The human body is made up of trillions of cells that are constantly changing shape and structure. The main function of the cell is to reproduce through life, and it does this by breathing, digesting, excreting, reproducing and dying.
" Cells are fundamentally building blocks of life " - Leslie Kaminoff (Yoga anatomy)
The main structures of the cells are broken down into three groups: 1) The cell membrane - this is the outer layer of the cell. Its main purpose is to separate the internal environment with the external environment.
2) The Cytoplasm is found internally but outside the nucleus and contains many different structures and substances; mainly proteins for growth and repair. It also houses the mitochondria which is the powerhouse of the cell and supplies the cell with energy.
3) The Nucleus - is found in the centre of the cell, and contains our DNA. The nucleus is the largest organelle within the structure of the cell and is responsible for cells growth, repair, and reproduction.
Cells are living structures that are constantly moving and changing shape. They grow at a staggering rate throughout the day and die many times throughout life.
Skin cells are replaced every 39 days
Liver cells are replaced every 300 - 500 days
Red Blood cells are replaced every 120 days
Intestinal cells are replaced every 5 days
Yoga is a combination of movement and meditative breathing exercises. Each movement is perfectly designed to use each muscle, nerve and gland in the entire body. There is plenty of research to suggest that yoga plays a crucial part in improving life's expectancy from a cellular level right through to an emotional and physical level. Science is slowly catching up with this. When we increase our physical activity, blood flow increases sending fresh oxygenated blood to the heart improving muscle function and strength. Over time we become a lot more mentally aware and our bodies become a lot more flexible. In today’s world our bodies and the immune system must work extremely hard to maintain a state of homeostasis. Our bodies are constantly under threat with many every day stressors such as Environmental, Mental, Foods we eat, air and water pollution to name a few. Building a solid yoga practice into our lives can positively impact the body in many ways.
1) Calms the nervous system
2) Stimulates the lymphatic system
3) Flushes the internal organs
4) Improves digestion
5) Relieves stress and anxiety
6) Flushes new oxygenated blood to different parts of the body
Making small changes and adapting to a healthy lifestyle has many benefits. Not only does yoga improve your mood, longevity and overall health. There is strong evidence to show that gene expression can also change with a continuous yoga practice.