While many people consider yoga as a form of physical exercise, it is also something that engages the mind and spirit. Yoga’s origins date back over a thousand years in India, and it is now practised globally for the enhancement of one’s physical health, mental acuity, and emotional stability. Most individuals practise yoga with the intention of enhancing their physical strength; however, it has equally proven to be effective in aiding mental health. In this piece, we will explore the impact yoga has on the mental health of an individual and analyse the reasoning behind it being recommended as a self-care therapy.
1. Helps in the Reduction of Stress and Anxiety
Undoubtedly, one of the most common and popular benefits of yoga is that it helps in relieving stress and anxiety. Considering how the world has changed in the past few years, stress has become predominant in daily life for most people, feeding various other mental health complications, anxiety-related disorders, and burnout. Yoga restores equilibrium to the psyche and counteracts stress very well by activating the parasympathetic nervous system or ‘rest and digest’ mode, which opposes the ‘fight or flight’ response brought on by stress.
Forms of Stress Relief through Yoga
- Mindfulness, a strategy used in yoga, enables practitioners to focus on the present moment. This helps them to avoid the tendency of ruminating and worrying about the past or future.
- Cortical and diaphragmatic breathing (Pranayama) helps to calm and lower the stress hormone cortisol.
Yoga is becoming an increasingly popular treatment option for individuals diagnosed with psychogenic stress, particularly for chronic anxiety. Evidence suggests that regular participation in yoga classes resulted in decreased levels of stress and better coping techniques among chronic anxiety patients. These patients also reported feeling more relaxed and less constantly overloaded by everyday challenges.
2. Elevates Mood and Emotional Well-Being
Exercise helps to combat negative feelings such as irritability, depression, and sadness. Activities that elevate emotions aid in improving the general sense of wellness and help restore the mood. Strenuous activity has a noticeable impact on the ability to stimulate the brain to produce mood-improving constituents such as happy hormone serotonin, endorphins, and even GABA.
Yoga that significantly promotes elevated mood includes:
- Balasana (Child’s Pose) — Enhances recovery and emotional anchoring.
- Ustrasana (Camel Pose) — Chest opening promoting joy and elevating tension release.
- Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) — Increases vitality and energises body and mind.
Mindfulness and Gratitude
Practising yoga fosters being in the present and appreciating life through the body, which is likely to increase happiness and contentment.
3. Improves Sleep Quality
Many people experience sleep issues stemming from stress and anxiety, insomnia, or inadequate sleep. Yoga has the potential to aid sleep hygiene by calming the mind and body before rest.
Passive yoga as a sleep aid:
After an exhausting day, yoga passively calms the nervous system, releasing tight muscles and slowing heart rate, allowing for restful sleep.
Best Yoga Practices for Sleep
- Yoga Nidra — A body-guided meditation that induces deep relaxation for the entire body.
- Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) — Soothes body and mind while alleviating discomfort in the lower back.
- Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) — Decreases tension in hamstrings and lower back.
Research Support
A study conducted by The Journal of Clinical Psychology reported a significant enhancement of sleep quality among regular yoga practitioners compared to non-practitioners.
4. Improves Self-Esteem and Emotional Awareness
Chronic low self-esteem is a consequence of unrelenting negative self-talk. In contrast, yoga requires self-care in the form of paying attention to the body without judgment. Over time, individuals learn to celebrate their strengths while also recognising and striving to improve their weaknesses.
Enhancing Self-Esteem Through Yoga
Celebrating small wins like balancing in Tree Pose or gracefully holding Warrior II contributes to a sense of achievement, which, in turn, boosts confidence. Moreover, yoga focuses more on one’s inner strength than on physical appearance, which does wonders for self-image and self-esteem.
Identifying Emotions
Emotion regulation requires self-care but can be difficult to achieve without proper self-care. During yoga, one’s emotions are heightened, ensuring that they do not struggle to emit their feelings but rather process them in a healthy manner.
5. Enhanced Cognitive Function
Productive work and optimal decision-making require an uncluttered mind. This cognitive clarity can be disrupted by distractions, stress, or even mental fatigue. Yoga enhances focus, promotes better retention of information, and overall improves the health of the brain’s cognitive functions.
Yoga Techniques for Better Concentration
- Utkatasana (Eagle Pose) — Improves vertical equilibrium, directly enhancing concentration.
- Vrksasana (Tree Pose) — Aids in increasing concentration.
- Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) — Calms the busy brain while providing a spinal stretch.
Scientific Insights
Harvard Medical School conducted a study that revealed that yoga practitioners have longer attention spans and better working memory compared to non-practitioners.
6. Provision of Aid for Mental Health Illnesses
Research on the effects of yoga on mental health is relatively recent, but yoga has been considered an effective complementary therapy for several mental health issues like depression, PTSD, GAD, and even schizophrenia. Though yoga cannot replace therapy or medication, it works well alongside traditional approaches.
- Depression — Yoga reduces symptoms by lowering physical inflammation linked to depression and by elevating serotonin levels.
- PTSD — Trauma-sensitive yoga helps patients reconnect with their body without reliving traumatic memories.
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) — Symptoms can be controlled with Ujjayi breath, which calms racing thoughts and relieves anxious physical symptoms like a rapid pulse or shallow breaths.
7. Promotes Resilience
Resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity, is a vital component of mental health. Yoga fosters resilience by providing people with the tools to remain steady in the face of challenges.
Sustaining Resilience with Mindfulness
Participants of yoga are taught to respond rather than react to stressors through mindfulness meditative exercises. With practice, this helps improve emotional control over time.
Conclusion
The incorporation of yoga practice into a person’s routine offers numerous advantages beyond physical exercise. It transforms the person by nurturing mental health through stress reduction, improved mood, better sleep, higher self-esteem, enhanced cognitive functioning, relief from mental health disorders, and resilience-building.
It is never too late to prioritise mental wellness. Make yoga a part of your routine today for better balance and mental clarity.
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