The Neuroscience of Yoga Asana

Part I: Physical Postures
by Tara Zinnamon

Posted in home practice |
The Neuroscience of Yoga Asana

It only took 5,000 years, but Western science is finally catching up to what yogis have been saying all along: yoga works on a cellular, psychological, and spiritual level. Research now shows that yoga postures (asana) can rewire the brain in fascinating ways - promoting neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to reorganize and create new brain cells), enhancing the physical composition of the structures within it (asana changes the size and connectivity of key brain regions), and balancing brain chemicals through hormones like cortisol and serotonin. Essentially, yoga asana changes our brains’ adaptability, structure, and chemistry. Think of it as the ultimate system update: asana primes your brain and body to handle life’s challenges more effectively and offers a much needed nervous system reset.

Modern, Western science is playing catch up here, as yoga was dismissed as esoteric or unscientific and was even banned under the British rule of India. This isn’t the first instance of Western medicine dismissing Eastern knowledge as primitive or superstitious (research the history of Ayurveda, acupuncture, plant medicine, and similar for a few more examples), but it’s one that is so glaringly obvious after the explosion in popularity of yoga in the West. Over the past few decades, yoga has been commodified and rebranded for Western markets, leading to huge numbers of practitioners. Nearly 1 in 5 adults 18 or older practiced yoga in 2022 alone. And with its adoption by the public, the scientific community became eager to understand why it has so much transformative potential.

The first scientific studies began trickling into peer-reviewed journals in the late 1960s, focusing on yogic breathing and meditation techniques. By the 1970s, research began exploring yoga postures as interventions for conditions like hypertension, anxiety and depression. And while these studies were groundbreaking at the time, they were essentially only confirming what yogis had known for millennia: that yoga fosters physical and mental resilience in ways science was just beginning to quantify.

Yoga Asana Changes Our Brain’s Adaptability

Let’s dive into how yoga works its magic at a cellular level, starting with the specialized brain cells called neurons. Neurons are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system that transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. They’re the reason we can think, feel and move. After yoga asana practice, these neurons undergo some fascinating changes, which showcase the brain’s remarkable adaptability. 

These changes happen in two key ways: neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

  1. Neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to reorganize itself. 

    Think of this as rewiring or switching the wires around on a circuit. Neuroplasticity strengthens and/or weakens the connections between existing neurons, or brain cells, based on how they’re used. The more you practice something - whether that’s a yoga posture or staying calm under pressure - the stronger these neural connections become. There’s a saying I learned in Neuroscience 101 that says “neurons that fire together, wire together,” and a yoga practice is a perfect example of that.   

  1. Neurogenesis - the process of generating new neurons. 

    This is where the brain creates new brain cells. For years, scientists thought that we were stuck with the neurons we were born with, but research has shown that the adult brain can generate new ones, particularly in certain areas. 

At the core of both neuroplasticity and neurogenesis is a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF strengthens existing connections between neurons, encourages the formation of new ones, and supports the growth and survival of these new cells. Think of it as fertilizer for your brain, and if it’s on offer, you might want to keep a little extra in the shed. 

One study found that just an hour of Hatha yoga three times a week significantly boosted BDNF levels. This means that yoga asana doesn’t just make you more flexible on the mat, it makes your brain more flexible too. Areas of the brain that particularly benefit from a BDNF boost are areas like the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which play a major role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and memory. In other words, BDNF better equips your brain to handle life’s challenges, adapt to new situations, and find mental and emotional wellbeing. 

Yoga Asana Changes the Brain’s Structure

Research also shows just how much yoga can literally change the shape of your brain, starting with gray matter–the tissue responsible for processing and interpreting information. Gray matter contains the cell bodies of neurons, which act like tiny command centers that process inputs and coordinate outputs. The denser and thicker the gray matter is, the more neurons available to handle the workload. And surprise surprise, yoga helps increase gray matter volume in some incredibly important regions of the brain, namely the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. 

