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I dont want to go to yoga.

Id much rather stay put in my favorite corner of the couch because Ive finally arranged the pillows just right and buried myself in this blanket. I simply cannot fathom leaving this position to do a Sun Salutation.

Id much rather scroll through every single app on my phone. Ive already checked email, of course, but I still have not looked at the weather forecast for the rest of the month, or checked if Ive received any new LinkedIn messages in the last three hours, or if the money in my bank account is still there. There are many apps to check, you see. And I cant check them if Im in Warrior 3.

I dont want to go to yoga.

Id much rather think about the snacks in my pantry and debate sweet versus salty. Or maybe order delivery. Indian? Thai? Sushi? Ah, yes, theres far more pleasure found tip-toeing to find treats in the kitchen than in hearing the teacher say come into Pigeon.

Id much rather check out whats on Netflix. I mean, Ive watched everything already, but theres that series Ive been thinking about rewatching. And then there might be something new on Hulu or Apple TV+. After all, why go into Upward Bow when I could watch a new true crime show?

I dont want to go to yoga.

Id much rather see what multi-level marketing my high school nemesis is hustling on Facebook, watch my friends baby trying avocado on Instagram, or catch up on cat videos on TikTok. And look, a wedding! Forget Plank Pose; I must thoroughly assess the dress she chose.

Id much rather slow blink at my cat or have a staring contest. Sure, he has a 95 percent success rate, but Im really gunning to inflate my five percent. And doesnt science show that playing with your pet is a form of relaxation? Who then really needs breathwork and meditation?

I dont want to go to yoga.

Id much rather reorganize my closet. After all, a new season is coming and Ive had the itch to put clothes I no longer wear in a bag, put said bag into the trunk of my car, and wait seven more months before dropping the bag off for donation. And now that I see the options in my closet, Id much rather put on my sweats than a yoga mindset.

Id much rather practice Savasana from home. Underneath the covers, in my pjs, with my previously chosen snack. Besides, I can always ask Alexa to turn on a guided visualization so that I can stay, quite comfortably, in my state of stagnation.

I dont want to go to yoga.

Alas, Netflix just asked if I was still watching (the nerve!) and my neck is kind of hurting from looking down at my phone. The thought comes up sneakily, maybe I should go to yoga?

I look at my yoga mat, sitting lonely by the door, and think about the cold lavender-scented towels doled out after class. Would it really be so bad? I need to wash my hair anyway, so I may as well get all sweaty. I look to see if I can make it to class at 6:30. Google Maps tells me I can make it in twenty.

I didnt want to go to yoga.

The teacher asks us to think of an intention. My intention today is to return to my couch as soon as possible. But then they remind us to relax our shoulders and only then do I realize how much tension Ive been holding. And after a full day lounging in Couch Pose, I dont so much mind Chair Pose. And with my new yoga glow, it shows.

Now its after class, and I feel criminally fantastic. That neck ache? Gone! That anxiety that was snaking around my chest all week? Vanished! That pose Ive been trying to get into for months and months? Crushed it! And Im not one to gloat, but I felt pretty strong in Boat.

I didnt want to go to yoga.

But now? Im one happy lady heading home after Happy Baby. And you know what? Forget whats in my pantry or on TV. When I get back, Im going to fall asleep early and wake up for the 8:30.

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Feeling Like You Don't Want to Go to Yoga? Read This. - Yoga Journal

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

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Aka the perfect trousers for lounging in. Sweaty Bettys design team considered comfort, style and utility in this updated version of the bestselling Gary pants (RIP). The deep waistband is flattering and comfortable, while the pockets on the side are ideal for your keys, phone or any pre/post yoga snacks. Featuring a loose-fitting barrel leg thats cuffed at the bottom, theyre both sweat-wicking and squat-proof.

Like the whole collection, they are available in a range of colours, designed to be mixed and matched, from an eye-catching reef blue to a classic flattering black and a stylish grey marl.

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This long-sleeve top is great for throwing on over your sports bra or vest top. Like the rest of the collection, it has a super comfortable, loose fit that is just as handy for workouts as it is for working from home. Lightweight with a boxy fit, its another solid layering piece.

