10:32
Valley OBGYN
Today, there is a wave of
yoga and meditation going around the world. We get to read and hear a lot of
information about yoga, meditation and their benefits from newspapers,
magazines and televisions touting. Worldwide many research studies have been
conducted to ascertain the significance and dynamism of these ancient cultures. Now let us see what is
yoga and meditation.
With expansion in
diversity across the world, it has become challenging to set forth a single,
common definition of yoga. The word yoga comes from an ancient Indian language,
Sanskrit. It has been derived from the word “yuj”, which means to unite or to
integrate. The crux of yoga is in harmonizing our body with mind and soul by
means of various breathing exercises (pranayama), yoga postures (asanas) and
meditation. Let us move further to understand the meaning of an integral part
of yoga i.e. meditation. As our life is moving faster without relaxation, we
oftentimes tend to find calmness and want to unplug ourselves to give our minds
a rest. Meditation is one such way to unwind and calm our mind.
Yoga and meditation
have their roots in history that goes back to 1000s of years. The researchers
have successfully demonstrated that these ancient practices are like an asset
to human being. In yoga, body is treated with utmost care which positively
impacts our health and leads to serenity.
In this post we will
be talking about the health benefits of yoga and meditation specifically for
women. So for all the ladies out there, just adding few postures to your
everyday exercise routine can help you achieve potential health benefits. And
these benefits will be at physical and mental level too! Following are the
various positive health impacts of yoga and meditation on women’s wellness.
·
Stress,
anxiety and depression
We all experience stress,
anxiety and feel panicky time to time in our life. However, women are reported
to be more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression. Anxiety and Depression
Association of America reports women are twice as likely to experience anxiety
disorder as men [1]. Generalized stress, anxiety and depression if not taken
care of, may lead to panic attacks and phobias in future. Yoga has apparently
been proven as an effective method to manage stress that can improve the
emotional disturbance in women. A one year study conducted in 2009 showed that
women participating in twice weekly yoga classes (Ashtanga yoga exercises) of 90 minutes for two months demonstrated
significantly lowered anxiety. The researchers also asserted that yoga can be
considered as an alternative for medical therapy for the treatment of anxiety
disorders [2]. Also, practicing meditation on a regular basis reduces anxiety
and provides emotional health boost in women [3].
·
Weight
loss
Most women at some
point struggle with their weight gain. There are many reasons why women put on
the pounds. The predominant factors are sedentary lifestyle, genetic
composition or environmental influences that cause weigh gain in women. You might
know that sometimes there is unintentional weight gain due to hypothyroidism, chronic
depression, menopause, Hashimoto’s diseases or postpartum depression. Yoga poses
have magical powers that help women in shedding those extra pounds and lead a
healthy life. A study conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center in Seattle included 15,500 middle‑aged healthy men and women as
participants. It was inferred that regular yoga practice indeed strongly helped
people lose weight or at least attenuate weight gain [4]. Yoga poses like half‑moon
pose, warrior pose, chair pose, tree pose, forward bending pose and sun
salutation help women in weight loss and feel healthy.
·
Backache
and posture problems
Do you experience
gnawing back pain even after doing light physical activities? Then yoga is a
powerful remedy for your back problems which improves postures too. General
reasons for back pain in women include sitting or standing for long hours,
incorrect posture, lack of exercise, obesity or weak back muscles. The
researchers from Korea carried out a study in pre‑menopausal women with
chronic low back pain. The women practiced yoga three times a week for 12 weeks.
It was observed that yoga reduced the symptoms of back pain and improved back
flexibility in study participants [5]. You can strengthen your back muscles by
practicing simple yoga postures such as triangle pose, knee‑to‑chin pose, cat
stretch and standing spinal twist pose.
·
Osteoporosis
and osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis (reduction
in bone density) and osteoarthritis (inflammation and degeneration of joints) in
knees, wrist, fingers, toes and hips are commonly occurring painful disorders
in women due to low bone mass. Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can impair your
ability to walk and can cause prolonged or permanent incapacity. Most doctors
prescribe heavy dose medications for such conditions. Yoga appears to be a
natural and economical way to build bone mineral density. A clinical study
published in European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in 2010
proved yoga as a successful alternative physical therapy for the rehabilitation
of osteoporotic women [6]. The effective yoga poses for bone disorders include
mountain pose, Warrior pose II, bound angle pose and staff pose.
·
Menstrual
problems and post‑menopausal hormonal imbalances
A normal menstrual
cycle is of 28±7 days. But, your menstrual cycle is not always regular. You may
experience pain, cramps and heavy blood flow during menstruations which may
lead to anxiety and depression. The irregular and painful periods are majorly
related to the hormonal imbalances. The factors that trigger irregular or
missed menses may include obesity, excessive dieting and exercise, stress,
medications, polycystic ovarian syndrome and age. A natural way to cure
menstrual problems is yoga and meditation. The safe and simple yoga poses can
heal problems like hormonal menstruation disorders, heavy blood flow and
painful menses. Three yoga poses called cobra pose, cat pose and fish pose are
known to be very effective in reducing the severity and duration of menstrual
pain [7]. It has been proven that Yoga
Nidra (relaxation therapy) reduces the psychological problems like anxiety
and depression associated with menstrual disorders [8].
