Benefits of Yoga and Meditation

Catherine Winters & J.D. King: Problem Solved! Anxiety -Prevention

“…Hour-long yoga sessions three times a week improved people’s moods and anxiety levels after 12 weeks in one study. The level of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an amino acid in the brain, is lower in people who report anxiety. Among study participants who took a yoga class, GABA levels increased, and reports of anxiety decreased after the session. Yoga’s deep breathing “stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with the ability to relax,” says Chris C. Streeter, MD, an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine.

“…In anxious people, ‘we see a deactivation in areas of the brain that govern thought,’ so worries can spiral out of control, says Fadel Zeidan, PhD, a research fellow at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Mindfulness meditation helps you stop the cycle of worry. In Dr. Zeidan’s study, anxiety levels of meditators eased by up to 39%.” (Winters & King, 2013, p. 62-66)

Cary Barbor: The Science of Meditation- Psychology Today

“…Recent research indicates that meditating brings about dramatic effects in as little as a 10- minute session; several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditated for a short period of time showed increased alpha waves (the relaxed brain waves) and decreased anxiety and depression.

“…Researchers at Harvard Medical School used MRI technology on participants to monitor brain activity while they meditated. They found that it activates the sections of the brain in charge of the autonomic nervous system, which governs the functions in our bodies that we can’t control, such as digestion and blood pressure. These are also the functions that are often compromised by stress.” (Barbor, 2001, p. 54-59. 5p)

Karyn Hede: Supportive Care: Large Studies Ease Yoga, Exercise Into Mainstream Oncology- JNCI– Oxford Journal

“A recent nationwide, multisite, phase II/III randomized controlled clinical trial examined the use of yoga to improve symptom management among 410 cancer survivors. It showed a statistically significant improvement in sleep (22% vs. 12%) and fatigue (42% vs. 12%) after 4 weeks of yoga versus usual care. The study, presented by principal investigator Karen Mustian, Ph.D., at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, was the first large study to show clinical benefit to patients. What’s more, the patients in the 4-week-yoga arm reported a drop in use of sleep medication, whereas the control arm showed a slight increase.” (Hede, 2010, para. 7)