Yoga and Psychological and Physiological Health

Stress and worry in everyday life are common features of Western society. Stress is a biological mechanism tapping the fight-or-flight-response via activation of the sympathetic nervous system. When exposed to stress during prolonged periods of time, the immune system is affected, leading to physiological as well as psychosocial problems. The consequences of untreated high stress can not only turn into reduced job capacity, and work roles conflicts, but also into cardiovascular disease, and mental illness such as an anxiety disorder or/and depression. One common and recommended strategy to manage stress is to exercise regularly. Yoga is an umbrella term for a wide variety of physical, mental, and spiritual practices with its roots in ancient India. Most previous research on the health effects of yoga has demonstrated benefits on psychological health factors including mental stress, anxiety, depression and sleep problems. The aim of the study is thus to investigate the effects of two types of yoga intervention on psychological and physiological health.