Dr. R.P. Agrawal, of the SP Medical College, Bikaner, India and fellow colleagues took 101 volunteers and evaluated the beneficial effects of yoga on these metabolic syndrome sufferers. With three months of regular yoga treatment, meditation and Raja yoga, the patients showed signs of lowered cholesterol, decrease in waist circumference and lower blood pressure as well.

A second study was completed by Dr. Anette Kjellgren from the University Of Karlstad, Sweden where the evaluation of yoga-like breathing exercises was used on patients. Fifty-five adults spent six days a week for six weeks practicing slow and long cycles of breathing as well as rapid breathing patterns as well. At the end of this study period the patients found themselves feeling less anxiety and stress and their levels of optimism were significantly higher.

Frank Mangano’s commentary:

These two studies show that yoga induces relaxation in people of any age and can prevent lifestyle diseases as well. It is important to note here that yoga not only has the ability to prevent lifestyle diseases but gives people a strong and relaxing way to deal with diseases when diagnosed. Yoga is a powerful therapy that can be a great workout for the mind, body and soul as a whole and there are not many other therapies which exist today, quite like the practice of yoga.

Many people do not recognize yoga as the natural solution to many lifestyle problems. It is not only a fitness regime that has become so popular, it is also an age old therapy and this is the feature people tend to forget about. Yoga is the number one relaxation method as is it combines specific stretches which allow you to release tension throughout the body in a gentle and relaxing fashion. Yoga also works well in relieving stress in the mind. During yoga class you will find your mind is completely clear and the thoughts that are constantly cluttering your mind will disappear the minute the class begins.

Yoga is a great holistic experience for men and women of any age. It is a great opportunity for elderly people to improve their flexibility, joint movement and even bone density which can prevent broken bones in old age. With so many natural benefits of yoga, there is absolutely no reason not to try this therapy and see what it can do for you.

“The benefits could include less pain and fatigue, and more vigor, relaxation, and acceptance,” said study leader Dr. James W. Carson of the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

The study involved 13 women with breast cancer that had spread to other parts of their bodies with the age average of participants being 59 years, and the average time of diagnosis being seven years previous to the study and tested the effects that a specifically tailored yoga program would have on these women

Over an eight week period, the women attended a yoga class which included breathing, mediation and gentle yoga postures, as prescribed by the “Yoga of Awareness” program, which is specifically designed to help with emotional distress once a week. According to the researchers, the yoga exercises demonstrated immediate benefits in “significantly boosting daily invigoration and a sense of acceptance”. Relaxation was improved and pain relief was evident as well.

“Greater practice on a given day was associated with improvements not only on the same day, but the next day as well,” the researchers wrote. The new study “provides some of the first, tentative evidence for yoga’s potential benefits in this vulnerable population of women with limited life expectancy,” they concluded.

In women across the world, breast cancer is the most common cancer, taking the most amounts of lives among them as well. In women who reach the age of 90, roughly 25% will suffer from this form of cancer at some point in their lives.

Aside from that, other parts of the body can be affected by breast cancer as it spreads through the lymph nodes under the arms or through blood vessels, most commonly to the bones. Once it spreads to the bones, the cancer is then considered incurable by conventional oncologists. Treatment however, may prolong the life of a patient for several years.

Frank Mangano’s Commentary:

While the best form of treatment is a preventative approach through getting sufficient exercise and eating the right foods, it’s nice to know that in cases where cancer is evident, there are more alternative treatments available now then ever as demonstrated in this study. Yoga has been a favorite from of exercise for me for some time.

There are many different forms of yoga to enjoy. Read the following article to learn more about specific types of yoga and the benefits associated with each form:

Yoga: Spiritual and Physical Exercises That Promote Health and Well-Being