A 2019 review examined 11 studies on the relationship between yoga and brain structure. The findings were consistent: yoga practitioners showed greater volume in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala compared to non-practitioners. These regions govern memory, planning, and emotional processing.
For practitioners, this matters because the physical practice is also a neurological one. The combination of movement, breath, and sustained attention appears to stimulate growth in parts of the brain that tend to shrink with age and stress. The effects were observed across different styles and durations of practice.
The implication is straightforward. Yoga is not simply a flexibility exercise. The sustained attention required in practice may serve as a form of brain training, with structural changes detectable on MRI scans.
Source: Yoga Research: Brain Structure & Function on ashtanga.tech. Original research.