Yoga Helps Your Mental Health And Well Being

Yoga and Your Mental Health & The Surprising Connections

Did you know that yoga can help your mindset?

Although many people begin adding yoga to their daily practice for different reasons, like getting in great shape. After all, yoga is known for its ability to build strength, endurance, and flexibility. It aids in weight loss, pain management and more. There are so many styles of yoga, it is available to almost everyone regardless of your current fitness level.

But many people don't realize, until after they begin taking yoga classes, that the mental benefits are just as profound as the physical benefits. Let's take a quick look at a few of these mental health benefits.

Live in the Moment

When breathing and doing yoga poses, one of the things many people strive for is an ability to focus on right now and to let the past and the future fade away. It is in this moment that we feel most calm and joyful. Yet, when going about your daily business, so much going on in your daily life. It can be extraordinarily difficult to live in the moment. If you're like many, then you have appointments and bills to remember and a schedule to keep. Living in the moment may seem impossible.

Yoga forces you to be completely present. All thoughts about the mistakes you made yesterday and the things you have to do tomorrow fade away as you try to hold a pose and focus on your breathing. It is a form of meditative exercise in a way. When you live in the moment, even for the short duration of a yoga class, you will feel more positive about yourself, your day, and your life. This positive attitude boosts your overall mental health in a powerful way.

Stress Reduction

There are many facets of yoga that also cause your overall stress to be reduced. The focused breathing alone has been shown to reduce cortisol, stress hormone levels and lowers blood pressure. Additionally, when you exercise endorphins are released. These endorphins help boost your mood and facilitate better stress management.

Emotional Balance

A Harvard School professor conducted a study amongst 11th and 12th graders in high school. Keep in mind that during these developmental years emotional balance is a large challenge. Teens often battle with depression, anger, and feelings of overwhelm. The study found that teens that took a yoga class instead of a traditional physical education class reported feeling more balanced and in control of their emotions.

It may go back the first two benefits discussed that yoga reduces stress, increases your body's ability to manage stress, and forces you to be in the moment. These lessons of living in the moment and approaching problems with a clear head can be embraced throughout the day, thus providing a stronger sense of control, balance, and mental well being.

If you have been doing yoga, I would to hear how yoga has helped you. There are days that I might only have 10 minutes to apply some of my yoga poses and breathing, but those 10 minutes are sometimes the best (and restorative) minutes of the day!

Sending you much peace and love!

Namaste,

Renee'