Do Yoga and Meditation change the brain?
Yoga involves breathing exercises (pranayama), physical poses (asanas) and meditation. Emerging research suggests positive associations between regular yoga practice and changes in different areas of the brain. These differences have been shown in the structure of the brain, but some studies were also able to find a functional correlation. A research report by Gothe and colleagues published in December 2019 by the Journal Brain Plasticity explored the studies (1). MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was used to investigate the possible effects of a regular practice on the structure of the brain comparing yoga practitioners with people who don't practice yoga. For example, a cross-sectional study done in women over the age of 60 by Alfonso and colleagues found differences in cortical thickness in women with eight or more years of Hatha Yoga experience compared to women who did not practice yoga (2). It is important to make clear that participants from bo...