User:Jackiemcdonnell/Yoga as exercise

Health[edit]

Yoga is a unique exercise that practices mindfulness, meditation, and connection to the body. By practicing yoga, people can learn to exercise and move intuitively. In Francesca Latino’s article, “Effects of an 8-Week Yoga Based Physical Exercise Intervention on Teachers’ Burnout,” the effects of yoga on the mental and emotional well-being of a group of teachers were explored. Latino explains that the results of this study show that this 8-week program allowed the teachers to develop an appreciation for their emotions and body sensations. Teachers often experience symptoms of burnout. This experiment was shown to improve and reduce their burnout symptoms. (Latino). As a society, it is important to value the improvement of mental and physical health. The teachers in this study could now do their jobs more efficiently after practicing yoga. This same study showed results of self-reliance, mental clarity, self-knowledge, and self-care. (Latino). The results of yoga can have an immense impact on one’s mental health. The article, “Yoga therapy as an add on treatment in the management of patients with schizophrenia – a randomized trial,” G Duraiswamy from the Department of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, conducts a yoga study on patients with schizophrenia. In addition to their antipsychotics, the patients were either treated with yoga or exercise therapy for four months. Duraiswamy reported that those in the yoga group “had significantly less psychopathology, and better social and occupational functioning and quality of life than those in the exercise group” (Duraiswamy). It is encouraging to learn that there are add on treatments for mental illnesses. Shown by this study, yoga has been proven to improve a schizophrenic patient's quality of life. Although yoga is not a definite solution, it can provides a helpful treatment option.