If you've ever been interested in trying yoga, you're in good company. Once a fringe practice that came to the U.S. in the early 1960s, yoga has skyrocketed in popularity. The practice currently has an estimated 55 million devotees in the U.S. alone, according to the Statista Research Department.
Yogis often attest to the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of a regular yoga practice. But what’s actually happening in the body and mind? Turns out, scientific research supports the notion that this spiritual practice can be good for your physical and mental health in various ways.
“In the U.S., we've really converted yoga to a physical exercise that many people associate with the physical postures,” says Rebecca Erwin Wells, a neurologist at Wake Forest School of Medicine. For this reason, yoga is often used as a component in weight loss programs, where it seems to bring some success.
One 2013 ...
