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Benefits Of Yoga For Mental Health

  • Last Updated On: April 13, 2024
  • 3 minute read

We all know how vital it is to practise physical activities every day. In this modern life, there’s often very less time to keep ourselves physically active. As a result, on this International Day of Yoga, let’s prioritize yoga for mental health to secure a healthy future. 

What you need to know:

The connection between yoga and mental health

Yoga and mental health complement each other. Incorporating yoga for mental health into your daily routine can be one of the best lifestyle changes. With good mental health, the overall quality of your life will improve. 

The surface of the human brain is made up of wrinkles (cortical folds) and bumps. A person’s capability to think depends on them. Cortical folds contain your brain cells. As yoga relieves stress and calms your mind, these folds increase the brain’s surface area, which results in more brain cells and better mental health.

Importance of yoga for mental health in modern times

Good mental health depicts a person’s ability to cope with day-to-day stress, learn things quickly, make better decisions, maintain a healthy relationship with others, and increase strength and flexibility. It enables the person to stay strong during challenging times, thus, preventing them from going into depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and anxiety. Exercising and eating the right food can play a pivotal role in improving a person’s mental well-being. Besides this, solving puzzles and sudokus, playing games, and indulging in activities of interest can keep an individual’s mind active.

Benefits of yoga for mental health

Here are some of the benefits of yoga for mental health:  

  • Reduces stress and anxiety:

Stress and anxiety in daily life cause problems like blood pressure and hypertension, frustration, and nervousness. The breathing techniques used in yoga help regulate your response to stress. It helps you calm down and promotes blood circulation. These asanas encourage relaxation, thus helping you to overcome stress and anxiety.

  • Sharpens concentration:

Often, we need help to concentrate on our daily activities fully. You can successfully improve your memory and concentration through yoga for mental health. If you have trouble remembering things lately, you should practice asanas like the Dharana. Yoga for mind relaxation will help you calm down and eliminate unwanted stress. 

  • Improves mood:

Yoga for mind relaxation involves different body postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. The whole idea behind performing it is to show gratitude towards your mind and body. These asanas help you relax and keep your stress level down. Yoga helps you stay energetic and fit. It’s a well-known fact that physical activity improves your sleep schedule and boosts your mood. People who have irregular sleep patterns should try practicing yoga as it can re-energize you for the next day.

  • Helps in anger management:

Yoga is beneficial if you have been suffering from work stress and frustration. Yoga requires you to pay attention to your breathing technique and body posture. Any feelings of aggression or anger fade as your entire focus is on your breathing technique and posture. It also reduces high blood pressure. 

  • Helps to increase the sense of awareness:

Practicing yoga for mental health regularly will help you to deal with negative feelings and reinforce a positive self-image. Yoga is all about the mind-body connection. Doctors recommend yoga to relieve stress while treating behavioral problems like depression and anxiety.

Yoga practices for mental health

Here are some yoga postures you can practice to reap the mental health benefits of yoga on world yoga day.

  • Vajrasana (The Thunderbolt Pose)
  • Vriksasana (The Tree Pose)
  • Chakrasana (The Circle Pose)
  • Anjaneyasana (The High Lunge)
  • Garudasana (The Eagle Pose)
  • Natarajansana (The Dancer’s Pose)
  • Virabhadrasana (The Warrior Pose)
  • Adho Mukha Vrkasana (Handstand)

These poses will make your mind calmer, improve your mood, and enhance focus.

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