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Balancing Cortisol and Well-being: The Role of Yin and Ashtanga Yoga

In a world where chronic stress is common, understanding how different types of exercise and yoga practices impact our body’s stress response can help us make mindful choices about our wellness routines. 

One of the key players in the body’s stress response is cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that helps manage energy levels, immune response, and stress. However, if cortisol remains elevated due to prolonged stress, it can lead to fatigue, immune suppression, and other health issues. In this context, the types of exercise and yoga we choose can have significant effects on how our body handles stress. Both gentle, restorative yoga like Yin and more intense, physically demanding practices like Ashtanga offer unique benefits, depending on our life circumstances and stress levels.

Understanding Cortisol and Exercise

Cortisol is often associated with the “fight or flight” response. During physical activity, particularly high-intensity exercise, cortisol levels naturally rise to help the body meet increased energy demands. This temporary spike in cortisol is a healthy response that helps mobilize glucose for fuel and manage inflammation. However, if we’re already experiencing high levels of stress in daily life, adding more physical stress from intense exercise may contribute to an overload on the body.

In these instances, gentle exercise, which calms the nervous system and supports a cortisol reduction, may be more beneficial. As personal trainer and wellness author Dr. James DiNicolantonio explains, “Exercise is a double-edged sword. It can act as a stressor, but it can also provide significant mental health benefits if done at the right intensity and with adequate rest.”

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The Impact of Running on Cortisol Levels

Cortisol levels can indeed rise during running, particularly in high-intensity or prolonged running sessions. This rise is mainly due to the body perceiving running as a form of physical stress. Cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, plays a key role in the “fight-or-flight” response. During exercise, cortisol helps to regulate energy by breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins to provide glucose (fuel) for the muscles.

The increase in cortisol during running isn’t directly caused by heart rate but rather by the physiological and psychological demands placed on the body. Factors like exercise intensity, duration, and an individual’s fitness level and stress response can influence cortisol release. While elevated cortisol during exercise is normal and supports endurance and performance, consistently high levels without adequate rest can impact recovery and overall well-being.

Finding Balance for Your Well-Being: When to Opt for High-Energy or Restorative Workouts

The temporary increase in cortisol during exercise like running can be beneficial. This controlled rise helps mobilize energy, improve endurance, and manage inflammation, making it easier to handle physical stress. As long as cortisol levels return to baseline post-exercise, this response can be positive for both physical and mental resilience.

Yoga, however, typically does not elevate cortisol in the same way as high-intensity activities like running. Instead, yoga often helps lower cortisol levels. The calming, mindful, and slower-paced nature of yoga, along with controlled breathing, helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (often called the “rest and digest” system). This response reduces stress and promotes relaxation, which in turn can lower cortisol. However, certain vigorous forms of yoga (like power yoga or Ashtanga) may cause a mild cortisol rise, but it is generally not as pronounced as with running.

Choosing the Right Practice for Your Stress Levels: Running vs. Yoga

If someone has chronically high cortisol levels due to ongoing stress, intense exercise like running could potentially add to the overall stress load on the body, making it harder to reduce cortisol levels. In this state, high-intensity exercise might lead to further fatigue, impact recovery, and could potentially weaken the immune system over time if not balanced with adequate rest and recovery.

A gentler form of exercise, like restorative or gentle yoga, might indeed be a better choice in such cases. These styles of yoga promote relaxation, encourage deep breathing, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps counteract stress by lowering cortisol levels. Gentle yoga can support a calm, balanced state and may be more restorative, helping the body to manage cortisol levels and overall stress more effectively.

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Yin Yoga: Restorative Practice for Lowering Cortisol

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced, meditative style of yoga where poses are held for extended periods, typically three to five minutes. This practice targets the connective tissues, tendons, and ligaments, allowing for a gentle release that promotes flexibility and relaxation. Yin Yoga emphasizes stillness and deep breathing, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s “rest and digest” system. This activation can help to lower cortisol levels, making it particularly suitable for individuals dealing with chronic stress.

