Psycho-Neuro-Immune Modulation by Yoga

Yoga is a popular Indian origin mind-body medicine for physical development, mental growth, and spiritual elevation. It enhances physical efficacy, emotional resilience, awareness and helps us to understand at deeper realms the purpose of life and aims to achieve the union of individual and universal consciousness. Various therapeutic advantages of Yoga include modulation of the epigenome by upregulation of genes which promote oxidative stress, mitochondrial and nuclear genome integrity, reducing the rate of aging and the biological age, stress reduction, hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis alteration, autonomic nervous system balance, increased heart rate variability, physiological, biochemical, and anatomical changes in the brain, and immunological modulation. Despite several research studies, the specific biochemical pathways underlying the benefits of Yoga and similar activities are still unclear. Yoga sets various physiological events in the body that aids in the reduction of the stress response. Stress is body’s natural tendency to respond to a challenging situation. Chronic stress alters the functioning of immune system by reducing immune cells functioning and increasing active immunosuppressive pathways in the body. The HPA axis, hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, and sympathetic–adrenal–medullary (SAM) system are all thought to have a role in the immunological response. This chapter focuses on research that demonstrates changes in gene expression by modulation of methylome and epigenome, neurotransmitter, cytokine, and hormone levels as a result of yogic therapies which maintain a homeostatic metabolic profile of a Yoga practitioner. Hence, we summarize the mode of action of Yoga on multiple pathways and its role in positively modifying the psychoneuroimmunology of the body.