana before changing the posture to the other leg. As you slowly move, feel the tranquility in the mind/body, letting go of the rush of the world, immersing yourself into the wonder of Nature. Yoga awakens a sense of serenity when practicing in these peaceful locations. Yoga becomes an exploration of discovery into the beauty that surrounds us, as a purposeful choice to renew the spirit and merge into the harmony of nature.

When you journey into the environment to practice yoga, it does not end there; we take the yoga experience with us back into everyday life. When exploring yoga poses each day, the mind/body learns to immerse into the harmony within, slow down from the rush of the world, re-think concerns and discover a refreshed view of everyday life.

yoga, stimulates, mental, physical, emotional, body, brain

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