5 Health Benefits of Yoga
When most people think of yoga, they imagine passive stretches or contorted poses. But this ancient practice is much more than just poses and flexibility.
As a pharmacist, I’ve spent years supporting people living with chronic health conditions, from high blood pressure and autoimmune conditions to anxiety and burnout. I see firsthand how vital it is to look after our health not just through medication, but through everyday habits and lifestyle choices. Beyond the poses, yoga is a powerful tool for healing, one that supports both the body and mind in deep, lasting ways.
In case you need a little reminder (or motivation), here are five science-backed benefits of yoga.
- Yoga Reduces Chronic Stress
Yoga helps regulate the body’s stress response by calming the sympathetic nervous system (the one responsible for “fight or flight”) and activating parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode. It reduces circulating cortisol levels (our stress hormone) that otherwise disrupt our internal balance, including sleep and digestion.
2. It Improves Sleep, Mood & Overall Wellbeing
Yoga boosts melatonin production, improving sleep quality, and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Yoga also influences key chemical messengers in the brain like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA helping to regulate our mood, reduce anxiety, and improve emotional balance.
3. Yoga Improves our Immune and Cardiac Health
Yoga can improve our immune functioning and reduce inflammation, helping your body recover more efficiently. When your nervous system is regulated, your body has the space it needs to repair, defend, and restore itself naturally.
Yoga contributes to lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose, reducing the long term risk of health complications like heart attacks and stroke.
4. It Changes the Brain for the Better
Yoga doesn’t just help your body, it reshapes your brain through neuroplasticity. MRI studies show that a regular yoga practice increases grey matter in brain areas responsible for memory, emotion regulation, empathy, and decision-making.
Yoga also reduces activity in the amygdala, the brain’s fear and stress center.
5. Yoga Helps with Chronic Pain
Yoga has been shown to support people living with chronic pain conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lower back pain. Mindful movement and deep relaxation reduce pain perception and yoga has shown applications in cancer. By building strength and flexibility we reduce joint pain, stiffness and maintain mobility as we age.
Yoga profoundly changes your body and mind through a holistic combination of physical poses, breathing techniques and mindfulness.
It should be inclusive and welcoming for everybody and every story. If you’ve felt disconnected and excluded from yoga then you haven’t found the right space that honours your story and feels like home. Get in touch to learn more about how yoga can support your wellbeing in a way that is inclusive and built around belonging.
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2025