Forget about the runner's high. You're looking for a yogi's high. Here's what you need to know about achieving zen feelings.

The existence of runner's high is undeniable. Despite not understanding how it functions, scientists agree that euphoria will flood the brain after vigorous exercise. Endorphins were thought to relieve pain and anxiety in reaction to physical stress until recently. However, recent research indicates that there are additional chemicals at work.

Although there is less talk of getting a “high” from gentler types of exercise like yoga, everyone who has tried it knows it leaves you feeling blissful. Improving posture, blood flow, and concentration are all immediate physical benefits of yoga, and nailing a pose you've been practicing on for months adds a satisfying sense of accomplishment. Endorphins and other neurotransmitters may contribute to the post-yoga "glow" by reducing pain and increasing elation, but other factors may also be at play.

One explanation is that yoga satisfies all five ideals of the SPIRE model, a philosophy of living in which complete wellness is achieved by the fulfillment of five main aspects of life: spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional.

Yoga, with its spiritual origins, flowing gestures, student culture, and ability to help in the control of our thoughts and emotions, provides an overall sense of well-being.

According to Sarkar, the act of conscious breathing and allowing exhales to last longer than inhales can also affect your nervous system and lull your body into a calming state. The sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which calms the body and conserves energy, are both part of the autonomic nervous system. Breathing is quick and shallow when the body is in fight-or-flight mode, but steady and regulated breathing helps to bypass that stress response and provides a direct line to the PNS.

According to Sarkar, physical yoga practice prepares the body for meditation, which is "the therapeutic counterpart to yoga." Yoga's physical engagement helps in focusing the mind and reeling in speeding emotions, in addition to making the body more relaxed for seated meditation. As a result, there are additional physiological advantages. “When you meditate, your mind quiets down, your thought process slows down, your blood sugar and cholesterol levels drop, your heart rate slows down, and your blood pressure drops.”