Yoga and mental health

In the previous post we wanted to emphasize yoga’s influence on the physical condition, and we announced that in the next chapter we will focus on the mental health, which is equally important.

Yoga practice offers many advantages to your body and mind. After each training you can feel that you are calm, connected, clear, and centered with your body and mind. Any kind of stress, dark emotion or thought, disappears after the class.

Yoga is often recognized for its calming and relaxing effects on both mind and body.

We could name many benefits on our mental health, we will focus on 3 most important, from our point of view. 

Stress Reduction

Nowadays with our busy schedules we do not know a single person that do not suffer this illness. Yes, this is our generation’s illness. Reported by American Psychological Association 75% of adults were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month and nearly half claimed that their stress has increased in the past year.

Yoga helps with stress reduction by decreasing the cortisol (stress hormone) levels in our body. All yoga poses aim to find a state of balance both, physically and mentally. Prolonged poses which are characteristic of Restorative yoga, act to dial down the sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-flight response – which is a place we react from when feeling swamped and unable to cope with the many demands of our lives. As a result, a space is created to move from fight-flight to relaxation, and the parasympathetic nervous system (which is in control of the relaxation activation) can succeed and work well.

There is no specific yoga style to help you with the stress reduction. Any exercise will help you relieve stress by keeping the body fit and releasing endorphins, natural hormones that make you feel better. Yoga also relieves stress through stretching. 

Anxiety and Depression Disorders

Yoga, that bases on purposeful movements and the use of breath that guides us through all poses (asanas), can be beneficial with depression and anxiety. Practice of yoga raises awareness of the current state and attentional focus and by this can lead us to become aware of negative feelings and the staying in negativity that is characteristic of depression. The hyperarousal or discomfort of physical sensations such as sweaty hands, tightness in chest that are related closely to anxiety can also be worked with via yoga practice.

From the neurological researches resulted that yoga could help to slow down neuron firing and balance brain chemistry and therefore help with the anxiety disorder. 

Yoga practice on mental health can also stimulate self-worth, reduce lethargy and agitation associated with depression and anxiety, and can cultivate and support participation in social, work, and intimate relationships.

We’ve read many articles that are related to yoga and depression and many studies have demonstrated reduced levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in people who practice yoga. It is thought that the breathing exercises that are a key part of yoga induce the body’s relaxation response.

From our perspective, we must admit that anytime we practice yoga, and does not matter whether is power or easy practice, we feel our body and brain relaxed and relieved.

Trauma

Trauma generally is considered as a past event that happened some time ago and moved your body and soul negatively. Trauma is the constant remainder from the past as it settles into your body.

When we are traumatized, we become afraid of our physical feelings; our breathing gets shallow, and we turn into frightened about what we are feeling inside. When you slow down your breathing during yoga practice, you can increase your heart rate variability, and that results with stress reduction. Yoga opens you up to feeling every aspect of your body’s sensations. It’s a safe way for us to look after our bodies and minds, where the trauma of the past is stored.

As a mind-body practice yoga is a gateway to get into the more primitive, reptilian part of our brain, that are responsible for survival and maintenance, which helps us  with trauma by relearning how to deal with unpleasant internal experiences in a healthy and safe environment. 

Summing up, we can name numerous benefits of yoga on mental health, thru many studies it’s shown that the advantages are diverse and expanding. Yoga is a unique mind-body sport that emphasizes on moving through poses in a mindful and purposeful way. The use of breath as a crucial point to guide us and to keep us grounded in our body, especially when the mind wants to distract us with unnecessary thoughts or emotions, leads us to work with emotional health issues.

It does not matter if you want to practice power vinyasa class or a calming and gentle restorative class, you will likely enter that state of calmness, and experience emotional health benefits along the way. Note that yoga does not cure it all. It helps with our mental condition, though in many cases it might not be sufficient; but we must admit –it’s worth trying!