“Magic elixir”, “miracle drug” “remedy”, are just some of the many words people all over the world describe yoga with.
Have diabetes and other health issues? Yoga can help. Planning to lose weight? Yoga can be beneficial. Want clean and glowing skin? Once again yoga can come to your rescue. There are multiple benefits of yoga that you can benefit from. These benefits are not just for your body, but your mind as well.
So, if you have been having a few bad days for a while, or you feel depressed and anxious all the time, yoga can come to your rescue. Yoga can play a huge role in improving your mental health. This International Yoga Day, let’s understand these benefits in detail.
Benefits of yoga for mental health
Releases feel-good hormone
Our bodies have their own set of happy pills. These happy pills are chemicals that the body releases to make you feel good. These include dopamine, and serotonin, among others. Certain activities facilitate the release of these chemicals. One of them is yoga. Even though yoga movements are gradual and controlled, they can still elevate your heart rate, stretch your muscles and make them work hard, promoting the release of brain chemicals, making you happier.
Helps increase focus
Having a hard time focusing on things? If concentration issues are a usual occurrence in your daily life, yoga can come to your rescue. Like any other art, focus requires practice too. You are required to silence your thoughts and shift your focus to the moment you are in. You need to listen to your body.
In addition, yoga requires you to keep your body balanced and embrace certain positions and patterns. For instance, yoga involves breathing exercises; you have to shift your focus to controlling your balance.
In case you are practising certain positions such as tree pose, you have to keep your balance on one foot. It requires you to liberate yourself from other thoughts, calm yourself and concentrate on the movements. When the space inside your mind is cleared up, you make space for memories.
Provides relief from anxiety and depression
If you have been feeling anxious and depressed lately, yoga can provide you comfort. As established before, it clears your thoughts and calms down your nervous system, making you feel your most peaceful self.
Not only that, but yoga can also decrease your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate, calming you down and freeing you from thoughts that stress you out.
However, it must be noted that yoga is not an alternative to therapy. If you feel you are depressed and having suicidal thoughts, you must seek professional help. Yoga can be supplemented with your treatment, but it is not the alternative.
Helps improve sleep
A relaxed mind and body also come with a relaxed sleep. But if you are finding it hard to have a restful sleep every night, yoga can help by improving your sleep. As these exercises involve stretching and relaxing of muscles, they can result in more deep sleep, less sleep disturbances, and improved sleep quality.
Helps develop other healthy habits
Consider yoga a chain reaction. If you begin with this healthy practice, you are more likely to follow other healthy practices like eating more wholesome foods.
Apart from that, yoga may also help lose weight, quit smoking, and manage chronic diseases like diabetes
Closing thoughts
As we celebrate International Yoga Day, let this be a reminder that the benefits of yoga extend far beyond the physical mat. Yoga offers a holistic approach to well-being, weaving together physical postures, breathing exercises, and mindful meditation. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, improved sleep, or a deeper connection to yourself, yoga provides a powerful tool for cultivating mental resilience and emotional balance. This ancient practice is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, fitness level, or experience. So, take a deep breath, find a quiet corner, and embark on your own yoga journey. You might be surprised at the positive impact it has on your mental well-being. Namaste!
