NEUROPLASTICITY AND NEUROGENESIS IN YOGA PRACTICE

Resumo

Introduction: The applications of Yoga in activities aimed at the welfare are growing around the world. It has also been recently introduced as therapy in  health matters. The reputation of Yoga as a stress reductor and mental health stimulator reinforced his popularity in recent years. Data from randomized trials suggest that yoga reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. In this review, it will be highlighted the effects of yoga concerning mainly to the stress, as anxiety, depression and also on cognition. Literature Review: Bastille & Gill-Body (2004) started from the EEG analysis as a basis for studying the effects of yoga on stress. Overall, studies brought a first proof that practitioners of meditation in Yoga have higher capacity to manage emotional arousal, and thus lessen the effects of stress. Kohn (2013) also examined in his study various factors related to stress and the use of yoga in its treatment. At the end of the study, it was noticed a significant drop of the clinical signs of anxiety and depression in therapeutic yoga participants. Regarding cognition, from Froeliger (2012) is concluded, at the end of the study, that prolonged practice of yoga may stimulate the fronto-cerebellar connectivity (responsible for cognitive control) and neuroplasticity, due to intense motor skill learning involved in this practice. In pathological issues, schizophrenia has also been the subject of studies related to yoga, demonstrating its effectiveness in the treatment of this condition. Conclusion: Considering yoga as a viable practice for relieving stress and its symptoms is a significant gain for science. Moreover, its importance in cognitive functions, both on improving itself, and in response to pathological cognitive dysfunctions (schizophrenia), makes from it an even more important object of study throughout the time.