I’ve mentioned before that Yoga is a key part of my health maintenance and relapse protocols. Today I happened upon an article that may explain why I find Yoga so beneficial: It directly effects the production of compounds that enhance the immune system. Here’s a quote from an article in Salon discussing the study:
“The researchers found that the nature walk and music-driven relaxation changed the expression of 38 genes in these circulating immune cells…. yoga produced changes in 111”
I also looked up the original study (published in 2012, and open access). On reading more deeply, it appears that the research Salon is referring to is focused on a combination of pranayama (the facet of yoga concerned specifically with breathing) and asana practice (the facet of yoga concerned with poses). They also review past work on the physiological effects of yoga practice. The study tested for gene expression 2 hours after practice but does not shed light on the effects of regular yoga practice over time, or the length of time for which a specific practice has an impact.
Qu S, Olafsrud SM, Meza-Zepeda LA, Saatcioglu F (2013) Rapid Gene Expression Changes in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes upon Practice of a Comprehensive Yoga Program. PLoS ONE 8(4): e61910. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061910
Gotlyme 