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Paired with the Gaia pant, youve got the perfect comfy duo. With a flattering V-neck, its designed as a light support bra great for yoga flows, low impact workouts and popping out to the shops. Rave early reviews have confirmed that it offers a good level of support, without being overly tight or uncomfortable.

It also has removable pads, which is ideal for washing and adjusting the level of support to suit you. As well as looking good, the racerback style adds extra support. Layer under your favourite tops for supreme comfort.

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On days when the sofa feels even more inviting, and braving the outdoors requires a little bit of extra effort, then this jumpsuit could be the remedy for getting you out and om-ing.

This all-in-one jumpsuit takes style and convenience to the next level. Its a great one-and-done option for chucking on without having to think about matching top to bottom. It also lets you move freely, although the fitted waistband and cuffed ankles mean it will say (comfortably) in place during downward dogs, too.

Fancy a bit of additional coverage? Theres also a long-sleeved version for a little extra warmth.

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Like the sports bra, the Gaia vest features a racerback, which is great for showing off those back muscles. Available in black or grey marl, it makes a great layering staple for your capsule loungewear wardrobe (we all have those, right?).

Theres also a fitted hem at the waist to keep the tank in place, so you dont have to worry about flashing your belly functional and flattering.

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Sweaty Betty Gaia collection: Shop bras, vests, yoga pants and more - Good Housekeeping uk

When the Ranch at Malibu opened in 2010 as a luxury health resort on 200 acres in Californias Santa Monica Mountains, its approach was somewhat radical: Guests signed up for a full week of group hikes, fitness classes, spa treatments, nutrition consults and communal, organic meals without caffeine, gluten, soy or dairy. The goal, says its founder Alex Glasscock, was for people to mentally and physically reset and recharge. On April 15, a second location, the Ranch at Hudson Valley, is scheduled to open near Tuxedo Park, N.Y., in a slate-and-stone lakefront mansion surrounded by state parks. Glasscock hopes the 25-room property, which he describes as like a big, luxury dorm, will facilitate connections between those who stay. Guests will do yoga under the ornate plaster ceiling of the former ballroom and, in Glasscocks ideal world, come to dinner in their pajamas and robes. This new outpost offers a few additional treatments including colonics and energy healings which incorporate techniques such as hypnosis and sound therapy. In winter, guests can sled or snowshoe, and in summer theres paddleboarding on the lake. The Ranch has also relaxed a few of the restrictions: You can book three nights at the Hudson Valley property instead of the seven required in Malibu, and, in concession to the most common request of all, caffeine is no longer taboo organic Nicaraguan coffee is served at breakfast in both locations. Reservations open Feb. 21; rooms from $3,280 per person for three nights including accommodations, meals and programming; theranchhudsonvalley.com.

Gift This

For much of the 20th century, the Michigan furniture company Herman Miller was the star-maker of American design, responsible for turning Isamu Noguchi, George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames into household names. But the brands archive, which spans 119 years, also includes contributions from hundreds of talents whom history has overlooked, and whose work Herman Millers team began resurfacing through an ongoing collectible poster series launched in 2021. Among those getting their due in the projects latest edition, which debuts next week, are Linda Powell and Barbara Loveland, who worked in the companys graphics department in the 80s and 90s: Powells rainbow-striped 1978 Ideas magazine cover is now a poster, as is Lovelands 1981 promotional print for the Wilkes Modular sofa (aka the Chiclet). The standout of the collection, though, is a group of three abstract Op Art compositions by the Japanese American graphic designer Tomoko Miho; as head of George Nelsons design team and later of her own firm, she counted among her clients not just Herman Miller but Noguchi, MoMA and the Smithsonian. Shes someone who did the work but wasnt, as many women werent, quite celebrated, says Amy Auscherman, Herman Millers archive director. She created a lot of bangers, so its great to see her get the recognition she deserves. On sale Feb. 27; from $245, store.hermanmiller.com.

