How Yoga Works

Discover How Yoga Works: The Real Magic Beyond the Mat

Yoga is union of body, breath and mind.

So, what is yoga?

The word itself means Union — of body, breath, and mind. It’s the art (and sometimes the chaos!) of bringing those three together so they work with each other rather than in constant negotiation.

Let’s start with the part we know best in the West — the body.

Yoga poses are called Asanas in Sanskrit

How Yoga works - The Body

Yoga includes hundreds of poses that were developed thousands of years ago in India. Each one was designed with purpose — to build strength, keep the body supple, and most importantly, maintain joint mobility.

Why? Because the goal wasn’t to look good in leggings — it was to be able to sit still in Lotus during meditation without your knees, hips, or back screaming at you. In other words: release the tension, unblock what’s stuck, and free the body so the mind can settle. This is how yoga works! Simple, brilliant, ancient engineering.

In yoga, we explore many ways of breathing — collectively known as Pranayama. Each one can calm, energise, or focus the mind in a different way.

How Yoga works - The Breath

If yoga were a kingdom, the breath would be king. Breathing is the most powerful tool we have to regulate the nervous system.

Think about what paramedics do when someone’s having a panic attack — they don’t hand them a kale smoothie, they help them to regulate their breathing, counting the breaths together. That’s because deep, mindful breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” mode that tells the body it’s safe. See picture below.

How Yoga helps managing stress.

Dont get me wrong, if you are facing an actual danger, the stress alarm system will actually save your life. It is there for a reason! However if your stressor is an email, or a meeting, or a drop in hormones than it is a different story as you might end up being in a constant stressful state.

In yoga, every movement is linked to a breath. We hold poses for a certain number of breaths, syncing body and mind through rhythm and awareness. And we teach our body/mind how to relax.

Yoga practice always starts with mindful breathing and always ends with Savasana or guided relaxation and meditation.

How Yoga works - The Mind

When movement follows breath, something magical happens: the mind becomes still. The mental chatter quiets down. You can’t spiral about your to-do list while trying to inhale into warrior two and exhale into reverse triangle. The brain just doesn’t multitask that well (thankfully).

This mindful coordination of body and breath balances the nervous system.

Stress = sympathetic activation (fight, flight, freeze).

Yoga = parasympathetic activation (rest, digest, restore). It literally tickles your vagus nerve, helping your whole system downshift.

Emotional Balance — The Hormonal Rollercoaster Ride

Yoga also works on our emotional balance. How? When oestrogen drops (as it does monthly and more dramatically in perimenopause and menopause), so do levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin — the natural mood-balancing chemicals. No wonder we sometimes feel like emotional acrobats.

Yoga smooths the ride. When you move and breathe mindfully, you begin to notice sensations instead of reacting to them — that’s called interoception, or inner body awareness. It’s emotional regulation in real life: pause, breathe, respond instead of spiral.

The Art of Letting Go

Yoga also teaches us non-attachment.

You step into a new pose; maybe it feels impossible. You breathe, soften into the challenge, explore your edge — and then you let it go.

It didn’t happen today? It might next time.

It did happen today? It might not next time.

That’s life, really — progress without pressure, grace without perfection. We practice, we do not perform.

And also, here is the best part: what did you learn about yourself and your body whilst doing it?

Or as one of my favourite sayings goes:

Yoga isn’t about touching your toes — it’s about what you learn on the way there.

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How Yoga works - The Bigger Picture

So when we step onto the mat, we’re not just stretching muscles or improving mobility.

We’re strengthening our bodies, balancing our nervous systems, supporting our hormones, and training our brains to stay flexible — not just physically, but emotionally.

That’s the real magic of yoga: it brings steadiness, softness, and adaptability — on the mat and in life.

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How Yoga Works By Geshe Michael Roach was the very first yoga-related book I read. And loved it!

I highly recommend this book. This was recommended to me by my teacher, Claire, and it's been my very first yoga book. I've then lent it to a friend who never returned it - so I bought it again, this is how much I loved it.

'HOW YOGA WORKS' by Geshe Michael Roach