How yoga affects happiness and health – Health and Wellness

Emotions directly influence the body, both positively and negatively. In general, people who feel happy have fewer health problems. Why? Because the body generates “happiness hormones”, which provide a feeling of well-being and strengthen the immune system. Those responsible are serotonin, which stimulates a good mood; dopamine, which activates the feeling of pleasure and motivation, and endorphins, which promote a state of happiness. This state of well-being has very positive effects on the body and acts directly on the immune system. By Gisela Righelato (Physical Education and Yoga Teacher) and Lucrecia Righelato (Yoga Teacher). Special for AIM.

The practice of yoga helps to generate states of happiness
Yoga generates multiple benefits in people who practice this disciplinedly, since it makes deep changes through postures that create order and physical well-being; offers breathing techniques that change the state of the body and mind; and promotes relaxation and mental focus, reprogramming the way you look at life. All these tools together, order and generate deep states of fullness and reconnection with the sensitive.

Through the different sustained postures (asanas) the organs, glands and systems are stimulated, ordering them naturally, therefore, what the person needs is reorganized with this practice, perfectly designed for general well-being. The stretching of the postures release endorphins, hormones that place people in a state of well-being and enjoyment.

The asanas also work with precision on the spine, so that, in addition to keeping it in a healthy state, which generates pleasant states, it houses the spinal canal, the main organ (along with others) of the Central Nervous System (CNS).

By stimulating the spinal cord through the postures, the CNS and the Peripheral Nervous System are ordered, carrying this message of harmonious balance to the entire being, promoting states of well-being and a sense of peace that are sustained over time, to the extent that the practices are performed frequently, because the cells of the body record that memory. Also, because you learn to apply the different tools that yoga offers in everyday life.

Other benefits of yoga that generate states of happiness
-You learn to listen to the body and love it.

– Oxytocin and serotonin levels are increased. Being happy is related to the chemical reactions of the body.

-During classes, blood pressure is reduced and cortisol levels drop, a hormone that is released in response to stress and a low level of glucocorticoids in the blood.

-Deep breathing increases positive emotions, making it a good ally to manage everyday stress.

-Anxiety is also reduced with breathing, another positive aspect to achieve happiness.

In addition, there are specific postures that act on the thymus, the primary gland of the immune system, with endocrine functions, which is closely linked to the immunosenescence of T lymphocytes, cells of the immune system, vital to respond to invading agents of the body.

Philosophy
Yoga is a philosophy of life, since it allows us to live each day with broader, loving and healthy observations, towards oneself and with others.

Happiness is not sought or built, it is a state that is chosen to travel at every moment of life.