With a history of over 5000 years, yoga is considered one of the oldest self-development practices and therapy in the world. The practices of yoga are based on physical posture, breath control, and discipline. Traditionally, yoga originates and is practised in the east. However, it is getting popular all around the world and is extensively adopted in western culture as well. You can Click here to learn more about yoga, its benefits, and the practice and make your life healthier.

While yoga has several health benefits, it is amazingly effective in maintaining mental health issues. It minimizes stress, proliferates your mood, builds confidence, and enhances mindfulness. This article provides you a comprehensive guide on yoga for mental health.

• What yoga involves?

Practising yoga is like meditation. You need to be involved in the process completely with your body, mind, and soul focused on the poses. It involves forming various poses, stretching your muscles, and keeping your breathes slow, steady, and controlled. This combination rejuvenates your body and relaxes and energizes it simultaneously. While performing yoga, you would transit through poses quickly while slowing down and breathing deeply in others. You will have some poses that are pure exercises while others are more spiritual. This helps in the overall rejuvenation of the body.

• Yoga has multiple stress-relieving techniques

Yoga is a collection of techniques that help soothe your stress. Many of these techniques are now practices independently and are included in different treatment forms. However, they are all derived from yoga. Some of the prominent techniques are breath control, meditation, physical exercises, stretching, and mental imagery. The name yoga is derived from the word ‘yoke’ which means ‘to bring together.’ Yoga does exactly what its name reflects. It brings your body, mind, and soul together to enhance your physical health and relieves stress.

• Impact of yoga on your body

Yoga impacts your body in multiple ways and has countless health benefits. Whether you are practising yoga for physical health, mental health, or spiritual reasons, it promotes your overall wellbeing in several ways. Some of the benefits related to mental health include reduced anxiety and stress, proper sleep, manage cortisol levels, maintain blood pressure, enhanced heart health, reduce body tension and boost flexibility, built a sense of wellness, and help in spiritual growth.

• Benefits of yoga in mental health

People are often aware of the physical benefits of yoga but are ignorant about its psychological benefits. Practising yoga gives you a feeling of transcendence and connectedness with yourself. It builds a sense of wellbeing and some poses can reduce stress immediately. Many studies have confirmed that yoga is the best practice to boost your mood, reduce stress, and develop self-compassion.

• Important considerations

Yoga needs commitment and consistency. You must find a fixed time when you would practise yoga every day. Also, certain poses are not suitable for everyone. For instance, people with physical limitations may not perform yoga while sitting on the floor, and people with high blood pressure must do some pranayams slowly or avoid those completely. You would need a trained practitioner to guide you through the poses according to your physical capabilities in the beginning. Once you are well-versed in doing the asana, you can continue on your own.