Why Yoga is so popular?
Yoga and meditation is one of the world's oldest systems for balancing the body and mind. There's nothing religious or mystical about it - it's simply about being present in the moment with energy and joy.
But what Buddhist monks have known for millennia, Western science is finally catching up. And while the scientific studies on the health effects of yoga are still new and emerging, there's no doubt which way the arrow is pointing - yoga is here to stay.
Yoga is good for both mind and body
Back in 2012, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, Richard Davidson from the University of Wisconsin in the US, published crucial research showing that mindfulness meditation and yoga revolutionize our brains. With over 275 articles on the connection between the brain and emotions, he has received some of America's biggest awards.
In a nutshell, it's all about the prefrontal cortex, also known as the frontal lobes, which sits at the front of the brain. It is in this part of the brain that mindfulness and yoga help to control concentration and emotions. So, the question is not whether yoga and meditation affect our brains - because it does, just like everything else in our environment. Rather, the big question is how meditation and yoga change our brains compared to other activities. And research suggests that through yoga and meditation, we can take more responsibility for the changes in our brains. We can influence our brain in a positive direction instead of leaving it to the forces around us.
Thus, HUFF POST recently published an article summarizing the conclusions of the most recognized studies on the physical and mental health effects of yoga. A nice illustrative figure shows the changes and effects your body and mind undergo from the first day you start to a few months and years later and the results speak for themselves. See the figure.
Yoga at Health Group
At Health Group, we have been focusing on yoga and mindfulness meditation for several years. Partly through group training but also in the form of various workshops where we work more in-depth with different themes. And we are noticing the increased demand and therefore have several exciting offers on the program this autumn. In addition to our intro classes, which aim to introduce employees to yoga and mindfulness - as well as being a burner for HR to see if there is interest for later implementation - we have themes such as sleep, stress and anxiety, and self-esteem. All workshops and programs are tailored to your needs and wishes and consist of a theoretical information part and a practical part that gives participants simple, useful techniques that they can take home with them afterwards.
For more information about our new products contact Irene Herbst, ih@healthgroup.dk