Why Yoga asanas promote relaxation and may boost mood

[paul linus]

No matter what school of yoga you choose to study, the practice requires students to learn mindful breathing. Some types of yoga, like Kundalini yoga, focus almost exclusively on the breathing exercises, or pranayama, that lie at the core of the practice. Yoga breathing techniques teach practitioners to lengthen and deepen the breath, which increases lung capacity and elicits the relaxation response, to lower levels of stress hormones and usher in feelings of calm and well-being.

Though scientific research into the effects of yoga workouts on concentration and mood hasn't yet been completed, yoga practitioners and teachers say that the benefits of yoga include improved concentration and mood. Scientists believe that yoga asanas and breathing techniques may relieve the symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.