It seems like I can’t go a day without seeing an article here or there about gene therapy. News on Type I diabetes, Down’s Syndrome and other new and exciting possibilities can be found with a simple web search. Unfortunately, these stories invariably say something like the following: “Boston Children’s Hospital doctors said Tuesday it may be years before new therapies can be tested on children suffering from Type 1 diabetes, but it’s a step in the right direction for many who live with it.” Or something like, “The scientists emphasised that the study is at the very earliest stages and there remains many difficult, technical issues involved in switching off the extra chromosomes in the cells of Down’s children.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to learn of gene therapies that are available right now, that won’t cost thousands of dollars and that not only benefit small but very deserving segments of the population but provide benefits to every one of us?
Here’s your chance to experience just that, to be on the leading edge of scientific study and reap the benefits of gene therapy right now and in the comfort of your own home. Wow, I suddenly sound like a TV commercial! What is this miracle therapy? This panacea of modern medical therapy that you can safely use at home and without doctor supervision? Yoga. Yoga inhibits, turns off, the expression of a large number of genes. Yoga inhibits so many genes that science is still trying to figure out exactly what the net effect of this process is. Pacific Standard reports on a recent study from Norway on the effects of Yoga in gene expression as compared to taking a relaxing nature walk.
Researchers first reported five years ago that practices such as yoga which elicit the “relaxation response” may have a long-term effect on gene expression. That’s the scientific term for whether a specific gene is “turned on,” meaning its protein or RNA product is being made. This latest study confirms those findings, links them to the body’s immune system, and suggests this effect may be instantaneous.
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Immediately before and after each of the four sessions, the researchers drew blood from each participant. They then isolated and analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which play a key role in the body’s immune system. The researchers found that the nature walk and music-driven relaxation changed the expression of 38 genes in these circulating immune cells. In comparison, the yoga produced changes in 111.
Fourteen genes were affected by both exercises, which suggests “the two regimens, to some degree, affect similar biological processes,” the researchers write. That said, they note that yoga’s impact was far more widespread, which indicates the practice “may have additional effects over exercise plus simple relaxation in inducing health benefits through differential changes at the molecular level.”Pacific Standard, Genetic Evidence of Yoga’s Impact on the Immune System
As I read this article earlier today, I was reminded of a fantastic video clip made in July of 2012 by the Carnegie University College of Humanities and Social Sciences about the benefits of mindfulness meditation—which is an integral part of Amrit Yoga and is exactly what Yoga Nidra is—in reducing loneliness in older adults. What I found most intriquing was that mindfulness meditation not only reduced loneliness but it also “reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression and lowered inflammation levels; inflammation is thought to promote the development and progression of many diseases.” I love that he specifically mentions C-reative protein (CRP) as that is a marker of possible heart disease. When CRP is low, heart disease risk is low. Watch the video below.
Do something healthy for yourself, practice Yoga. Start practicing today.
Jai Bhagwan
He mentions that if you are interested in this, that you should find a teacher in the local community that can help you learn this. Well, I know this guy. 🙂 Also, if you don’t live near me, contact me anyway, I know some people here and there that might be near you!