Yoga: Benefits for Mental Health

Yoga is always advocated as a healing exercise. Well, it does not completely heal you. However, yoga has its benefits that help deal with problems related to mental health.

Problems

Stress

Stress is a feeling of physical or emotional tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel angry, frustrated, or nervous. For instance, the pressure of everyday life is a big contributor.

Inflammation

Acute inflammation (like when your body swells up after an injury) is healthy. Inflammation is a normal immune response, but chronic inflammation can lead to the development of pro-inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Anxiety

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear about what is to come in future. We are constantly worried about the future and trying to solve every problem that pops into our heads. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous.

Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. In addition, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

How Yoga Helps

Stress

Yogis are found to have lower cortisol (type of hormone associated with stress) levels as compared to non-yogis. That stress relief comes from the benefits of yoga.

High levels of cortisol can lead to diseases such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even healing of wound slowly.

Yoga has always been known as an antidote for stress. In summary, it combines many stress-reducing techniques, including exercise and learning to control the breath, clear the mind, and relax the body.

Inflammation

In a study of 218 subjects, male and female, individuals who practiced yoga had significantly lower markers of chronic inflammation. As a result, yoga is proved to guard against inflammatory diseases.

Anxiety

One hour of yoga, twice a week leads to significant decreases in anxiety. Moreover, one starts to improve after merely a few weeks of yoga.

How can yoga exercises help get over anxiety?

• Do yoga asanas and relieve your stress of mind
• Breathe right with pranayamas to relieve anxiety
• Meditate to enjoy the gift of a relaxed mind
• Apply yoga philosophy in your life; stay happy and enjoy every moment
• Keep positive company around you

Depression

Firstly, it is important to recognize the signs of depression.

• Helplessness
• Guilt
• Anger
• Withdrawing from friends and families
• No concentration
• Sleep problem

Consider taking group yoga classes, where you’ll become part of a community. As a result, you can get help with the loneliness that often accompanies depression.

Yoga Poses with Benefits

Shishuasana (Child pose)

• Firstly, it is deeply relaxing
• Secondly, it calms the nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety

Halasana (Plow pose)

• First, it calms the nervous system, reducing stress and fatigue
• Moreover, it stimulates the thyroid gland, helping to improve your mood and energy levels

Savasana (Corpse pose)

• It enables a deep and meditative rest, releasing stress, a major cause of depression
• It also helps reduce Vata Dosha – imbalance in the air element, which can cause you to feel depressed and anxious
• Lastly, it helps rejuvenate and refresh you

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog Pose)

• Firstly, it energizes and rejuvenates the body
• Secondly, it increases blood circulation to the brain, helping to boost your mood
• Most importantly, it helps relieve headache, insomnia, and fatigue

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

• Firstly it calms the brain, reducing anxiety and depression
• Secondly, it opens up the lungs and reduces thyroid problems, which causes mood swings and depression

Hence, yoga has multiple benefits that can be employed to improve different parts of you life. So, to practice perfect balance, incorporate yoga in your daily routine. In addition, for a better understanding, you can check this out.

In summary, there is scientific evidence of the various benefits of yoga, for mental health. There is no reason to postpone doing yoga, now! In other words, when are you starting?