Anyone who practices yoga will attest to the calming and relaxing effect it has on them. Most people understand the physical benefits that yoga offers, but don’t often appreciate how much more it is than just stretching and posing. Not surprisingly, yoga exercises have now been linked to better mental health as it allows for a better connection with the mind and body.
You’re probably wondering how all this is connected. Well, we’ll delve into all that in the article below. But first, if you haven’t yet tried yoga, having a yoga for beginners DVD will help you practice.
Benefits of Yoga Exercises to Your Mental Health
Yoga comes with some widely known benefits to physical health. For starters, the purposeful body movements help with flexibility and keeping fit. However, the benefits of this popular exercise extend beyond the physical only. Yoga breathing exercises have a direct positive correlation with mental health. Below are some of the benefits of yoga exercise to mental health.
1. Stress Reduction
Stress is a significant concern in today’s society among adults. This could be because of the constant vigilance, judgments, competitions, and always present comparisons. These conditions make most people hyper-vigilant and excessively self-criticizing, causing stress levels to go up. Luckily, some specific yoga activities, such as yoga ball exercises, perform exceptionally well at alleviating stress. Such actions create a soothing effect that calms the mind to reduce stress levels, which is extremely important for your mental health.
2. Reduces Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)
Similarly, yoga has been known to have a positive effect on people with PTSD. According to Psychology Today, a ten-week yoga program designed for adult women diagnosed with PTSD had an immensely positive impact. Over the ten weeks, over half of the women with PTSD could not meet the criteria for PTSD. This indicates how beneficial yoga exercises can be to people who are diagnosed with PTSD.
3. Anxiety and Depression Control
Anxiety and depression, just like Stress, is a significant problem faced by society today. However, it has been proven that yoga exercises for beginners can reduce anxiety and depression levels. Yoga primarily improves one’s awareness of the present, shifting all the focus to current moments instead of memories or future worries that are known reasons for anxiety and depression. Additionally, other tailored exercises such as yoga exercises for back help improve sleep, which in turn creates a positive, healthy mind, which is hugely beneficial to people with mental health problems.
4. Improves Sleep
One of the biggest causes of poor mental health is a lack of adequate sleep. Insomnia contributes to some of the common mental health issues including anxiety and depression. Insomnia could stem from different issues and research shows that people who practice yoga on a daily basis are able to sleep better. A huge contributor to insomnia is often the lack of peace of mind. The best yoga exercises help you relax your mind, creating a peaceful state. Practicing yoga every day, therefore, helps you sleep faster, longer, and better, which plays a significant role in your overall mental health.
Try Yoga Exercise Today For Better Mental Health
Yoga is more than just stretching exercises and there are several reasons why you should get started. Although some activities may have physical impacts on your body, the whole experience is psychological in nature. Yoga is a philosophy that primarily concerns itself with the state of mind. For this reason, it tries to be aware of how emotions are handled within you, their effects on our character and behavior, and, most importantly, their impact on your mind.
Have you tried using yoga to better your mental health? Share your experience with us in the comment section.
Author’s Bio
Alex Green is a copywriter with 3 years of experience. He is fond of healthy living and knows everything about home improvement. In his spare time, Alex likes walking with his golden retriever, meeting with friends, and attending the gym.
Featured image: Image by Hà Cao from Pixabay
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
