More Reasons To Get To Your Nearest Yoga Class

As a love
of yoga, it gives me great joy to learn scientific studies that demonstrate that this ancient discipline can keep us young and healthy. I regularly do a Mysore style Ashtanga yoga class, and I know that there are few things that I have tried that cut stress so strikingly.

A recent study in Channai, India has shown that a yoga practice is fantastic for treating metabolic syndrome x. It can actually reverse the clinical and biochemical changes associated with this aging syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is one of the biggest causes of premature aging and heart disease. It is a catch all phrase that describes pre diabetic state that includes symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high triglycerides (bad cholesterol), high blood sugar, and fatigue.

Dr. R.P. Agrawal, of the SP Medical College, Bikaner, India, and colleagues evaluated the beneficial effects of yoga and meditation in 101 adults who showed symptoms of metabolic syndrome. In the study, 55 adults received three months of regular yoga including standard stress management yoga postures and a form of transcendental meditation daily. During that time they continued to receive their standard care.

The results show that yoga is antiaging and beneficial for treating metabolic syndrome x. Waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides were significantly lower, and “good” HDL cholesterol levels were higher in the yoga group as compared to controls.

Personally, I do yoga for stress release, but this research gives me further reason to jump out of bed and get to my 6:30 Ashtanga yoga class to do those postures (even when it is freezing cold and raining outside!) How far is your nearest yoga class?

This study is published in the jou
al Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.