The 40-year-old designer Adam Wade Wagner had for years traveled internationally doing visual merchandising for a fashion retailer when, stuck at home in Brooklyn Heights during the pandemic, he was finally able to focus on his leather-working hobby. At first, he was drawn to the hides themselves, because he knew that New Yorks garment district was among the worlds best places to source artisanal, vegetable-tanned options imported from Italy. When I buy, I gauge for the leathers structural qualities, and ones that feel like skin versus vinyl or anything artificial and are finished so they age beautifully, says Wagner, who trained as an architect and cites Brutalism as a central influence. Eventually he decided to produce a line of bags that he sells online, every one whether a heavy black leather carryall or a slouchy olive green suede tote made from a distinct leather that suits its silhouette and purpose. With saddle-stitched construction, minimalist lines and a neutral color palette, each item is crafted individually by hand from a bench covered with traditional tools in the corner of Wagners living room: Hes inspired by the durability and functionality upheld by stalwart workwear brands like Filson, even if hes offering a more rarified product. I could never find a bag that I liked, he says. I ended up with something thats purely leather its important to manipulate it as little as possible. From $650, adamwadewagner.com.

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Yoga and Energy Healing in a Former Hudson Valley Mansion - The New York Times

As the weather begins to warm up, there are plenty of ways to stay in shape and shake things up by getting outdoors.

Its important to never have a zero-day when it comes to physical activity, Mitchel Black, owner of STRONGSIDE, a gym wth locations in Woodstock, Canton, and Roswell told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Black stresses doing anything above the minimum can count as exercising, even outside.

Park far away, walk up a hill, take the stairs, get out of breath for about 20 minutes each day, Black said.

Black offers a Legends program at STRONGSIDE specifically for people 55 and older. Each class has a warm-up, strength session, and workout with a special coach trained to work with this age group. They take their workout outside when the weather permits.

If the gym isnt your speed, an easy way to get outdoors and get the body moving safely is to go for a long walk. There are plenty of easier trails around Atlanta for those who want distance over difficulty. If you want more of a workout for your heart, try out trails that offer a little more diversity in terrain.

Credit: Courtesy of Mitchel Black

Credit: Courtesy of Mitchel Black

If you prefer exercising outdoors by playing a sport and havent tried pickleball yet, it might be time to look for a local league. The popularity of this sport has continued to grow.

As a person who has always enjoyed and played a variety of sports, pickleball sparked my interest, and I have enthusiastically encouraged people to give it a try, Mike Levin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

At 74, Levin considers himself to be in the best physical condition of my life, and plays pickleball at least three times a week.

Among the reasons Levin gravitates toward the sport, he cites its health benefits, how easy it is to learn, the low-pressure stakes of playing, and that its a fun way to meet people while being active.

I get a full-body workout that provides pleasure and rewards. It makes me feel energized, happy, and excited, Levin said.

Yoga is yet another way to exercise indoors or out.

Seniors can gain both flexibility and mobility from practicing yoga, depending on which specific practice they choose, Alena Levine, E-RYT 500, YACEP, lead yoga trainer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Levine is an instructor at Peach Out Power Yoga in Marietta and the owner of Heartwell Retreats, which combines yoga practice with the sanctity of nature.

Credit: Courtesy of Alena Levine

Credit: Courtesy of Alena Levine

Yoga is all about finding the right type of movement and setting a personal intention at the start of each practice, Levine said.

Its also about finding an instructor who offers positivity and shows compassion. Class choice should depend on your personal history and what daily activities you already do, says Levine. If youre looking for a flow that focuses primarily on muscles, try a yang class. Yin classes work on muscles, too, but also bring in a focus on the connective tissues in the body.

Levin includes yoga in his workout routine in addition to pickleball because of the opportunity to take classes outdoors.

Being outdoors helps release stress levels and helps me stay focused, Levin said.

Look for classes held in parks or near lakes around Atlanta for a quieter way to connect your yoga practice of mind and body with a natural setting.

Whether its a more active workout or something that helps you find calm while moving, you can find additional benefits to taking that exercise outside.

Being outside gets you to connect with you, Black said. It gives you that mental clarity thats a big piece to being successful in exercise.

More here:
Yoga, pickleball and more ways to enjoy the outdoors - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

SALT LAKE CITY For people recovering from addiction, the healing process can be complicated. While medications and behavioral therapies can help break the cycle, Utahns are finding success through the ancient practice of yoga.

