Benefits of Yoga for Cardiovascular System and Endocrine Glands
Poor posture arises because the body gradually ages, causing ligaments (tendons connecting bones and muscles) to tighten, making the body increasingly stiff and sometimes painful. Stiffness and soreness in the back, neck, and shoulders hinder the normal flow of energy along the spinal canal, often resulting in persistent fatigue. Additionally, fatty deposits accumulate on arterial walls, making blood vessels hard and fragile. Hardened vessels lead to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease. When ruptured, such vessels cause internal bleeding—when it occurs in the brain, it's called cerebral hemorrhage; when in the heart, it's known as a heart attack.
Through yoga movements such as twisting, stretching, and bending, ligaments and tendons are gradually elongated, relieving nerve compression and reducing pain. Twisting and stretching also expand blood vessels, enhancing their elasticity and reducing the risk of rupture. Poses like Shoulder Stand and Wheel Pose invert the body, increasing blood flow to the brain, promoting circulation, and sharpening mental clarity and alertness.
Activation of the chakras stimulates endocrine glands, triggering the release of different hormones into the bloodstream, influencing all organs. The chakras regulate physical and mental activities through the endocrine system. When endocrine function is normal, glandular activity remains balanced; when abnormal, it leads to physical and mental illness. Learning yoga aims to regulate internal endocrine glands, ensuring they function neither excessively nor insufficiently, thus maintaining proper organ function.
The chakras include the pineal gland, gonads, pituitary gland, thymus, adrenal glands, pancreas, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. During exercise, blood sugar undergoes chemical changes—converting into lactic acid, which combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide is exhaled as waste, while water is expelled as sweat. If there is insufficient oxygen to combine with lactic acid, lactic acid accumulates in muscles, causing so-called "cramps."
When practicing yoga, due to its emphasis on slow, deep, and prolonged breathing, blood oxygen levels increase, preventing lactic acid accumulation and thus avoiding cramps.
Beginners’ bodies are usually stiff. After yoga training, joints and limbs become lighter and more flexible than before.