Healing from the Inside Out: Yoga's Role in Reducing Inflammation

“Healing from the Inside Out: Yoga’s Role in Reducing Inflammation”

Over the past two months, in my communications with you, I have been hyper-focused on inflammation. I've seen and experienced firsthand the damage that chronic inflammation can do to the human body. 

Inflammation shows up in many different ways. For some, it’s achy joints that make simple movements feel heavy. For others, it’s digestive discomfort, tension headaches, or the quiet burn of stress that lingers in the background.

While inflammation is the body’s natural way of healing, when it becomes chronic, it can drain energy and affect daily life.

Yoga offers gentle tools to calm the body, ease the mind, and invite balance back into the system.

Mary’s Story: Achy Joints

 Mary, a 62-year-old grandmother, lived with arthritis in her knees and hips. She found it hard to climb stairs or walk long distances without stiffness. Through a weekly yoga practice that emphasized supported poses and mindful breathing, Mary noticed her mobility increasing. Research shows that gentle stretching improves circulation and joint lubrication, which can reduce inflammatory markers. Over time, Mary experienced less pain and greater confidence in moving her body.

Paul’s Story: Headaches and Digestive Issues

Paul, a 54-year-old plant manager, worked long hours at a high-pressure manufacturing job. In addition, he was caring for his wife, who was diagnosed with a long-term illness.  His inflammation didn’t show up in his joints but rather in the form of tension headaches and digestive flare-ups. At first, he doubted yoga could help. Yet, after a few sessions of restorative yoga combined with breathwork, Paul began to notice a shift. Slow, steady breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps regulate the nervous system and lower cortisol, a stress hormone linked to inflammation. As his stress response settled, his body was better able to heal, and his headaches lessened.

Katie’s Story: Athletic Recovery and Balance

Katie, a 20-year-old competitive runner, struggled with muscle inflammation after intense training. Yoga offered her a chance to balance strength with rest. By practicing poses that lengthened her muscles while incorporating mindful relaxation, she supported her body’s recovery process. Studies suggest yoga helps reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines while increasing resilience in muscle tissue. She found herself not only less sore but also more energized, with quicker recovery times between workouts.

You might recognize yourself in one of these stories. They are a reminder that inflammation doesn’t have one face—it can touch anyone at any age or stage of life. The good news is that yoga meets you where you are. Through mindful movement, conscious breath, and restorative practices, yoga helps calm the stress response, improve circulation, and support the body in returning to balance.

One Last Thing Before I Go…

“Sometimes the gentlest breath and the softest stretch are the

strongest medicine your body could ask for.”

Namaste -