Studies have shown that slower-paced, meditative practices, like Yin Yoga, can significantly reduce cortisol levels. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, researchers found that participants who engaged in regular mindfulness-based practices, including Yin Yoga, experienced notable reductions in stress and cortisol levels. In this sense, Yin Yoga can be

particularly valuable for individuals who feel mentally and physically drained, providing a restorative approach that soothes the mind and body.

The benefits of Yin Yoga go beyond stress relief. Because it encourages the body to release tension gradually, it’s an ideal practice for improving joint mobility and increasing circulation. According to Yin Yoga instructor Bernie Clark, “Yin is a quiet practice, but it’s powerful because it helps you learn to listen to your body and what it needs.” For many people facing high-stress levels, listening to the body’s signals for rest can be more beneficial than pushing through an intense workout.

Ashtanga Yoga: Harnessing Power with Mindfulness

In contrast, Ashtanga Yoga is a vigorous, physically demanding practice that follows a set sequence of postures, flowing from one to the next in synchronization with the breath. This practice requires strength, flexibility, and stamina, offering a full-body workout. Ashtanga has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and support weight management, all while enhancing mental focus and discipline.

While Ashtanga can temporarily raise cortisol levels due to its intensity, this response can still be positive, especially for individuals who thrive on high-energy activities. For people with stable cortisol levels who enjoy intense physical challenges, Ashtanga Yoga provides a powerful outlet. The physical exertion in Ashtanga can lead to a sense of accomplishment and improve resilience over time, which can enhance overall mental health.

David Swenson, a renowned Ashtanga teacher, suggests that the practice’s intensity offers unique benefits: “Ashtanga yoga challenges you to find strength, resilience, and patience. It’s a way of testing your limits with mindfulness.” For those who have the energy and capacity to handle this type of practice, Ashtanga can be a rewarding and transformative way to manage stress.

Listening to Your Body: When to Opt for Yin or Ashtanga

Ultimately, choosing between a restorative practice like Yin or a dynamic one like Ashtanga depends on tuning into what your body truly needs at any given time. While our minds might be eager for intensity and accomplishment, our bodies may benefit more from rest and recovery, especially during high-stress periods. This practice of listening to the body and adapting our approach can lead to better long-term health outcomes.

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“Restorative practices are not ‘less-than’,” says clinical psychologist and yoga researcher Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone. “They allow the nervous system to reset and build resilience, which in turn makes us stronger in the face of stress.” Even for those who enjoy intense workouts, balancing vigorous activities with gentle practices like Yin Yoga can help keep cortisol levels in check and prevent burnout.

On the other hand, there are times when working hard and challenging ourselves can be beneficial. When we’re feeling energized, calm, and capable, a practice like Ashtanga can help us build physical strength, endurance, and mental focus. For many, finding the right balance of Yin and Ashtanga in their routine—depending on what’s happening in their lives—is the key to maintaining both physical and mental health.

Embracing the Benefits of Both Styles

Whether you’re drawn to the calm, introspective nature of Yin Yoga or the vigorous, empowering flow of Ashtanga, each practice offers unique benefits that can support your well-being in different ways. When life feels overwhelming, Yin Yoga can provide a quiet space for recovery, helping lower cortisol and bring calm. In contrast, during times when you feel resilient and energized, Ashtanga can offer a dynamic way to build strength and endurance, making you more resilient to life’s challenges.

Ultimately, both Yin and Ashtanga Yoga teach us valuable lessons about balance, patience, and listening to our bodies. By respecting what our bodies need and responding mindfully, we can create a yoga practice that not only supports physical health but also helps us manage stress, resilience, and inner peace. As yoga teacher and author Judith Hanson Lasater wisely puts it, “Our practice should support us in living better, not just in being better at our practice.”

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