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Category: Hormone

Neurotransmitters and Diseases – Neuroscience Perspective

Neurotransmitters and Diseases – Neuroscience Perspective

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There are approximately 80 billion neurons in the human nervous system interconnected through trillions of synapses. These neurons communicate with one another, and with muscle cells and gland cells, by releasing chemical messengers called “Neurotransmitters”. These neurotransmitters are involved in countless functions of the nervous system and in controlling bodily functions. They play a major role in the functioning of the body in everyday life. There are also other chemicals in the body called “Hormones” that are produced by the…

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Adho Mukha Virasana Insomnia Yoga Chikitsa Neuroscience
Yoga Therapy for Insomnia – Based on Neuroscience Understanding

Yoga Therapy for Insomnia – Based on Neuroscience Understanding

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This is the next post in the series on sleep disorders. So far, we covered the importance of sleep, neuroscience brain waves, sleep stages, healthy sleep habits, and types and causes of Insomnia. In this post let’s see how Yoga (Yogasana and Pranayama) can be used as a therapy for insomnia. Please note that this information is not a health or medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical professional or qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about…

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Understanding Insomnia from a Neuroscience Perspective

Understanding Insomnia from a Neuroscience Perspective

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Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and the third most frequent health complaint worldwide – pain and headache being the first two. So far, in the series of posts related to sleep, we covered the importance of sleep, neuroscience brain waves, sleep stages and healthy sleep habits. In this post, we will cover the causes of insomnia from a neuroscience perspective. The next post will be a continuation of this one and will elaborate on why yoga helps alleviate…

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Simple Habits for Relaxing and Rejuvenating Sleep – Neuroscience Yoga

Simple Habits for Relaxing and Rejuvenating Sleep – Neuroscience Yoga

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Good quality sleep is vital to the health of the body and mind. Long term sleep deficiency or irregular sleep is known to carry significant health risks. So far, in a series of three posts related to sleep, we covered the importance of sleep, the brain waves and stages of sleep from a neuroscience perspective. In this post, we will cover some simple habits to help you get a relaxing and rejuvenating sleep. There is nothing more rewarding than awakening refreshed…

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Neuroscience Evidence of Benefits of Yoga on Brain Health

Neuroscience Evidence of Benefits of Yoga on Brain Health

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A recent study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Wayne State University indicates that Yoga has a positive effect on the structure and function of key brain areas associated with memory. The findings provide evidence that yoga may hold promise in mitigating the age-related and neurodegenerative decline. The practice of Yoga originated and developed over many thousands of years by sages in ancient India, is known to have a positive effect on body and mind. Yoga…

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Stages of Sleep – Neuroscience and Yoga Perspective

Stages of Sleep – Neuroscience and Yoga Perspective

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After learning about the brain waves in the previous post, let’s explore the stages of sleep and what happens in each stage. The neurological understanding of sleep cycle and brain waves will be useful in correlating the Yogasanas and Pranayam with their benefits in various sleep-related disorders. It will also help avoid habits that are detrimental to health. This is the third part of the sleep series. In the first part, we covered the and the second one was about…

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Brain Waves – A Neuroscience Measure of State of Mind

Brain Waves – A Neuroscience Measure of State of Mind

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In our previous post, we covered the Neuroscience perspective of the importance of sleep, and what happens when we sleep. Before we discuss the next topics on sleep i.e. the stages of sleep and how Yoga helps in improving quality sleep, it is important to understand the neuroscience of brain waves – a measurable indicator of the state of mind. Our brain has approximately 80 to 100 billion neurons, which communicate with each other by transmitting electrical impulses through neural…

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Why 20 Minutes of Cooling Down is Important in Yoga Practice?

Why 20 Minutes of Cooling Down is Important in Yoga Practice?

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Let’s understand why the Yogic wisdom of “cooling down” is important from the lenses of modern Neuroscience. In any stressful situation during your normal daily routine (including fear, worry, and anxiety) or even a planned activity that challenges the body (like Sports, Exercise or an active Yogasana practice), the Hypothalamus (the control center for the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)) is aroused. To prepare the body for the threatening or challenging situation, the Hypothalamus directs the Adrenal Medullae to release a…

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How can I Alleviate Jet Lag and How Iyengar Yoga helps?

How can I Alleviate Jet Lag and How Iyengar Yoga helps?

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Jet lag is a condition that results from changes to the body’s internal clock called ‘Circadian Rhythms’. This is caused by rapid travel across different time zones. The circadian rhythm influences the biological, physiological and behavioral processes in our typical 24-hour cycle. These processes include the sleep-wake cycle, eating habits, core body temperature, brain wave activity, hormone production, and other important body functions. When you travel across time zones, the rhythm gets disturbed which causes sleep disturbances, cognitive discomfort, fatigue,…

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Neuroscience PTSD Yoga
Why Yoga helps in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Why Yoga helps in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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The restorative yoga poses bring back the homeostatic balance caused by trauma. This can be very helpful to a person suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Under a sustained experience of trauma, the stress hormone called ‘Cortisol’ is consistently overproduced. It eventually causes the desensitization of the HPA axis. Because of this the nervous system no longer responds to the normal homeostatic feedback loop that otherwise in a normal course causes it to “calm down”. This means the HPA axis…

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