Study: Yoga INCREASES Cancer-Fighting and Immune-Boosting Antioxidants

Yoga IS good for your health. I started practicing yoga over 20 years ago now. I’ve not been a regular practitioner but practised yoga in phases.
Last year I committed to a more serious practice – here’s a post for yoga beginners and restarters if you are thinking of doing the same.
As anyone who has practised yoga for a little while will tell you, it’s a challenge. It challenges your body of course yet it also challenges your thinking, your mental capacities (I put my hand where now??) has you moving in non-Western ways which is so great for posture and regularly works on your ego.
There’s a fun quote going around online which goes:
Yoga practice isn’t about getting tight buns – it’s about getting your head out of your ass.

Ego workout

My ego gets a constant workout at yoga. If I’m not careful, I start looking at other people and myself in the mirror and getting antsy.  The internal dialogue starts up… They are doing so much better than me. I am the biggest woman here. There’s no way I’ll EVER be able to balance like that.
Then somehow I managed to giggle at myself, get back into myself, concentrate on my breathing, my chi and my driste (unfocused gaze) and get on with it. My balance poses are getting a lot better.

I get sick less often when I practice yoga

I have been noticing this. When I regularly practice yoga, I hardly ever catch a cold/flu strange unwell thing that other people are complaining about. I believe it’s because my vital force or chi is more active and therefore so is my immune system.

And I’m right! In this month’s yoga journal only yesterday I read:
“Why might yogis get sick less often? Antioxidants.
Twelve weeks of yoga led to higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants compared with running, cycling and jumping rope according to a new study in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.
While we usually Think of antioxidants coming solely from nutrient-dense foods, the body also naturally produces compounds with antioxidant properties like glutathione, an antioxidant important for immune support.”

As somebody who is working through gallbladder and liver issues, glutathione is very important to me, so the fact that I am doing yoga is an added bonus on this healing journey.
The US yoga movement is growing!  More doctors are also beginning to recommend yoga and meditation practice to help support good health.
And we get tight buns, too!

Sources

momonaspiritualjourney.com


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