New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yoga (alternative medicine)

Yoga is a healing system of theory and practice, its a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years.

A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this survey, Yoga was the 5th most commonly used CAM therapy (2.8%) in the United States during 2002. Yoga is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress. Yoga is believed to calm the nervous system and balance the body, mind, and spirit. It is thought by its practitioners to prevent specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians open and life energy (Prana) flowing. Yoga is usually performed in classes, sessions are conducted at least once a week and for approximately 45 minutes. Yoga has been used to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve coordination, flexibility, concentration, sleep, and digestion.

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

February 7, 2026

New research suggests the astringent sensation caused by flavanols could act as a direct signal to the brain, triggering effects similar to a mild workout for the nervous system. In mouse experiments, flavanol intake boosted activity, curiosity, ...
New simulations reveal that both H1N1 and COVID-19 spread across U.S. cities in a matter of weeks, often before officials realized what was happening. Major travel hubs helped drive rapid nationwide transmission, with air travel playing a bigger ...
A major study suggests menopause is linked to changes in brain structure, mental health, and sleep. Brain scans revealed grey matter loss in areas tied to memory and emotional regulation, while many women reported increased anxiety, depression, and ...
For decades, Americans were surrounded by lead from car exhaust, factories, paint, and even drinking water, often without realizing the damage it caused. By analyzing hair samples preserved across generations, scientists uncovered a striking record ...
New research suggests that Epstein-Barr virus may actively provoke the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists found large buildups of virus-targeting immune cells in the nervous ...
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown enzyme that plays a crucial role in fat production. By blocking it, they stopped weight gain, reduced liver damage, and lowered harmful cholesterol levels in animal studies. The finding opens the door ...
Colorectal cancer has long baffled scientists because, unlike most tumors, patients often do better when their cancers are packed with immune-suppressing regulatory T cells. New research finally explains why. Scientists discovered that these T cells ...
Scientists at Keck Medicine of USC are testing an experimental stem cell therapy that aims to restore the brain’s ability to produce dopamine, the chemical whose loss drives Parkinson’s disease. The early-stage clinical trial involves implanting ...
New research using rhesus monkeys suggests that the brain’s relationship with alcohol may begin forming long before a person ever takes a drink. Scientists found that exposure to alcohol before birth reshaped the brain’s dopamine system, a key ...
Scientists in Australia have uncovered a clever new way to fight some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a sugar that exists only on bacterial cells. By designing antibodies that recognize this unique sugar, researchers were ...
A new imaging breakthrough combines ultrasound and light-based techniques to generate vivid 3D images that show both tissue structure and blood vessel activity. Developed by researchers at Caltech and USC, the system delivers detailed results ...
Researchers have figured out how psoriasis can quietly turn into joint disease for some patients. Immune cells formed in inflamed skin can travel through the blood and reach the joints, where they sometimes trigger inflammation. The key difference ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET