Though yoga is not fully integrated into Western medicine, David Shapiro, UCLA researcher at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, said yoga is a valuable form of naturo-therapy, a natural approach to health and wellness.
“There is a need to evaluate and develop yoga’s potential … to regulate emotional response and enhance cooperation with stress,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro’s research delves into the relationship between mood changes and depression in yoga participants. He said yoga encourages people to come together and interact, allowing the heart to find physical and emotional happiness while they engage in yoga activities.
“People feel good after taking yoga classes. They feel more energetic, more positive,” he said.
Shapiro’s ongoing study has shown how yoga can have direct health benefits, as indicated by blood pressure and heart rate measures, he said.
These findings point to yoga as a potential gateway to maintaining a healthier heart as well as promoting balance through physical activity and spiritual stimulation, he added.
In addition, yoga can help to directly alleviate some of the overwhelming stressors many students face in a university setting, Shapiro said.
Aimee Williams, a first-year public health student, explained how being in one of UCLA’s yoga classes aided her in recovering from an eating disorder manifested by excessive workouts.
“I would make myself run. I would feel better, but not calmer. … In yoga, your body shape does not matter. It helps you not be in competition with another,” Williams said.
Cynthia Cyrus, the instructor for a strength and conditioning class at the John Wooden Center, said she personally values high-impact workouts in comparison to yoga and Pilates.