Over the last 14 years, Taralee Trammell has been teaching yoga to people in recovery treatment centers.

Their ability to cope and deal with things has expanded. The problem is the same, but they can deal with it on a higher level, Trammell said.

During that time, she also started a business, "A Balanced Life," to not only bring yoga services to treatment centers, but to corporations, senior centers, and beyond.

Trammell invited FOX 13 News to one of her classes at Synchronicities in Sandy.

So, when I teach yoga, I try to have the atmosphere nice and calm, she explained. And sometimes I sage people so they feel calm with just loving energy from the universe.

Breathwork exercises were then performed, followed by a meditative experience that uses instruments to heal, also referred to as a sound bath.

While she has noticed its positive impact on the stress and anxiety of her clients, yoga continues to serve an important role in her recovery journey from alcohol.

Im slowing my mind, and spirit, and everything down, and I can manage and deal with everything thats going on, or, at least, right after yoga for a little bit, Trammell reflected.

Currently, Trammell has 15 certified yoga instructors who work for her. Diane Christensen-Fife is among them who helps teach at treatment centers.

The yoga practice is a place where you can maybe find what youre trying to do with other substances," Christensen-Fife said. "Youre just trying to find peace or to fix pain. Youre trying to fill a hole.

Christensen-Fife left her corporate job in 2016 to teach and practice yoga full-time.

I can be on this two-by-six mat in my own space, and the rest of the world just disappears," she reflected.

Personal growth is why people turn to the yoga mat, too, so they can be better equipped to handle lifes challenges.

Even if its five minutes a day, youll notice that your patterns will change, and your nutrition will change. And youll start to make different choices, said Megan Wilson, who has been teaching yoga and integrated mindfulness for the last 4-5 years.

While these women have seen the benefits of yoga, scientific studies also show that its a promising treatment for people recovering from addiction. However, researchers say yoga must be used with other therapies since substance abuse disorders tend to be more complex and can involve factors like genetics.

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Utahns recovering from addiction use yoga to balance life - FOX 13 News Utah

Lenovo

If you cant decide between laptop deals and tablet deals for your next device, you wont have to choose if you go for a 2-in-1 laptop like the Lenovo Yoga 6. If youre interested, youre in luck because its $310 off in the Lenovo Annual Sale, so youll only have to pay $550 instead of its original price of $860. Youre going to have to be quick with your purchase though, because theres a chance that stocks are already running low for this versatile machine.

The Lenovo Yoga 6 is a 2-in-1 laptop, which is described by our laptop buying guide as a device that combines the convenience and ease of a tablets touchscreen with the utility of a laptops keyboard. From laptop mode, you can fold the 13.3-inch WUXGA touchscreen of the Lenovo Yoga 6 all the way back to transform it into tablet mode. The 2-in-1 laptop also features a fabric top cover for added style, and a think and light frame so it would be easy to carry it around with you wherever you go.

In terms of performance, the Lenovo Yoga 6 wont disappoint in handling your everyday activities with its AMD Ryzen 5 7530U processor, integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. The 2-in-1 laptop also packs a 512GB SSD, which should provide plenty of storage space for your files, and with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, youll be able to start using the device right after unboxing it. The Lenovo Yoga 6 also offers a 1080p Full HD camera with a privacy shutter and dual microphones for joining online meetings, and it comes with the Lenovo Digital Pen for taking notes and drawing sketches.

There are all kinds of 2-in-1 laptop deals out there, but this one from the Lenovo Annual Sale will be tough to beat the Lenovo Yoga 6 for just $550, following a $310 discount on its sticker price of $860. Were not sure how long stocks will last though, so if you think the Lenovo Yoga 6 is the perfect device for you, you shouldnt hesitate with your purchase. If you hold yourself back from finishing the transaction right now, theres a chance that you miss out on the savings.

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Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 laptop is discounted from $860 to $550 - Digital Trends

Downward dog took on a whole new meaning on Saturday at Napervilles Just Be Yoga Studioat 124 S. Webster St., as the business hosted its first-ever puppy yoga session.

Ive always rescued all of my dogs from a dog rescue, and its kind of the trend on Instagram right now, this puppy yoga, said Just Be Yoga Owner Brooke Hornbaker. So I contacted Chicagoland Dog Rescue, they were the first rescue I contacted, they were all in on trying this out with me, so thats how I came about doing it.

