Hey Yogis! Let’s Talk Brain Power: How Your Mat Changes Your Mind (Literally!)

Hello everyone!

Today we are really going to look deeper into something so cool: what is going on in your amazing brain when you are moving through a yoga sequence or still in meditation? You know that feeling of deep calm, clarity, and well-being that you feel after performing yoga? It’s not just a feeling; there are bona fide changes happening in your brain, in its structure and chemistry! We are going to take a look at the nuances of the neuroscience of yoga and exactly how this ancient practice is literally changing your brain for health and resilience. 

We all know that yoga has benefits for physical strength, flexibility, and balance; however, the more powerful changes often take place so subtly, under the radar of our everyday minds. Remember those moments when you are feeling stressed under pressure, with overwhelming anxiety fogging your mind? Upon standing on your mat, it is often as if you are free from the toxins causing you so much distress, tension, and anxiety, coming into a peaceful state of mind. This isn’t magic; this is your brain responding to massively powerful intentional inputs!

Neuroplasticity is at the core of the brain-rewiring power of yoga. It is the brain’s unique ability, throughout our lives, to change and reorganize by establishing new neural pathways. With every experience, every thought, and every action, we change, and in the case of yoga, we can enhance, reconfigure, and shape the brain to help cultivate resilience, focus, and joy! 

But how does it all work? Let us break out some of the primary mechanisms:

1. Mindfulness and meditation can restructure our inner world.

Many yoga practices teach mindfulness techniques and foster a state of focused meditation. When we focus our awareness on our breath, on bodily sensations, or on a singular point of focus, we are creating, enhancing, and strengthening specific neural pathways. 

• Prefrontal Cortex Activation—commonly referred to as the “command center of the brain,” the prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive function skills including attention, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Regular mindfulness meditation practice has been shown to increase grey matter volume in the prefrontal cortex and contributes to our overall focus, impulse control, and emotional reactivity (or lack thereof). This helps us to experience and respond to tough events from a more grounded, less reactive perspective.
• Reduced Amygdala Activity: The amygdala, also known as the brain’s fear center, handles emotional responses (including all types of fear and anxiety). fMRI scan research found that long-term meditators had reduced activation and size of part of the amygdala. This indicates that there is less of a “fight or flight” reaction to perceiving threats and an actual experience of a more relaxed state with lower levels of chronic anxiety.
• Hippocampal Change: The hippocampus processes memory and learning. The results of the study show that the overall size of the hippocampus increases with regular yoga and meditation practice, which contribute to memory development and learning new information.

2. Physical Asanas: A Full-Body Brain Boost For Your Journey

Your brain gains far more than the quiet you consider. Yoga positions (asanas) have a purpose, particularly with dynamic movement and static holds into changing your mind.

• Improved Proprioception: Practicing asanas requires excellent body awareness and control, which improves balance awareness and proprioception. This heightens neuronal communication from the brain to the body, enhancing coordination and strengthening consciousness or connection from the brain to the body.
• Boosts Neurogenesis: Movement practices like yoga increase blood flow, oxygen, and nutrition delivery to the brain, which stimulates neurogenesis, or the formation and maturation of new neurons from neuronal stem cells, particularly in the hippocampus. This may improve cognitive performance and aid in preventing decline as we age.
• Yoga, like any other aerobic activity, promotes the release of BDNF (also known as “brain fertilizer”). BDNF helps to generate new neurons and synapses while also promoting the survival of existing ones. This is one of the most essential stages in increasing brain plasticity and cognitive endurance.

3. Breathwork (Pranayama): Hacking Your Nervous System

Yoga has an intentional breath practice, referred to as pranayama, which can directly impact your nervous system.

• Balancing Autonomic Nervous System: The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (or fight or flight response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (or rest and digest response). Many pranayama techniques, particularly slow, deep belly breathing, engage the parasympathetic nerve system, causing the body to drop its heart rate, blood pressure, and stress reaction, resulting in a profound sense of relaxation and serenity.
• Reduction of cortisol: Chronic stress causes high levels of cortisol to be continuously present in the body (often called the “stress hormone”). Persistently high levels of cortisol can negatively affect brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus. Moreover, significant impairment of memory has been correlated with high levels of stress, particularly high levels of cortisol, as well as a greater risk for mood disorders. Cortisol levels can be significantly reduced by regular yoga practice and deep breathing, protecting our brain from its harmful effects and allowing us to maintain an overall balanced emotional state.
• Increased GABA activity: Some studies suggest that practicing yoga may increase the brain’s production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that inhibits nerve cell activity. In general, an increase in GABA lowers anxiety and enhances mood.

4. Integration and Connectivity: The Holistic Impact

In the end, the benefits of yoga come from the combination of its components (movement, breath, and mindfulness). When you put the combination of movement, breath, and mindfulness into a whole, you get better integration across brains (increased functionality). More functionality means better communication between your brain’s networks, which enhances emotional regulation and provides better choices and a more unified sense of self. 

So next time you find yourself on your mat, remember, you are not just exercising. You are practicing a special, scientifically proven rewiring practice designed to give you a more resilient, calm, and cognitive mind. Keep practicing, breathing, and relying on your amazing intellect!

What significant changes have you noticed in your clarity, attention, and emotional economy since beginning your yoga journey? Please share your ideas and stories in the comments below! We really enjoy hearing how yoga is changing people’s lives! If you want to think about practicing yoga deeper, we’d suggest you try a different style of yoga and really experiment until you find one that you like.

At Maa Shakti Yog Bali, our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course is designed to guide you deeper into this mind-body connection, equipping you with both the practice and the science of yoga. Whether you want to teach or simply deepen your own journey, this training helps you experience first-hand how yoga truly transforms the brain, body, and spirit.

Namaste!