What Yoga Can Do For Your Mental Health

What Yoga Can Do For Your Mental Health
SHARE

Yoga is a popular physical exercise that is also a great tool to promote mental health. Yoga has been around for thousands of years, originating in India as a practice that focuses on physical exercise, mental meditation and spiritual growth. The practice of yoga can be traced back to the 4th or 5th century BC.

In modern times, yoga is no longer only practiced by the spiritual class, but has become a common form of physical exercise. People who practice yoga regularly find that the activity reduces stress and improves their overall quality of life.

When we talk about the benefits of yoga, we often talk about physical benefits. In fact, many people get into yoga because they want to improve their flexibility or tone their bodies, not necessarily because they want to improve their mental health. But as anyone who has practiced yoga knows, it’s much more than a workout.

  • The practice of yoga helps us become more aware of our breathing patterns, which can have a big impact on our stress levels. Most people breathe shallowly into their chests, which brings less oxygen into the body and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This increases the heart rate and blood pressure, leaving us feeling stressed out.
  • Yoga is also believed to help people cope better with stress because they learn how to be more mindful. Mindfulness means being more aware of what is happening in the present moment without judging yourself or your experiences. When you’re more mindful, you may catch yourself before getting caught up in a stressful situation.
  • Yoga encourages certain lifestyle habits that are beneficial for your mental health, including regular exercise and good sleep. Yoga might also encourage you to eat well and avoid alcohol or smoking. Doing these activities together may provide even more benefits than doing them separately.

SHARE

Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

Post Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.