There was a class of 20 on hand to meet the six furry friends brought over by the rescue organization, working through yoga moves all the while. All proceeds from the session benefitted Chicagoland Dog Rescue.

Combining my two favorite things that I love the most; yoga and dogs, it was just a great combination, I feel so fortunate to be able to give back to dog rescues and help them, said Hornbaker.

The event offered a bit of playtime with the pups, as well as a chance to give them a forever home.

All the dogs here today were available for adoption, and then the rescue would then get in contact with them, said Hornbaker.

The special yoga class was the first of many animal sessions Just Be Yoga hopes to offer.

I definitely think we will do the puppy yoga again, but maybe do a monthly thing and just pick different animals to play with, said Hornbaker.

A workout that offers both some stretchand a bit of pawsitive energy to start the day.

If you have a story idea, wed like to hear from you!

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Puppy yoga brings pawsitive energy to Napervilles Just Be Yoga Studio - Naperville Community Television (NCTV17)

My first experience with yoga was a decade ago, attempting a month-long challenge in my cramped college dorm room. I didn't keep up the practice, but I wanted to start the year with a renewed focus on flexibility, so I decided to give it another shot with a new 31-day challenge.

As I was basically starting again, I checked out the toptips for yoga beginnersand found myself one of the best yoga mats with plenty of grip to support me in all the various poses. That should do, but I also used a yoga block to help ease into several positions.

I decided I was going to do the challenge at home since that meant I was more likely to stick to it each day, so I foundYoga with Adriene's 31-day Flow serieson YouTube and got started. Here's what happened.

Compared to my college years, I was expecting the experience to be a bit different this time around, but that wasn't the only change. I managed to see the program through and used a different routine from Adriene's playlist to add some variety to the proceedings.

After the first few days, I noticed a renewed tightness in my core and the muscles around my stomach. This improved as the month went on, but I was impressed at how quickly I felt the impact, thanks tothe practice's focus on balance and stability.

Towards the end of the first week, a big core-focused practice that might have previously left me really suffering found me far less sore than I would have been before. This is also one of the benefits of regular practice, as you continually challenge the muscles.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing. I found that my legs caused a few issues. I try to ensure my hips are flexible, but I regularly ended the classes with low-level pain and soreness around my hips a feeling usually reserved for post-leg day recovery.

The most significant benefit I found in that first week was surprising. Yoga's focus on form meant that I was starting to feel the impact of my practices in other workouts, and not just because I was strengthening my muscles.

Strengthening my mind-body connection during yoga meant that I could concentrate more effectively in the gym that first week of downward-facing dog definitely made itself known in back workouts like lateral pulldowns.

I've spent a lot of time over the years building muscle in my leg. However, the endurance required to hold certain lower-body yoga poses was challenging my quads and hamstrings in a very different way from the squats, curls, and extensions of my normal leg days.

You often imagine you need a set of weights to work out effectively, but as I found,yoga can still build muscle. And this is why it did get easier to hit and hold these poses over this second week, and, as a bonus, I was finding more flexibility around my hips.

Another unexpected benefit was the desire to make more time for exercise generally. Putting time aside for a yoga session every day meant that I was also more likely to try and find time for a quick run, which is handy, asrunners can benefit from a regular yoga practicetoo.

Combined with quicker recovery and extra flexibility around my lower back and hips in particular, beginner poses that I'd had to concentrate on were becoming increasingly instinctive, and I was feeling generally much fitter.

By day 15, I was noticeably more flexible, and stepping into lunges seemed a lot easier than it had two weeks ago. On the first day, it was a multi-step process, but this started to resemble a more fluid motion from standing through to getting into position.

As I was still ayoga beginner, I quickly realized that focusing on your breath plays a big role, and it became easier to hold positions like chair pose and balance-focused positions. And as my endurance increased, I became more confident.

I was also starting to feel thebenefits of daily yogaacross the rest of my body. I felt stronger, with the benefits readily apparent in the gym upper-body exercises like lat pulldowns and shoulder presses benefited from the amount of time I'd spent in downward dog.