Let’s dive into these two regions that particularly benefit from yoga asana: hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

  1. Hippocampus

    This is the brain’s learning and memory hub. It’s the part of your brain responsible for learning and retaining new information, memory and recalling old information, and emotional regulation. A larger hippocampus is associated with better memory and learning abilities. It’s also linked to a reduced risk of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease

  1. Prefrontal cortex

    This is an area that handles executive functions like focus, planning, decision-making, self-regulation and impulse control. Consider it your brain’s control tower, responsible for high-level tasks that, when well developed, increase the likelihood of staying calm under pressure, making sound decisions, and focusing your attention where it matters. 

This isn’t the case for the entire brain, but when we’re talking about gray matter in these areas, bigger is better. A larger hippocampus and prefrontal cortex means more neurons and stronger connections between them, which can translate to sharper cognition; better problem-solving, self-regulation, and introspection; and better emotional control. One 2012 study found that regular Hatha yoga practitioners - people who dedicated 45+ minutes a day, three to four times per week over the past three years - showed significantly increased gray matter volume in both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, highlighting the incredible potential of these practices to literally restructure the brain. These findings underscore yoga’s ability to physically reshape the brain, supporting improved memory, learning, focus, and emotional regulation. 

But yoga doesn’t just influence the structure of the brain - it also impacts how efficiently these areas function. A 2018 study found that experienced yoga practitioners had not only larger hippocampi than people who didn’t practice at all, they also showed more efficient prefrontal cortices (meaning their brains required less activation to do the same tasks as non-practitioners). Researchers believe that there was less activation in the prefrontal cortex because their brains had optimized the neural pathways necessary to handle cognitive challenges. And here’s the good news for beginners or those who haven’t yet implemented yoga into their routine yet: these benefits aren’t reserved for long-term practitioners. Research has shown that even after a single session of yoga asana, participants experienced improved cognitive performance and increased executive control (i.e. shorter reaction times and increased accuracy). So, whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a newbie, yoga works behind the scenes to upgrade the efficiency of your brain structure.  

Beyond the functional changes (neuroplasticity and neurogenesis) and the structural changes (in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex) we see in the brain, there is also a cascade of chemical changes associated with a regular yoga asana practice. 

Yoga Asana Changes Brain Chemistry

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, traveling through the bloodstream to tell different organs and tissues what to do. They’re the backstage crew running the show of complex bodily processes. Two hormones you’ve probably heard of - cortisol and serotonin - play especially big roles in how we respond to stress and maintain emotional balance. 

  1. Cortisol

    Cortisol is the “stress hormone” that is your body’s first responder to challenging situations. It’s essential for managing responses to stress in the short term (acute) and the long term (chronic). But cortisol doesn’t stop there - it also regulates your metabolism, immune response, blood sugar, and your sleep-wake cycle (or circadian rhythm–aka: when we feel awake or tired throughout the day).

  1. Serotonin

    Serotonin is the “happy hormone.” It is a multitasker that actually serves as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger that sends signals from nerve cells throughout the body to the brain). It plays a central role in regulating mood and overall well-being, affects our sense of calm, influences cognition, sleep, digestion, and how your body reacts to stress. 

But here’s the catch: balance is everything. Too much or too little of either can have negative effects on the body and mind. And if there’s one thing guaranteed to throw them off balance, it’s stress. When stress becomes chronic, cortisol can skyrocket, triggering a chain reaction in the brain. Chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels that can shrink the hippocampus (key for memory and learning) and impair the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation). Chronic stress also suppresses neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons), leading to reduced cognitive adaptability and emotional resilience. Over time, this chemical imbalance manifests as forgetfulness, impulsivity, and poor emotional control.

