Why Does Yoga Make You Feel Good?

I was privy to a conversation at the end of my class this week that fired me up. Two of my students discussed how yoga is not an exercise class and this isn’t where you’d come to lose weight. I leaned in, intrigued by their perspective.

These students continued about how this was where you come for your mind and to work with your breath and feel better. I could have jumped up and down, clapping like a happy seal. I didn’t though. I took a breath.

My hand metaphorically hit my chest and I smiled at the sky. That’s it, that’s why I am here and they are here, too. To feel better. To feel good. Sometimes just to feel.

Now, arguably there are a lot of yoga classes out there that could increase the tone of the meat-sack that you wander around in on the day-to-day…but that’s someone else's class. Not mine.

I teach class so that I can introduce you to the subtler benefits of yoga that make you feel good, in the body and the mind.

But why does it do that? Why do we feel good after Yoga class?

Aside from the obvious benefits of carving out an hour of your time to slow down. There’s more.

Fascia:

No, not a tasty bread. That’s focaccia. Also great! Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles and our organs. Just like the muscles, it can get tense, and lose mobility and elasticity. Yoga Asana (the movements we do in class) stretches and moves the fascia which improves its mobility. This helps us to feel more comfortable as well as reduce tension in the muscles of the body. When the fascia moves more freely, we notice an improved range of motion and decreased pain.

Mental Wellbeing:

Ever noticed that yoga high? A floaty-light or sometimes a little bit of a subdued feeling after class? That’s because it’s been proven that yoga effectively reduces cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and regulates the body’s stress response. It also activates the body’s relaxation response and can lead to decreased anxiety levels and enhanced mood.

Breathing:

Whether you are learning pranayama or just following the breaths as you move, breathwork is proven to reduce heart rate, decrease blood pressure and increase your feelings of wellbeing.

Mindfulness:

Whether we know it or not, when we focus on our breathing or putting our body into a certain position, we are practising mindfulness. Mindfulness has been shown to improve emotional regulation, alleviate anxiety and depression, and regulate the amount of serotonin and GABA’s that are released into the system. Both of which affect the mood.

So, in a very nerdy manner, here is your answer. Yoga class makes you feel good because it works subtly on the body and the mind.