I had a better awareness of my body, so I could more accurately sense when I needed to make small adjustments in each pose to improve my form or concentrate on specific muscles. This focus on form carried through to my resistance training workouts.

Coming into the final week of the 31-day challenge, the most notable benefit was a lot more strength in my core. The regularplank posesthat have made up the foundation of these classes were much easier, and it was more natural to pull my core into place to better support other poses.

My general flexibility was also notably better. There are still poses that need work, especially those around my hips and lower back, but I was getting increasingly able to get deeper into positions like child's pose and to add extra intensity into those exercises.

Core strength and flexibility were two things I'd somewhat expected to improve throughout this challenge, but an added benefit was a general improvement in my fitness level.

Perhaps that shouldn't have come as a surprise after 31 days of daily exercise. After all, if I ran for a month, I'd expect my cardiovascular fitness to improve. I also began to see my breath as a tool.

Changing the way I breathe, or even just focusing on my breath, made it easier to hold difficult poses. This resilience is also known asmental strength, and can work wonders in your training and everyday life.

At the beginning of the month, a difficult pose would have made me tense (physically and mentally), but as I closed out the final class, I realized I had gained the strength and technique to hold the poses for longer periods and rely on the correct muscles too.

More:
I did yoga every day for a month for the first time in 10 years here's what happened to my body - Tom's Guide

Even on the coldest winter day, there is one place in La Crosse where summer lasts all year long. From the early hours of the morning to the evening, students file into a spacious room on Caledonia Street to practice yoga together in a balmy 95 degrees with added humidity.

For me, part of the beauty of the practice is to get that really deep sweat and the people who come to us they want to sweat, said Root Down Yoga Studio owner Mandy Roush, who started the studio with her husband Nick Roush in 2012.

Mandy, who worked in health care at Mayo Clinic, became enamored with the style of heated yoga after attending a teacher training in Mexico. When she returned, she was determined to replicate the experience at home.

Rachel Scanlan attends a yoga class at Root Down Yoga studio on Monday, Feb. 5. Scanlan has been attending heated yoga classes at the studio since 2016.

I remember feeling so wrung out in a really good way from the element of adding that heat and sweat, Mandy said.

Nick, who happened to work in the heating and ventilation business, installed a furnace in the couples garage, where they began hosting free yoga classes for friends. Word quickly spread, and soon the makeshift studio was hosting students five days a week. After seeing the community response, the pair decided to open a studio on Caledonia Street.

Heated yoga is part of a worldwide trend. In the U.S., the concept was first popularized in the 1970s by Bikram Choudhury, a now infamous yoga teacher who developed a style of practice in heated rooms of up to 105 degrees. Since then, the trend has evolved toward a less dogmatic approach, with studios adopting their own preferred temperatures and styles.

Address:1217 Caledonia St., La Crosse

Information: 608-519-2467,www.rootdownyogastudio.com

Hot yoga is an umbrella term for any style of yoga practiced in a heated setting. The heat can help relax muscles, thus increasing flexibility.

Our bodies are just so much more pliable when theyre warm, said Nick Roush. And it adds a challenge aspect to the practice that helps you be more present.

Root Down is now one of a handful of establishments offering heated yoga classes in the La Crosse area. PALM + PINE, a yoga studio with locations in Holmen and La Crosse, offers classes that owner Kat Soper describes as warm.

The studio also offers non-heated classes, which Soper said are equally as popular.

Mandy Roush leads a yoga class at Root Down Yoga studio in La Crosse. The studio was the first to offer heated yoga classes in the la crosse area.

There are definitely some people that just go to our heated ones. And there are definitely some people that just go to the non-heated ones. But Id say there are more people that dabble in both, Soper said.

At PALM + PINE, classes are heated from 80 to 90 degrees without added humidity. Instead of forced air, radiant heat panels warm the space.

Despite variations in temperature and style, the studios have one thing in common: A strong sense of community. At Root Down, many of the teachers started out as students.

I feel like we lit the match and the whole thing just kind of continues to smolder and burn on its own now, said Mandy Rousch. Yes, we all come there to do yoga, but its really a group of like-minded people that gather for this sense of togetherness and connection.

