Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature
I think it&#x27;s probably non-controversial that exercise (posing, stretching), and mindful activity (meditation, thoughtful breathing) are good for us. Certainly it&#x27;s something I feel happy encouraging patients to do, particularly if they enjoy it or feel that it benifits then.<p>What I find thought-provoking though is the use of the phase &quot;health approach&quot; in the first line of the abstract:<p>&gt; Yoga is the most popular complementary health approach practiced by adults in the United States.<p>I wonder what exactly qualifies as a &quot;health approach&quot;. The paper acknowledges exercise is well know to be good for people, particularly in ageing - so it&#x27;s heathy, but is exercise an &quot;approach&quot;? What about reading, or caring for young children (both also good for your health) can that be a &quot;health approach&quot;?<p>I usually try to talk about these practices as being part of a heathy lifestyle, rather than being therapies. I feel that we&#x27;re over-medicalising when we start to say that riding a bicycle or hugging our friends are therapies, rather than just being healthy.