Yoga asana offers a powerful counterbalance to stress. One study found that students who practiced asana for 35 minutes a day over 12 weeks before an exam reduced cortisol levels (aka fewer chemical biomarkers of stress) during the exam compared to their peers. They also felt less stressed, suggesting yoga helps both the body and mind better manage stressors. Yoga asana quite literally gave these practitioners the tools to be able to dampen their stress response off the mat.

Stress doesn’t just mess with cortisol - it impacts serotonin levels too. Another study revealed that adding a 90-minute in person yoga practice (including asana, breathwork, and meditation) to their routine once a week plus a 40-minute daily at home practice over 12 weeks significantly boosted serotonin levels. This slight elevation in serotonin can support improved mood, better emotional well-being, and greater resilience to life’s challenges.

The takeaway? Research consistently shows that yoga helps lower perceived stress and reduces physiological markers of stress in the bloodstream. This rebalancing act harmonizes cortisol and serotonin levels, giving your brain and body the tools to thrive - not just on the mat, but in everyday life. 

Yoga Asana Rewires Your Brain

When you practice the physical elements of yoga, you’re not just stretching; you’re triggering a cascade of changes all the way down to a cellular level.  Yoga asana has been shown to positively impact the brain by promoting neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, particularly in areas like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. One of yoga asana’s standout superpowers is its ability to affect us on a hormonal level. A physical yoga practice helps keep cortisol in check and can boost serotonin. Together, these changes do more than just calm your nerves, they build emotional stability and resilience to stress, enhance mental clarity, sharpen memory, and leave you with a profound sense of wellbeing. 

It turns out that the ancient yogis were ahead of the game. While modern neuroscience has given us the tools to map yoga’s effects on the brain, let’s not forget that this is wisdom that yogis have been refining for centuries. Yoga is an incredibly powerful tool for rewiring the brain and changing us on a cellular, psychological and level. Let’s use it wisely.

Practice with Dr. Tara:

Much of the research we’ve been discussing uses Hatha Yoga, a more classical form of asana practice that emphasizes strength and balance through longer-held postures. This style of yoga really gives you time to tune into your alignment and find steadiness, helping you engage muscles deeply and build strength. It also provides an opportunity to use the breath to anchor your focus and calm the fluctuations of the mind. 

Join the author of this post, Dr. Tara Zinnamon, for a 35-minute grounding flow that offers the best of both worlds: strength and flexibility. It starts with a steady, floor-based warmup to wake up the body, then energizes with a short standing series. It finishes off with gentle stretches and twists to release tension. This practice is perfect for anyone craving a balance of strength and softness. 

This blog post is part one of a three-part series exploring the neuroscience behind asana (postures), pranayama (breath control/breathwork) and dharana/dhyana (meditation). Be sure to check back for part two, where we’ll dive into how the breath can change the brain and the way our entire nervous system functions…

Dr. Tara’s Playlist:

About Dr. Tara:

Dr. Tara Zinnamon is a neuroscientist and yoga, breathwork, and meditation guide committed to moving her community towards wellness and expansion. Straddling two seemingly disparate approaches, she has found through her research, clinical, and lived experiences that the human mind and body are capable of self-healing and immeasurable feats. Guiding the body, breath, and mind, her intention is to encourage self-awareness, connection, and resilience in practice and in life. 

Practice with her in Los Angeles at her weekly public classes at Black Being and Modo Yoga La Brea. Tara also hosts events at the intersection of science, wellness, and community through her social club, Journey Club. But practice with her anytime on her YouTube Channel @tarazinnamon.

Stay connected with Tara on Instagram @tarazinnamon and @journey__club and on TikTok @tarazinnamon.

Tara is practicing on our PROlite® Yoga Mat with Cork Yoga Blocks, an AligN Yoga Strap and an enlight™ Rectangular Bolster while wearing our Dhara Tank and Leggings in Lions Mane Heather.

Photos and video by Anisha Sisodia. Follow her on Instagram: @anishaspice.

The studio featured in the photos and videos is Black Being in Inglewood, California.


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