Now coming to post-menopause;
it is defined as the time after menopause. Natural post‑menopause usually
begins in women between their late 40s to early 60s. During post‑menopausal
time, many women face bothersome symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood
fluctuations, anxiety and weight gain. Nowadays, varied treatment modalities
ranging from acupuncture to hormone replacement therapy are available for post‑menopausal
symptoms. However, amongst these, yoga is the most natural treatment option
which works wonderfully. It includes breathing techniques, postures, and
relaxation poses designed specifically for post‑menopausal symptoms. Improvement
in the symptoms such as hot flushes and insomnia has been noted with yoga and
meditation [9].
·
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a
medical term used for underactive thyroid gland wherein your thyroid gland does
not make enough thyroid hormone. It most commonly occurs in females than males.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism include muscle and joint pain, fatigue, anxiety,
sexual dysfunction, dry skin, hair loss, fertility problems, weight gain and
poor memory.
Hypothyroidism can be
kept under control by taking generic or syntheroid hormone pills once a day.
However, yoga and breathing exercises can assist in overcoming thyroid problems
along with medications. A study conducted in 2011 to assess the quality of life
of female hypothyroid patients, states that yoga is a supportive therapy which
helps hypothyroid patients to manage their disease-related symptoms [10]. The
yoga poses such as shoulder stand, inverted pose, fish pose, plow pose, cat
stretch and fast-paced sun salutation are recommended for hypothyroidism.
·
Psychological
impacts in breast cancer patients
According to the
National Cancer Institute, more than 230,000 women in the United States are
diagnosed with breast cancer every year [11]. Being diagnosed with breast
cancer can be most distressing for women. The stress continues even after the
treatment as the disease extends over a longer period of time. Yoga and
meditation relax the mind and decrease the vulnerability of women with breast
cancer. Research has shown that yoga improves physical functioning, reduces
fatigue, stress, and improves sleep and quality of life of women [12]. The
corpse pose, bridge pose, warrior II pose, crescent lunge pose and hero pose
are advised for alleviating breast cancer emotional symptoms.
·
Infertility
Can yoga actually help
in treating infertility in women? The answer is yes, it can. Clinical studies
show that yoga and meditation reduce stress which is one of the leading causes
of infertility. Research has also proven that specific yoga poses and
meditation can help promote ovulation process by increasing blood circulation, stimulating
hormone-producing glands, and releasing muscle tension. Yoga also tones and
nourishes your reproductive organs and encourages them to function optimally.
Practicing yoga postures like staff pose, half ankle to knee pose, bridge pose,
mountain pose, high lunge with side stretch, Yogini squat, corpse pose and
goodness pose can help in curing infertility problems [13].
Thus, yoga and
meditation is a holistic approach which improves your body flexibility,
strength, posture and strengthen other physical and mental powers. Science has
proven yoga to be a promising mind‑body practice which treats various
disorders. Therefore practice yoga regularly under trained instructor’s
guidance and bring about positive lifestyle changes.
References:
2.
Javnbakht M., Kenari R. H., and Ghasemi
M. 2009. Effects of yoga on depression and anxiety of women. Practice. 15(2): 102‑104.
3.
Tacón A. M., McComb J., Caldera Y., and
Randolph P. 2003. Mindfulness meditation, anxiety reduction, and heart disease:
a pilot study. Family & Community
Health. 26(1): 25‑33.
4.
Kristal A. R., Littman A. J., Benitez D.,
and White E. 2005. Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in
healthy, middle-aged men and women. Alternative
Therapies. 11(4): 28‑33.
5.
Lee M., Moon W., and Kim J. 2014. Effect
of yoga on pain, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and serotonin in
premenopausal women with chronic low back pain. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
6.
Tüzün S., Aktas I., Akarirmak U., Sipahi
S., and Tüzün F. 2010. Yoga might be an alternative training for the quality of
life and balance in postmenopausal osteoporosis. European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 46(1): 69‑72.
7.
Zahra R. 2011. Effect of three yoga
poses (cobra, cat and fish poses) in women with primary dysmenorrhea: a
randomized clinical trial. Journal of
Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. 24(4): 192‑196.
8.
Rani K., Tiwari S. C., Singh U., Agrawal
G. G., Ghildiyal A., and Srivastava N. 2011. Impact of Yoga Nidra on psychological general wellbeing in patients with
menstrual irregularities: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Yoga. 4(1): 20‑25.
9.
Booth-LaForce C., Thurston R. C., and
Taylor M. R. 2007. A pilot study of a Hatha
yoga treatment for menopausal symptoms. Maturitas.
57(3): 286‑295.
10.
Singh P., Singh B., Dave R., and
Udainiya R. 2011. The impact of yoga upon female patients suffering from
hypothyroidism. Complementary Therapies
in Clinical Practice. 17(3): 132‑134.
12.
Cramer H., Lange S., Klose P., Paul A.,
and Dobos G. 2012. Yoga for breast cancer patients and survivors: a systematic
review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer.
12: 412.
