Why Yoga Works: Its Impact on the Nervous System & Stress

**Introduction** 
Research consistently highlights yoga’s benefits for various health
conditions, including chronic pain, brain health, hormone regulation, PTSD,
anxiety, and depression. This lesson focuses on how yoga affects stress
levels. It’s essential to recognize that factors like PTSD, anxiety, or
chronic illness usually come with some level of stress, which can both result
from and exacerbate these conditions. While studies often attempt to isolate
yoga’s effects on stress from other health issues, it‚Äôs crucial to
understand that the body functions as a holistic system. The extensive body
of research illustrates yoga’s profound impact on stress management and
overall health. 

**Yoga and Genetic Expression** 

Skepticism surrounding stress-reduction practices like meditation has been
challenged by emerging scientific evidence. Studies from the Benson-Henry
Institute for Mind Body Medicine indicate that frequent activation of the
relaxation response can modify gene activity beneficially. Specifically, this
response may deactivate genes linked to chronic inflammation — a factor in
various serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes —
while activating genes associated with energy use, insulin release, and
mitochondrial function. Chronic stress leads to various health issues,
including anxiety and depression, making a balanced nervous system crucial
for effective stress management. Thus, learning to regulate our nervous
system is equally as vital as physical exercise, particularly for managing
interpersonal relationships. 

**The Role of Yoga in Relieving Stress** 

Yoga primarily aids stress relief by facilitating the relaxation response.
You can’t simply will yourself to relax, as many who suffer from chronic
stress can attest. Yoga effectively helps initiate this response through
calming breath practices, mindfulness, restorative yoga, and conscious
relaxation techniques like Yoga Nidra. Relaxation differs from sleep; it’s a
deep state of rest characterized by stillness, effortlessness, and a quiet
mind. By engaging in yoga, practitioners often stimulate the vagus nerve,
enhancing vagal tone and supporting a transition from the stress response to
relaxation. Diaphragmatic breathing, in particular, activates the
parasympathetic nervous system, fostering a calm state even amid stress. 

**Benefits of Breath Practices in Yoga** 

Practicing yogic breathing slows respiration and promotes relaxation by
enhancing vagal tone. As breath deepens and exhalation lengthens, the body’s
stress response diminishes, allowing the brain to engage more thoughtfully
and responsively rather than reacting purely out of fear. This not only calms
the body but enables a greater capacity to be present in relationships. Yoga
has also been shown to increase GABA levels, a neurotransmitter that
regulates neuronal communication and plays a critical role in behavior and
stress responses. Research has demonstrated significant increases in GABA
levels in individuals post-yoga sessions, linking lower levels of this
neurotransmitter to conditions like anxiety and depression. 

**More Stress-Relieving Effects of Yoga** 

Beyond its physiological impacts, yoga combats stress by correcting harmful
breathing patterns elevated by chronic stress responses. By managing breath
through yoga practices, individuals can re-establish a balanced respiratory
system, fostering healthier and appropriate breathing during stressful
moments. Rapid breathing during stress can lead to respiratory alkalosis,
which results in symptoms like irritability and anxiety. Conversely, slower
breath increases carbon dioxide levels, normalizing blood pH, and activating
the parasympathetic nervous system, enhancing overall calmness. Additionally,
habitual stress responses often lead to chronic muscle tension. Yoga offers a
pathway to release this tension, promoting a sense of harmony within both
body and mind. 

**Research Insights** 
Diverse studies substantiate yoga’s effectiveness in reducing stress.
Research by Chris Streeter at Boston University indicates that yoga enhances
the body’s capacity to cope with stress by increasing vagal tone. The
findings show that specific breathing techniques and chants can further
amplify relaxation responses. Additional studies highlight how mindfulness
practices can lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety, and enhance stress
resilience, demonstrating that both yoga and mindfulness can create profound
changes in response to stress.  

To learn more about yoga’s long-term impacts on the nervous system and
stress management, visit [Ashtanga Tech’s Study
Guide](https://ashtanga.tech/study-guide/anatomy-physiology/physiology/nervous-system/why-yoga-works-yogas-impact-on-the-nervous-system-stress/).