Co-founder of root down yoga studio nick roush attends a yoga class on Monday, Feb. 5. Roush founded the studio with his wife Mandy in (year), after the pair had hosted free classes in their home garage to great commmunity response.

Rachel Scanlan yoga since 2016 i love it its like a religion for me, some people go to church, I go to yoga,

Co-founder of Root Down Yoga Studio Mandy Roush helps guide a student during class on Monday, Feb. 5.

Mandy Roush leads a yoga class at Root Down Yoga studio in La Crosse. The studio was the first to offer heated yoga classes in the la crosse area.

Kelly Malszycki practices yoga in a heated room at Root Down Yoga Studio in La Crosse on Monday, Feb. 5. The studio heats most of their classes to 95 degrees with added humidity.

Rachel Scanlan attends a yoga class at Root Down Yoga studio on Monday, Feb. 5. Scanlan has been attending heated yoga classes at the studio since 2016.

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Warming up in the cold: Hot yoga trend heats up La Crosse - La Crosse Tribune

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A new UCLA Health study found Kundalini yoga provided several benefits to cognition and memory for older women at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, including restoring neural pathways, preventing brain matter decline, and reversing aging and inflammation-associated biomarkersimprovements not seen in a group who received standard memory training exercises.

The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, are the latest in a series of studies led by UCLA Health researchers over the past 15 years into the comparative effects of yoga and traditional memory enhancement training on slowing cognitive decline and addressing other risk factors of dementia.

Led by UCLA Health psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky of the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, this latest study sought to determine whether Kundalini yoga could be used early on to prevent cognitive decline and trajectories of Alzheimer's disease among postmenopausal women.

Women have about twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to men due to several factors, including longer life expectancy, changes in estrogen levels during menopause, and genetics.

In the new study, a group of more than 60 women ages 50 and older who had self-reported memory issues and cerebrovascular risk factors were recruited from a UCLA cardiology clinic. The women were divided evenly into two groups. The first group participated in weekly Kundalini yoga sessions for 12 weeks, while the other group underwent weekly memory enhancement training during the same time period. Participants were also provided daily homework assignments.

Kundalini yoga is a method that focuses on meditation and breathwork more so than physical poses. Memory enhancement training developed by the UCLA Longevity Center includes a variety of exercises, such as using stories to remember items on a list or organizing items on a grocery list, to help preserve or improve the long-term memory of patients.

Researchers assessed the women's cognition, subjective memory, depression, and anxiety after the first 12 weeks and again 12 weeks later to determine how stable any improvements were. Blood samples were also taken to test for gene expression of aging markers and for molecules associated with inflammation, which are contributing factors to Alzheimer's disease. A handful of patients were also assessed with MRIs to study changes in brain matter.

Researchers found the Kundalini yoga group participants saw several improvements not experienced by the memory enhancement training group. These included significant improvement in subjective memory complaints, prevention of brain matter declines, increased connectivity in the hippocampus, which manages stress-related memories, and improvement in the peripheral cytokines and gene expression of anti-inflammatory and anti-aging molecules.

"That is what yoga is good forto reduce stress, to improve brain health, subjective memory performance, and reduce inflammation and improve neuroplasticity," Lavretsky said.

Among the memory enhancement training group, the main improvements were found to be in the participants' long-term memory.

Neither group saw changes in anxiety, depression, stress or resilience, though Lavretsky stated this is likely because the participants were relatively healthy and were not depressed.

While the long-term effects of Kundalini yoga on preventing or delaying Alzheimer's disease require further study, Lavretsky said the study demonstrates that using yoga and memory training in tandem could provide more comprehensive benefits to the cognition of older women.

"Ideally, people should do both because they do train different parts of the brain and have different overall health effects," Lavretsky said. "Yoga has this anti-inflammatory, stress-reducing, anti-aging neuroplastic brain effect which would be complimentary to memory training."

More information: Adrienne Grzenda et al, Cognitive and immunological effects of yoga compared to memory training in older women at risk for alzheimer's disease, Translational Psychiatry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02807-0

Journal information: Translational Psychiatry

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Yoga provides unique cognitive benefits to older women at risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds - Medical Xpress