Washington, Apr. 27 (ANI): Yoga may be better than traditional exercise for strengthening the immune system and may also help change gene expression, a study has claimed.

The researchers have written that the data suggests that previously reported effects of yoga practices have an integral physiological component at the molecular level, which is initiated immediately during practice, and may form the basis for the long-term stable effects, Discovery News reported.

In other words, the yoga glow that people feel after they roll up their mat may be the 111 genes that changed expression while they were deep in their practice.

The research team did the experiment with 10 participants who gathered at a yoga retreat for a week.

The study participants practiced yoga for the first two days, spending two hours moving through postures, breathing exercises and meditation; then shifted to spending time in nature walks and listening to music for the next two days.

When the scientists analyzed blood drawn from the participants before and after each session, they found that yoga changed the expression of almost triple the number of genes in immune cells that the nature walk did, 111 vs 38.

The study has been published in Pacific Standard. (ANI)

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Practicing yoga produces internal changes on genetic level

Youre probably not thinking about gene expression while stretching into downward dog in the yoga studio, but researchers have discovered that yoga has an almost immediate positive impact on a genetic level.

The studyfrom Norway suggests that yoga may be better than traditional exercise for strengtheningthe immune system.

These data suggest that previously reported effects of yoga practices have an integral physiological component at the molecular level, which is initiated immediately during practice, and may form the basis for the long-term stable effects, the researchers write.

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In other words, that yoga glow you feel after you roll up your mat? It may be the 111 genes that changed expression while you were deep in your practice.

At least, thats what the research team found during an experiment with 10 participants who gathered at a yoga retreat for a week.

The participants practiced yoga for the first two days, spending two hours moving through postures, breathing exercises and meditation. Then they shifted to spending the time in nature walks and listening to music for the next two days.

When the researchers analyzed blood drawn from the participants before and after each session, they found that yoga changed the expression of almost triple the number of genes in immune cells that the nature walk did: 111 vs 38.

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Researchers had suspected for a few years that forms of exercise that produce the relaxation response might affect gene expression, but they didnt necessarily realize the effect would be so immediate, writes the Pacific Standard.

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Yoga Changes Gene Expression, Improves Immunity

Certified Yoga Instructor Marie Myrbakk, at left, leads a mid-morning Vinyasa Yoga class at Yoga Body & Soul in Lakewood Ranch on Friday. PAUL VIDELA/Bradenton Herald

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LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Taking one breath at a time toward a healthier life is the way Marie Myrbakk teaches at her new studio at Yoga Body & Soul, 8225 Natures Way, Suite 115 in San Marco Plaza.

"When you start practicing yoga, you really learn a lot about yourself. It changes a lot about your mind-set. It changes the way you think; it changes the way you speak. We focus a lot on the breath and the breath is the bridge to the soul," said the Seattle native who recently relocated here after living 20 years in Norway.

It was there she trained in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with practitioner John Scott and began her first studio that grew to 500 students. By then she was living in Tonsberg, Norway, with her Norwegian husband, Kai Myrbakk.

But when their son Julius, now 12 and a student at Braden River Middle School, started taking soccer lessons at IMG Academy in Bradenton, the couple heard about Lakewood Ranch and decided to look here for a place to live.

For the yoga instructor, the move became part of her calling.

"It inspires me when people leave here smiling or content with themselves," Myrbakk said. "Then I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

Classes at Yoga Body & Soul are geared for people of all abilities, rather than just those who are already physically fit.

"What about the people that also really need yoga, the people that are physically limited, the older people that can't get around that often or who can't get to

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Yoga instructor helps students breathe en route to the soul

Washington, Apr. 27 (ANI): A yoga instructor has claimed that the popular practice, which has long been praised for helping people improve their flexibility and core strength, can also be used to help women conceive.

Sherry Longbottom, a registered nurse and yoga instructor, has developed fertility yoga, which avoids poses that could strain the body instead, she favours simple gentle poses that help lessen anxiety, ABC News reported.

Longbottom said that the goal of their yoga is to get blood flow in the pelvic area.

While practicing fertility yoga is not exactly as beneficial as in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments or hormone therapy, she asserted that yoga can help women by helping them take a moment to relax and calm down.

She said that people today live in fight or flight mode, which goes completely against what people are trying to look for in creating a fertile environment.

Dr. James Goldfarb, the director of infertility and in-vitro fertilization at University Hospital Cleveland, said that he approves of patients trying safe alternative therapies like yoga or acupuncture as long as they feel better after a session.

While fertility treatments like IVF have helped millions of women conceive, he said these women often suffer from a tremendous amount of anxiety at the same time.

Longbottom said that the ability of the practice to help with an individual's mental health in addition to their physical health was one of the reason she wanted to start the fertility yoga class.

She added that mind, body and spirit are all tied together and once people address these areas, then they are taking care of their whole body. (ANI)

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Fertility yoga may help women conceive

Apr 26, 2013 7:00am

Yoga has long been praised for helping people improve their flexibility and core strength. But one Florida yoga instructor believes that the popular practice can also be used to help women conceive.

Sherry Longbottom, a registered nurse and yoga instructor, has developed fertility yoga. In her classes she is careful to avoid yoga poses that could strain the body; instead, she favors simple gentle poses that help lessen anxiety.

Our goal is to get blood flow in the pelvic area, said Longbottom. Im very excited to be helping these women, its so rewarding

While practicing fertility yoga is not exactly as beneficial as in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments or hormone therapy, Longbottom said yoga can help women trying to conceive by helping them take a moment to relax and calm down.

We live in fight or flight mode, said Longbottom. That kind of life goes completely against what were trying to look for in creating a fertile environment.

Many of the women attending Longbottoms class started after they were recommended by the Reproductive Medicine Group in Tampa, Fla., to help them cope. She estimates about half of the attendees are receiving some kind of fertility treatment.

[Yoga] still cant correct a tubal issue or necessarily correct an egg issue, Dr. Betsy McCormick of the Reproductive Medicine Group told ABCNews.com affiliate WFTS-TV. But what they can do is help someone get through that process.

Dr. James Goldfarb, the director of infertility and in-vitro fertilization at University Hospital Cleveland, said he approves of patients trying safe alternative therapies such as yoga or acupuncture as long as the patient feels better after a session.

The bottom line I always tell patients is, it certainly cant hurt, said Goldfarb. Were very encouraging [that they] try whatever they find relief through.

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Women Turn to Fertility Yoga