Yoga -- which originated in India at least over 2,000 years ago -- has spread from it's Eastern roots and has become a popular system of physical exercise in most of the Western world. In addition to the physical exercise, there is also meditation and breathing to help produce feelings of energy and over-all well-being.
Many celebrities and socialites have popularized yoga since the 1980s. Yoga has already been practiced by over 30 million US adults at some point in their lives. Politicians and power players have their own poses for feeling a real sense of power and control, which they call "power poses".
A recent study published in Frontiers of Psychology tested whether power poses offer the same benefits as the previously studied yoga benefits. Most research deals with the breathing and meditation aspects of yoga, with only 169 out of 465 research papers dealing with the physical aspect of poses (asana). This study focuses on the physical aspect to promote well-being.
Participants in the study either did two yoga poses for two minutes, or they did "power poses" for two minutes. Those who held their yoga positions (for just 2 minutes) said they had improved feelings of energy, sense of power and self-esteem compared to the other people who did "power poses". The "power posing" people also induced feelings of greater energy, power and self-esteem, but of less intensity according to their own descriptions.
The science of the body suggest this is due to the vagus nerve which is the longest in the autonomic nervous system. It's responsible for unconscious processes like breathing, circulation and digestion, but is also tied to social competence and emotional regulation.
A well functioning vagus nerve leads us to feel calm, relaxed and safe in relation to others which helps to regulate our caring behavior. But also we are in a caring mood, feeling calm, relaxed and sociable, the vagus nerve is stimulated as well. States of well-being can be induced from body positions such as yoga poses.
The research suggests that the vagus nerve has an influence on the heart to promote emotional regulation and prosocial behavior, and yoga practices will tone the vagal nerve towards positive emotional states and dampen aggression, hostility, depression and anxiety.
Other studies on yoga have also linked it to physical health, not only psychological. Here is what some studies have shown yoga to help with:
When we feel energetic we have more confidence and satisfaction with ourselves. People also feel confident and energetic from the dominating "power poses", but have less effective increases compared to the yoga poses. Yoga works better. Regardless of the method, body postures affect our self-perception. How we feel psychologically can induce changes in how we feel physically. The body affects the mind, and the mind affect the body.
Have you tried the recent fad of "power poses", or the more ancient asana of yoga? What have you experienced? Was it an increase in self-esteem, confidence, energy or well-being?
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