Conversations about mental health have been on the rise recently, and rightfully so. Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are recognizing how pervasive mental health struggles are in their communities and even themselves. As such, activities like yoga have also risen in popularity. This is because including yoga in your daily wellness practices can profoundly impact your mental health. Let’s take a look at just a few of the ways yoga improves your wellbeing.
Reduces Depression
Are you experiencing extreme feelings of loneliness, sudden loss of interest in activities, or unusual fatigue or insomnia? All of these can be signs of depression. Depressive disorders affect tens of millions of US adults every year. While that number is certainly high, it also means you are not alone in your struggles – even when you feel your loneliest.
Your mental illnesses may feel in charge of your life, but fortunately, implementing yoga can reduce depression in a number of ways. Yoga aligns your body and mind and promotes the release of serotonin and endorphins in your body. Often, yoga is prescribed in comprehensive depression treatment plans and is used in conjunction with traditional methods such as therapy or antidepressant medication. Talking to a psychologist or getting depression treatment online can help these powerful tools work together for your mental health.
Lowers Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are more than just being a little stressed. It’s a significant mental health condition that deserves proper treatment. Stress and anxiety can compound each other, leading to a vicious cycle of worry. However, there are many ways yoga manages anxiety, such as deep breathing and lowering cortisol levels. Yoga has been used for centuries to reduce stress, and fortify mental wellbeing.
There are many ways that yoga can lower anxiety. Different poses, like Tree Pose or Child’s Pose, ground you into the earth and help you relax. They can help clear your mind, and leave room for positive thoughts. Additionally, yoga improves your cardiovascular health, which can lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure. Not only does this help you feel more relaxed, but it also provides long-lasting physical health benefits.
Lifts Your Mood
Yoga can make you happier! Not only does it have measurable impacts on mental health, but it can also be a quick mood lifter. Almost any kind of exercise releases endorphins and lifts your spirits. However, yoga is a particularly great mood booster! While most exercises trigger a physiological response, yoga puts a particular focus on your mental and spiritual outlook. Through this, you leave each flow feeling thoroughly revitalized.
On top of the short-term boosts, yoga also has long-term benefits. Consistent yoga can improve your sleep quality, boosting your energy levels and giving you the strength to face the day every morning. This energy allows you to spend more time on self-care, and less on feeling blah all the time.
Improves Mindfulness
Being mindful in your life can have a significant impact on your mental health, and yoga is an essential part of increasing mindfulness. Mindfulness is a skill, and like any skill, needs to be practiced. With the right training, however, there are many benefits of mindfulness, and improved mental health is just one of them.
The mindful breathing techniques utilized in yoga are great for mental health. Breathing exercises have been long used to lower anxiety or to help manage a panic attack. Learning about your breath and being more connected to your lungs can help you breathe more mindfully, and learn which techniques work best for you. Other techniques, like body scanning, help you to make connections throughout your body and become more aware of how each part of you is feeling.
What’s Next
Taking a yoga retreat can encompass all the mental health benefits of yoga into one powerful experience. Book yours now!