Healthday news reports that

Researchers say they’ve taken a significant stride forward in understanding how relaxation techniques such as meditation, prayer and yoga improve health: by changing patterns of gene activity that affect how the body responds to stress.

Basically, the mind can affect the body and what researches have found is that when we evoke a relaxation response, the mind turns off genes that are turned on by stress. This seems absolutely miraculous, but science is starting to converge with alternative therapies and beginning to chart what yogis, tai chi masters and meditation experts have know for years: That the mind really does affect the body.

Lots of different systems can evoke the so called relaxation response: Tai chi, yoga and meditation as mentioned, but also things like repetitive prayer, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. It really is great news when science starts to investigate the effect these powerful techniques have on our minds and bodies and provides us with a scientific explanation for what is happening. Though, all the understanding in the world won’t help unless you actually do your practice!