Your Resolve
Yoga is an ancient mental and physical practice that has been around for thousands of years. Presently, yoga is practiced by more than 36 million Americans. Many practice it for both its physical and mental health benefits. Yoga incorporates physcial poses and mindful breathing to encourage a connection between the mental and the physical.
Psychological Benefits of Yoga
Aside from the physical benefits of flexibility, mobility, and strength, studies show that yoga can also:
Relieve Depression:
Researchers have found that yoga is comparable to other treatments like medication and psychotherapy. In fact, yoga is also generally less expensive and lacks the negative sideeffects of medication. Yoga is an individual practice that requires dedication and perseverance. The self-determination required for this activity can help someone who struggles with depression find a sense of purpose as they work to improve their skill.
Reduce Stress:
Yoga is a form of active meditation. As you enjoy the relaxing benefits of meditation, you are also strengthening your body through static and dynamic movement. When Americans answered a survey about why they practiced yoga, 86% of them said that it helped them deal with stress. The stretching, tightening, and relaxing of muscles can help relieve bodily tension that manifests from prolonged stress.
Improve Sleep
Yoga involves stretching and working muscles causing mental and physical exertion. Several elements of yoga such as mindfulness, breathing awareness and regulation, and weight loss all contribute to an increase in sleep quality. Additionally, some subpopulations benefit more than others from regular yoga practice. Studies show that adult women who practice yoga have reduced sleep disturbances and women in menopause have improved sleep and reduced depression and anxiety.
How to Use Yoga to Improve Your Mental Health
The benefits of yoga aren’t limited to physical changes, at the root of the practice of yoga is the focus on calming the mind through meditation. In fact, there is science to back up the efficacy of regularly practicing yoga. Studies show that yoga can even slow the natural aging process by decreasing brain shrinkage and extending memory health and cognition. Starting your yoga practice can seem like a daunting task, however, as an individual activity, your practice should be catered to what you need. For people who are starting out, the first step is learning how to focus on breathing in and out. This alone can lower your heart rate, decrease stress and boost feel-good chemicals in your brain. Once you have established this foundation of mindful breathing, the rest of yoga will come easily.
As an avid researcher, I pull from 30 years of practice and study in various additional psychotherapeutic and health disciplines- incorporating nutrition and movement-based strategies, yoga, meditation, biofeedback, energy psychology and expressive arts.
