My take away from the studies I read from this list (some are not available without purchasing the full reports) is that the meditative aspects of the physical asana practice manifest themselves when you are focusing on your breath during a held pose while you're holding the pose instead of wondering how much longer it will be before the instructor calls the next pose so you can get out of the one you're currently in. These moments of meditation, feeling the air move across your skin, feeling your breath as you inhale and exhale - these lead to improved brain structure and cognition. There is a link between how you hold your body (body postures/yoga poses) and reduction cortisol (stress) levels (as discussed in Amy Cuddy's book Presence and her TED talk). The ability to remain calm in a stressful situation is learned bit by bit within each yoga class. We learn this by regulating the speed at which we breath in a yoga class. Controlling the breath controls the reaction of the body.

I found the research study on the affects of a yogic meditation on the cellular activity and genome levels of caregivers to be fascinating. The study indicates that a yogic meditation reduces the creation of pro-inflammatory cytokines which are produced as a result of the psychological stressors experienced by older adult caregivers. Of course, more study is needed, but the idea that mindful meditation practice could influence the body's antiviral defenses is interesting.

This quote from the paper titled "A Systematic Review of Randomised Control Trials on the Effects of Yoga on Stress Measures and Mood" puts it nicely:

A recent UCLA study published in Volume 52, Number 2 "explored the relationship  between performance on memory tests and resting-state functional connectivity before and after a yoga intervention versus active control for subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)." This study found that practitioners of yoga and meditation had better improvements in their visual-spatial skills than did the test group taking part in the memory enhancement training (MET) alone. Granted, the yoga used in this study was Kirtan Kriya which involves chanting, hand movements and visualization of light - but I'd venture to guess that the moving meditation qualities of any yoga practice would provide the same benefit as a Kirtan Kriya practice. Here is the full research paper for reference.

I'm looking forward to more scientific studies on the effects of yoga and its relationship to neuroplasticity (how what you think can change how your brain works). Until then, I'm going to keep rolling out my mat and breathing in for a count of five and out for a count of five.

Beginning February 11th I will be teaching at Jai Dee Yoga Saturday mornings at 8:15am! This will be a 60 minute Baptiste Inspired vinyasa flow for all levels. Jai Dee Yoga is located at 5610 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604. I hope that you'll come and share your practice with me at Jai Dee.

This Baptiste Inspired Power Yoga flow is a perfect place for people to begin their yoga practice or to reconnect with their yoga roots. Personal attention and modifications are used that makes this class perfect for both beginners, through pregnancy and seasoned practitioners seeing a deep knowledge of the poses. Class moves slower than a Power Vinyasa class and poses are held for 5 breaths or more. In every single class you will move through a series of strength building poses, balancing poses, backbends, and inversions.  

Baptiste Yoga was founded in the 1940′s by Walt Baptiste and through his son Baron, it has evolved into a practice that holds true to the spirit of its creation while remaining accessible to anyone today. The physical aspects of Baptiste Yoga style are inspired by the Hatha Yoga teachings of Krishnamacharya and his students Iyengar and Desikachar.
This class is a trial engagment! Class attendance will dictate if this class gets added to the regular schedule.

Jai Dee Yoga has a new student special of your first 5 classes for $25 or a ten pack of classes for $100. Additional pricing is listed on their website.