30 January Ray Child January 30, 2012 Focus, Pain Management, and Dallas Hot Yoga Hot Yoga austin, dallas, hot yoga, pain management, yoga 1 Comment When you think of hot yoga, pain management may not be something you directly associate with all the bending and stretching of a yoga class. But new evidence directly links the benefits of focus and breathing with significant improvements in pain perception. Yoga and Mental Exercise Mystic hoopla aside, yoga is concentration in motion. This intense concentration focuses the mind on one point of interest, allowing all the other chatter in the brain to fall away. In yoga, the posture (asana) provides the point of focus, involving your whole brain in keeping your balance. It’s hard to think about your checkbook or your love life when it’s all you can do to grab your ankle and hold on for dear life! Dallas hot yoga challenges your body to a serious workout that captures your attention and your senses. When you’re in the studio, the chatter of the mind dies away as you focus solely on your practice. Pain Management and the Power of the Mind According to Psychology Today, this kind of focused activity calms areas of the brain associated with stress and fear. Brain activity is heightened in areas (specifically, the left frontal lobe of the brain) that represent calmer and happier states of mind. A new study by Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. found that significant pain-relief benefits can be achieved through this kind of mental exercise. The researchers asked 15 volunteers to attend four 20-minute training sessions in mental focus. After the sessions, researchers measured brain activity as the volunteers practiced their techniques. An implement heated to 120 degrees Fahrenheit was applied to the volunteers’ legs. They found that pain intensity was reduced by about 40 percent, and that pain “unpleasantness” was reduced by a whopping 57 percent. Mental Focus vs. Pain Killers in Pain Management Even such heavy-hitting painkilling drugs as morphine only reduce pain intensity by around 25 percent. This means that using the kind of ‘mental exercise’ that goes along with hot yoga has the potential for more effective pain management than even our strongest drugs! So much for the notion that yoga is nothing more than pointless pretzel-ing, right? To find out how Sunstone Yoga can help you manage your pain through movement, check out our website, friend us on Facebook, or come visit your local studio. Related Articles Who Does Yoga? – Breaking Through Dallas’ Hot Yoga Myths Yoga has been around for thousands of years, but it’s still a very misunderstood form of exercise in America. Misconceptions about yoga, most especially Dallas hot yoga, are still, (sadly) widespread in the West. Here are a few of the most far-reaching yoga myths. You have to be in perfect shape if you want to do yoga. Don’t Settle for “Gym Yoga” – Dallas Hot Yoga is a Cut Above Gym Yoga Do you know what the difference is between “gym yoga” and Dallas hot yoga? When you take a yoga class at the gym, you may get a sub-par experience that leaves you disappointed. Gym classes are designed for the broadest audience, and sometimes even taught by instructors with no certification and little experience. Advantages of Hot Yoga: 5 Ways Hot Yoga Helps Insomnia The advantages of hot yoga are many and varied… and one of hot yoga’s most surprising benefits is that it can alleviate insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by stress, anxiety and depression, a lack of physical activity, diet, or imbalances in body chemistry. Yoga, especially hot yoga, can address all of these concerns. Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class Yoga Tips for Beginners: What To Know Before Your First Yoga Class If you’ve been thinking about getting into shape, you may have considered taking a yoga class. Yoga can be a great way to either get in shape or maintain your level of fitness. It builds strength and flexibility while simultaneously allowing you to focus on your breathing. By practicing yoga, you learn how to control your breathing, even during some rather challenging poses. This in turn helps you in virtually every other area of your life, as it allows you to remain calm and stay in control of your emotions. Yoga also helps you become more in tune with yourself. Therefore, you have the chance to reap both physical and mental benefits of practicing it. Here are some top yoga tips for beginners: Dallas Hot Yoga: Sunstone’s Beginner Poses Anyone who is new to yoga, or curious about yoga, can be deterred by visions of people tying themselves up into impossible pretzels. Dallas hot yoga in particular, since we live in such a hot climate to begin with, often gets a sideways look and the question, “Why would you do that to yourself?” Yoga Teacher Training: Transformational Learning at Sunstone Yoga Academy Is yoga teacher training right for you? Even basic yoga training can change your life. Whether you want to open your own studio or just take your yoga practice to the next level, Sunstone Yoga Academy can help you open up to the world around you. Our Yoga Academy is for people who are passionate about yoga and growing their practice—we’re not just looking for people who want to teach yoga! Comments are closed.