Yoga benefits beyond the mat
The ancient practice of yoga has become increasingly popular in today’s busy society. Yoga provides many psychic and physical benefits, acknowledged by more and more people who feel them, whether they’re practicing on a mat in their bedroom, in an ashram in India, or even in New York’s Times Square. More recently, the western society discovered that the benefits of yoga practice extend to the kitchen table.
There are many types of yoga. However, in the West Hatha Yoga is one of the most popular styles. Generally, the practice focuses on a series of asana-s (yoga postures), which end with savasana (a resting pose). These are followed by Pranayama (breath-controlled exercises).
Yoga develops inner awareness. It’s not about physical appearance.
Yoga studios typically don’t have mirrors. This is so people can focus their awareness inward rather than how a pose – or the people around them – looks. Surveys have found that those who practice yoga are more aware of their bodies than people who didn’t practice yoga. They are also more satisfied with and less critical of their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part in the treatment of eating disorders and programs that promote beneficial body image.
Awareness refers to focusing our attention on what we are experiencing in the present moment without judging ourselves.
Practicing yoga has been shown to increase awareness not just in class, but in other areas of a person’s life.
Researchers describe conscious eating as a nonjudgmental awareness of the physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. They developed a questionnaire to measure conscious eating using these behaviours:
- eating even when full
- being aware of how food looks, tastes, and smells
- eating in response to environmental cues, such as the sight or smell of food
- eating when sad or stressed (emotional eating)
- eating when distracted (by TV, phone etc).
The researchers found that people who practiced yoga were more conscious eaters, according to their scores. Both years of yoga practice and duration of practice per week were associated with better aware eating scores.
Practicing yoga helps us be more aware how our body feels. This heightened awareness can carry over to mealtime as we savour each bite or sip and note how food smells, tastes, and feels in your mouth.
People who practice yoga and are conscious eaters are more in tune with their bodies. They are more sensitive to hunger cues and feelings of fullness.
Researchers found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years gained less weight during middle adulthood. People who were overweight actually lost weight. Overall, those who practiced yoga had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with those who did not practice yoga. Researchers attributed this to awareness. Conscious eating can lead to a more beneficial relationship with food and eating.
Yoga is known for its ability to soothe psychic tension and anxiety. But it can also have an impact on a person’s exercise capacity.
Researchers studied a small group of sedentary people who had not practiced yoga before. After eight weeks of practicing yoga at least twice a week for a total of 180 minutes, participants had greater muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardio-respiratory fitness.
Several small studies have found yoga to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors: it helped lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension. It’s likely that yoga restores “baroreceptor sensitivity.” This helps the body sense imbalances in blood pressure and maintain balance.
Another study found that practicing yoga improved lipid profiles in healthy patients, as well as in patients with known coronary artery disease. It also lowered excessive blood sugar levels in people with non-insulin dependent diabetes and reduced their need for medications. Yoga is now being included in many cardiac rehabilitation programs due to its cardiovascular and stress-relieving benefits.
Researchers are now studying how yoga can help people with depression and arthritis, and improve survival from cancer.
Author: Harvard Medical School
yogaesoteric
June 21, 2025