Many people get into yoga to improve their flexibility, burn calories, and build healthy habits. These are all great reasons to do yoga, but one often overlooked aspect of practicing yoga is how it can help your mental health in a number of ways.
Just like the muscle memory you build when performing physical actions regularly, your brain cells form new connections with a regular practice. Over time, changes can even occur in brain function and structure. Studies done using MRI imaging have shown that yoga helps to develop the parts of the brain that are involved in memory, attention, awareness, and thought.
Yogis have been shown through MRI studies to have a thicker cerebral cortex and hippocampus. These are responsible for information processing and memory, respectively. On top of those already impressive benefits, older yogis were shown to have less decline in these areas of the brain than non-yogis.
Exercise in general is great for your mood by reducing stress, boosting endorphins, and increasing the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain. And yoga does provide these benefits, but it actually goes a step further. Yoga has been shown to increase the production of GABA, a brain chemical responsible for a good mood and low anxiety. Even just taking one yoga class a week was enough for people to see these benefits!
Like we just mentioned, the production of GABA can help to lower anxiety. Along with that, yoga reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body. Throughout the day, your body has micro fight or flight moments that prompt the release of stress hormones. Practicing yoga, especially at the end of a long day can help to rid your body of these anxiety inducing chemicals.