How Yoga Can Recapture Lost Years

A new study conducted by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a health psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, estimates that childhood trauma can shorten your lifespan by as much as 7 to 15 years. Perhaps you've seen the research.

It was widely publicized after being covered by USA Today. The article details the impact of childhood trauma, including poverty, losing a parent, being abused, or witnessing parental marital strife. Such trauma doesn't just impact mental health, but physical health too.

How Yoga Helps Diminish The Effects Of Trauma, Even Forgotten Ones.

What's most striking about the link between physical ailments and childhood trauma is that some people may have physical ailments related to traumas that they have forgotten about. While this is still being explored by researchers, the theory seems sound in that if past traumas can damage development, then the effect exists even if the event is forgotten.

This is also one of the reasons yoga has been gaining popularity in the United States. It has been proven to help balance body chemistry, including glucose levels and red blood cells. By doing so, the body responds and reverses the effects of aging.

1. Cholesterol. Because yoga increases blood circulation and helps burn fat, it can actually help lower cholesterol levels, regardless of diet.

2. Lymphatic systems. Movement has been proven to improve lymphatic systems. These systems are responsible for increasing immunity and reducing the number of toxins in your body.

3. Sodium levels. Much like any exercise program, yoga helps reduce the level of sodium in your body, which is especially important given the abundance of sodium in our foods.

4. Triglycerides. Triglycerides, which are a form of fat in the blood, can increase heart disease risks and high blood pressure. Yoga has been proven to "significantly lower" levels of triglycerides.

5. Red blood cells. Yoga can also increase level of red blood cells in the body. These are the cells that carry oxygen through the blood. By increasing red blood cells, people feel more energetic and youthful.

“People think to do yoga you have to be flexible. But the flexibility is not in the body," Ricardo Sisco, a yoga instructor, recently told the New York Times. "It’s in the mind. That’s why anyone can do it.”

From Sisco's experience, even 70- and 80-somethings who practice yoga in chairs increase their physical health, frequently reporting that their bodies feel lighter, they feel more energetic, and feel less pain from any physical injuries. The new program has been considered a breakthrough, especially among people who do not have the benefit of physical activity.

The Stirling Club Hosts Three Yoga Sessions Weekly.

The Stirling Club offers three weekly yoga classes among its aerobics offerings. Classes are attended by a mix of locals with memberships, Turnberry Place residents, and Las Vegas visitors who want to maintain their physical fitness programs while vacationing. Guests considering membership can also make special arrangements by contacting Kathleen Gustafson at 702-784-4603.

Classes are typically held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays (hours are subject to change). There are seven other aerobic exercises held throughout the week too. Many members pair spa treatments with their physical fitness program to help maximize the results of a complete workout.