Wellness on a Cellular Level
As a long term sufferer of chronic migraine with aura I’ve become increasingly more interested in cellular health, and how to improve it.
Just over a year ago I was rushed into A&E having lost both my speech and any sensation down one side of my face. I desperately tried to explain to 999 where I lived but nothing I uttered made any sense.
In that moment of panic when I was convinced I was having a stroke, It was both a frightening and enlightening experience as it was a huge wake up call to the stress my body was under. A brain scan later revealed no evidence of a stroke and a likely diagnosis of Acute Confusional Migraine of which loss of speech is a common symptom.
What a relief, however an experience that couldn’t be ignored. Having been prescribed every single migraine drug in existence over the years, to no success, I felt that empowering myself to understand my body at a cellular level would help me to unravel the problems that lie beneath.
What is Cellular Health?
Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, these cells need to be nourished in order to function correctly and thrive. If we nourish our cells well, our body will perform well.
We replicate and produce new cells at around two million per second. Over the course of a day, that adds up to hundreds of billions of new cells. Aside from growth, many of these cells have different roles, often producing different proteins needed for necessary bodily functions. But with so much of this cell growth occurring, there is plenty of opportunity for error and mutations to occur.
In a healthy person, the supple bi-lipid fat layer of the cellular membrane allows nutrients to flow easily in and toxins and free radicals inside the cell to flow out. When inflamed nothing can flow in or flow out so our cell becomes a toxic wasteland.
I discovered that overconsumption of refined sugar and grains, bad fats, toxins and pathogens in my skin products, cleaning products and hair care all contribute over time to toxic inflammation in the body. This inspired me to gradually remove as many toxins from my home, skin care/ hair care routine and diet as possible.
Hatha yoga and Cellular Health
My ongoing research led me to discover many clinical studies that document the benefits of hatha yoga on cellular health. This reassuring science helped to explain why Hatha yoga has been so beneficial for my health especially this last year.
Studies of Yogis practicing Hatha yoga have shown an increase in grey matter density, thickness and volume in the brain. The cells in grey matter are essential to the function of our nervous system and are directly responsible for speech, emotion, memory and muscle control. These studies revealed strengthened cognitive function and protection against stress and depression.
Certain yoga poses have been shown to regenerate b-Cells in the pancreas leading to increased glucose metabolism and insulin receptors. The muscular stretching that happens in yoga poses is said to be beneficial for lung reflexes and cardiorespiratory health, likely due to an increase in the level of red blood cells in the body.
Other studies show that long term practice of yoga and meditation reveals changes in brain structure that correlate to being less reactive and less emotionally explosive as well as an increased activity of the left prefrontal cortex - the area of the brain associated with positive moods , equanimity and emotional resilience. I guess this explains why I’m so Zen these days!
It was clear to me science agrees that yoga is beneficial for cellular health, so adding regular practice into my self care routine was a no brainer!…Sorry, couldn't resist! :)
If you’d like to increase your grey matter, head over to our yoga page to book your place.
Group online classes for all abilities;
Monday 7:00pm-8:00PM
Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm