Talk:Preparing to Win in Sports: Healthy Mind and Body:Benefits of Practicing Yoga

By Vishal Agarwal and The Hindu Society of Minnesota

The spiritual practice of yog contains many techniques like āsanas (postures), controlled breathing (prāṇāyāma), dhyāna (meditation), etc., that promote physical and mental health. These techniques ought to be incorporated into one’s daily lifestyle to obtain the optimum and sustained benefit. Some physical and mental benefits of practicing yog are listed below:

1. Reduction of Blood Pressure: High blood pressure can result in numerous medical problems like heart attacks, kidney failures, blood vessel ruptures, brain hemorrhages, strokes, etc. Blood pressure-controlling medicines tackle only the symptom (the high BP) and not the cause of the problem. Moreover, these drugs have several side effects. Meditation, on the other hand, tackles the root cause of high blood pressure and has no harmful side effects. Several medical studies have shown that a few weeks of meditation can bring down blood pressure in patients. Meditation helps by relaxing the blood vessels and disciplining the mind, reducing the frequency of anxiety-causing emotions.

2. Improved Sleep, More Energy, Higher Levels of Alertness: Practitioners of meditation fall asleep faster and have deeper sleep. As a result, they feel more refreshed, energetic, and cheerful when awake. Their quality of sleep is better, requiring a shorter duration. Meditation not only produces deep relaxation but also opens the mind to a higher level of wakefulness. Studies on brain waves show that during meditation, greater levels of alpha waves and lower proportions of beta and delta waves are produced. Unlike other relaxation methods, meditation improves alertness while relaxing the mind.

3. Improved Circulation of Blood to Organs and Glands: Meditation relaxes the blood vessels, makes the heartbeat more regular, and improves breathing quality. This leads to increased blood flow — and thus, oxygen and nutrients — to the organs and glands. The result is better physical and mental health, fewer strokes, a more alert mind, and a more powerful digestive system.

4. Balancing the Two Sides of the Brain: Emotion and logic both play an important role in forming a balanced personality. The left brain handles analysis, logic, and mathematics; the right brain deals with emotions. Modern life often neglects the emotional side due to work pressures. Meditation restores balance, helping the individual become whole.

5. Relief from Ailments like Asthma: Scientific studies show that meditation and yogic practices like prāṇāyāma relax air passages and reduce constriction, thus providing relief from asthma symptoms.

6. Reduced Mental Tension: The pressures of modern life cause mental stress, which can lead to health issues like high blood pressure. This mind-body link is called the psychosomatic effect. Research on meditating Zen monks and Hindu yogīs has shown that their brains produce more alpha waves than non-meditators — even when not meditating. During meditation, the alpha waves become even more regular and intense.

7. Greater Youth and Vitality: Meditation reduces the production of stress hormones like adrenaline and stimulates other glands. Hormone levels in meditators resemble those of non-meditators who are 10 years younger. This explains why yogīs often look younger and live longer.

8. Age Reversal: As we age, irreversible physiological changes occur. But when biomechanical monitors are used, regular meditators (with at least 5 years of practice) are found to be about 12 years younger than their actual age. Their blood pressure, vision, and hearing are superior to non-meditators of the same age.

9. Reduction of Dependency on Drugs: Addiction to drugs like LSD and marijuana has ruined lives. While rehabilitation centers help, success rates improve when these therapies are combined with meditation. Meditation creates profound inner happiness, reducing the need for external stimulants to feel 'high.'

10. Optimizes Brain Function: Studies in journals like the Journal of Neuroscience show that meditation improves verbal expression and reduces neuroticism. It alleviates anxiety, inferiority complex, and mental instability, enhancing overall brain performance.