Is Pharmacology Difficult Podcast -YOGA REDUCES STRESS-HOW?

Welcome all to IS PHARMACOLOGY DIFFICULT Podcast! I am Dr Radhika Vijay

In this episode, I will talk about  Yoga Reduces Stress-How?

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone, welcome back to my channel. Welcome to It's Pharmacology Difficult Podcast and today's topic is very very interesting and very useful topic Yoga and the stress hormones. The pharmacology of calm. Today we'll talk about something that we all experience and that is stress. Have you ever noticed how your heart rate increases just before an exam? An important presentation or a difficult conversation. That's not just a feeling, that's pharmacology in action. When your brain perceives stress, then two major systems they are activated. The first is the sympathetic nervous system, which is often called as the fight or flight system. There is a release of adrenaline and noradrenaline. It increases alertness, heart rate, and also blood pressure. The second system that is activated is the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis. That is the HPA system. There is a release of cortisol in response to the activation of this system. And you all might be knowing it so well that cortisol is nothing but the stress hormone. So all these responses are incredibly useful. Yes, don't take them in waves. They help us to react to the challenges in life and survival mode is on. But what happens if the stress becomes chronic? It should not be chronic. If it's chronic, it's not normal, it's a disease, it's a pathology. And such disturbed and chronic stress can lead to disruption of sleep, concentration, mood, blood pressure, metabolism, and even the immunity is affected. And now, guess what? Yoga comes into the picture. Yoga is not only stretching, it is also controlled breathing, movement, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques. Regular yoga practice can help reduce the perceived stress and it also improves the emotional well-being and mood. Stiple it. Now, now we come to the scientific basis. You might be wondering what is the mechanism? How does it happen? Why is yoga so beneficial? What does it do into the body? Well, I have some science to tell you yoga shifts the body away from the constant sympathetic activation towards the greater parasympathetic activity. Breathing practices, particularly pranaya, is very very effective. It's very very useful when we breathe slowly and deeply. Signals they go from the lungs and the nervous system, they communicate with the brain and they encourage a calmer physiological state. And researchers have even suggested regular yoga lowers down the cortisol level in the body, also. That is a stress harbor. Meditation practices that are done in the yoga that really lower down the cortisol level. Well, results they vary depending upon the practice of the individual and the type of the yoga they do, but results are there. So the question is does yoga eliminate the stress? Well, the right answer would be no. Yoga does not eliminate the stress, it changes our body's reaction to the stress, the threats, the challenges, and the difficult situations in life. It just changes the body's reaction, the mood, the composition, everything. The calming of the physiological state is done. It doesn't remove the storms from the life, but it helps us to become more balanced, more steadier in the middle of the storm. Well, as a pharmacologist, I find this thing very very interesting and very very fascinating. It's so wonderful. Why? Because it always reminds us that every beneficial intervention is not enclosed in a capsule or a tablet. No, it is in yoga, also, in breathing practices, also, in meditation, also, in stretching, also. And conclusively, I would wind up with only one sentence that sometimes the body's own regulatory systems they can be influenced through the practices as simple as mindful movement and conscious breathing. As we are approaching the International Yoga Day, we must be very curious to understand the science behind all these yoga and wellness practices, and that will help us to make us informed, aware of choices about our health, mindful choices about our health. Until next time, stay curious, stay healthy. Thank you. Take care. Bye bye.