This is part of God Flux but split into smaller sections for an easier read.
Yoga
I took up Yoga classes in the holidays between my BSc and MSc mainly to address a back problem I had developed by using a tilted chair. I went on every weekday from eleven to twelve thirty with women of the neighbourhood. In two months I noticed my back had stopped aching but there was another effect which I didn’t expect. I was a lot calmer and happier. I didn’t think I had a specific temper problem before I started going but in retrospect, I had been quite irritable. I continued more eagerly for the next two months and became more interested in meditation, which they introduced to us in the later part of the course. I began to read about the philosophy behind Yoga. Of equilibrium and harmony between the mind and the body. Of the layers of existence beyond the material level and how some advanced exercises lead to more optimal use of the brain and body. I have come across several papers since I started my career in neuroscience where meditation has been used to reduce chronic pain, depression and other ailments. I would also like to learn more about this.