Heather is back to share some exciting research about her favourite brain structure: the cerebellum!

Although there has only been one research study conducted on the effects of yoga on the cerebellum to date, the results are certainly intriguing.

In 2020, Aalst et al. studied the hindbrain of ashtanga practitioners vs those who don’t practise yoga. The findings revealed that those who regularly practice ashtanga demonstrated reduced metabolism in the cerebellum, which was positively correlated with years of practice. This suggests that, like a muscle, the cerebellum gets stronger in response to regular yoga practice, therefore requiring less energy for the same task over time.

The researchers also discovered a huge increase in activity in the cerebellum during ashtanga yoga practice itself. Here, Heather relates this finding to research into breathing practices and the cerebellum, positing the question: can slow controlled breathing and/or breath holding have the power to positively allow transformation in the cerebellum?