Is really yoga good for you?
Activity 1 : Watch the video
Activity 2: Complete the True or False below.
1. Yoga has been practiced in India for thousands of years.
2. Patañjali codified yoga as a practice for yoking the mind, not just the body.
3. Modern yoga always includes physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
4. Researchers can easily identify which part of yoga produces each health benefit.
5. Yoga reliably improves flexibility and strength in healthy populations.
6. Yoga has shown strong evidence for reducing pain and improving mobility in chronic conditions.
7. Breathing exercises in yoga can improve oxygen flow and support heart health.
8. There is conclusive evidence that yoga improves mental health.
9. Yoga may help reduce stress and support relaxation, according to research.
10. Yoga’s health benefits are entirely proven by modern science.
Activity 3: Match the vocabulary to the correct definition
1. Codify
2. Consciousness
3. Flexibility
4. Mobility
5. Chronic
6. Sample size
7. Self-reporting
8. Evidence
9. Therapeutic
10. Stress
a) A healing or beneficial effect
b) Awareness of oneself and surroundings
c) Small or incomplete studies that make conclusions uncertain
d) Long-lasting and persistent
e) The ability to move easily and freely
f) The ability to bend or stretch easily
g) Proof or support for a claim
h) Participants describe their own experiences
i) To record and systematise ideas or practices
l) Mental or emotional tension
Activity 4: Fill the blanks with the vocabulary from Activity 3
1. Patañjali helped __________ ancient yoga practices in the Yoga Sutras.
2. Yoga aims to improve mental focus and awareness of __________.
3. Regular stretching improves __________ of muscles and joints.
4. Yoga can improve joint __________ and ease movement.
5. Yoga can help manage pain from __________ conditions like arthritis.
6. Many studies are limited by small __________, making conclusions less certain.
7. Some studies rely on __________, which can make results subjective.
8. Scientific __________ is needed to prove yoga’s effects on health.
9. Yoga can have a __________ effect for people with musculo-skeletal problems.
10. Many people practise yoga to reduce __________ in daily life.
When English speakers talk they often use figurative or idiomatic expressions — not just literal language. These expressions make speech sound more natural and emotionally authentic. Let’s explore a few from the video and from everyday English.
Backed by evidence: Supported by proof or research
Flexibility benefits of yoga are backed by evidence.
Hard to prove: Difficult to demonstrate scientifically
Psychological benefits of yoga are hard to prove.
Show promise: Appears to be effective but not fully confirmed
Yoga shows promise for reducing chronic pain.
Limited research: Studies are small or incomplete
The effects of yoga on mental health have limited research.
Based on self-reporting: Participants describe their own experiences
Many studies on yoga are based on self-reporting.
Potential benefits: Advantages that may occur, not guaranteed
Yoga has potential benefits for heart and lung function.
Scientific support: Proof provided by research studies
Flexibility and strength improvements have scientific support.
Mixed results: Studies show inconsistent outcomes
Yoga’s effects on anxiety have mixed results.
Cautious conclusion: Careful judgement due to limited evidence
Researchers make cautious conclusions about yoga’s mental benefits.
Further studies needed: More research is necessary
Further studies are needed to confirm long-term effects.
Mini practice:
1. Choose 2–3 expressions and use them to discuss whether yoga is “really good for you.”
2. Summarise one main finding from the video using one of the idioms above.
Activity 5: Choose a question and write a short paragraph (share it below) or record a voice note.
1. According to the video, why is it hard to measure the health benefits of yoga scientifically?
2. Which benefits of yoga are clearly supported by evidence? Which are harder to prove?
3. How does the reliance on self-reporting affect the reliability of yoga studies?
4. Do you think people should practise yoga even if some benefits are not scientifically confirmed? Why or why not?
5. How could future research improve our understanding of yoga’s effects?
6. Can the psychological principles of yoga (focus, breathing, relaxation) be applied in daily life or other activities? How?
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Photo by Carl Barcelo on Unsplash
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