All research and anecdotal evidence points to exercise being beneficial for mental health. We advance and improve our bodies by working out so we feel better about ourselves. However, not all exercise is equally useful for improving mental health — and yoga is particularly well-suited to that goal. Besides being extremely practical and easy to pick up, yoga is perfectly attuned to improving your mental well-being and finding balance in life. Its core tenets go beyond mere workout instructions — instead, showing you how to lead a more balanced life. Countless individuals have used its practices to improve their lives for thousands of years.
Sure, you’ll need some time to master yoga and reap its full rewards. But in this article, we’ll explore why yoga principles provide a solid foundation for proper mental health — and why you should start right away!
Physiotherapy and Yoga
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools within yoga’s principles, helping individuals manage their stress and anxiety levels. For those seeking effective ways to relieve anxiety with meditation, incorporating regular meditation into their routine can lead to noticeable improvements in mental well-being. Even a few minutes each day can foster greater calm and resilience over time.
Improving mental health is almost impossible without becoming more in touch with who you are. And that means becoming more aware of your mind and body — and their mutual connection. That’s why yoga is often used as physiotherapy to improve wellness. All things considered, practically no other form of exercise provides the same level of mind-body mindfulness.
So, how does this mind-body connection manifest in tangible benefits?
For starters, some yoga poses may improve your lung capacity and flexibility. Of course, considering yoga’s gentle nature, these are long-term benefits — you would have to practice yoga for a while before noticing them. Still, these yoga poses can also stabilize your blood pressure and improve your immunity in the long run. In terms of neuropsychological improvements, yoga-based physiotherapy can be beneficial to your motor performance.
Principle #1: Meditation & Positivity
Anyone who’s done yoga at least once knows that mindfulness is a huge part of this discipline. Basically, mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment. In the context of yoga, it means being fully aware of even the smallest movement and sensation in your body. This is more difficult than it sounds because it requires tuning out all external events and intrusive thoughts. In fact, it’s a form of meditation that focuses on proper, methodical breathing.
Besides providing a sense of genuine calmness, yoga-based mindfulness also results in a more positive and less anxious worldview. Crucially, it helps you separate your thoughts from your feelings, allowing you to calm your body in a way few people know to do without yoga. As a result, you can achieve a sense of evenness and calm that you need to actually solve practical problems. You’ll spend far less time obsessing and worrying about things and much more on actually dealing with issues.
This level of peace of mind and the absence of stress is one of the fundamental ways of improving mental health through yoga. Over time, mindfulness also helps you enjoy life more. By not feeling constantly anxious about the negative aspects of life, you’ll learn to embrace positivity. Plus, all of us are stuck in certain vicious cycles and defeatist thought patterns. With yoga-based mindfulness, you can challenge and change them. The result is a more positive worldview altogether.
Principle #2: Proper Exercise
As we already discussed, frequent exercise is essential for a strong body and a healthy mind. However, how does yoga help improve mental health in practice? The individual poses in yoga are called asanas. While they can vary wildly, most asanas are slow, smooth stretches. By going through them frequently, you provide much-needed lubrication and strength to your joints.
Asanas are supposed to help blood circulate through your body, as well as improve your mental acuity in the process. Besides making your mind and body more agile, these postures also release joint tension. By getting rid of physical tension, you will also get rid of a large portion of your psychological stress. Just bear in mind that asanas should be methodical and slow movements. This intentional slowness will also improve your capacity for patience and delayed gratification — further strengthening your mental health.
Principle #3: Deep Breathing
Speaking of patience — few of us have a lot of patience for proper breathing these days. Sure, it’s something we do practically without thinking, but that’s where a part of the problem lies. Our modern lifestyles result in quick, shallow breathing. We rarely get the most oxygen we can in our lungs — and, consequently, our tissues and cells. Among other things, this leads to weak immunity and increases the risk of all health issues.
On the other hand, deep breathing results in more oxygen, which helps our immune systems function properly. One of the things yoga helps you do is prepare your body for proper deep breathing. The breathing techniques practiced by yogis are called pranayama. They’re designed to purify your body through meditative, intentional breathing — releasing large amounts of energy we all store in our bodies.
Principle #4: Healthy Nutrition
Let’s face it — you can do yoga all day long and still live an unhealthy lifestyle. It’s not just about going through the motions and learning yoga poses. You also need to maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle outside of your exercise routine. And that means watching what you eat and how you spend your time. Less unhealthy food, more plant-based nutrition, and more time spent in the sun and air — these are just some of the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle that incorporates yoga.
Principle #5: Decent Relaxation
Remember, yoga is all about anchoring yourself on an island of calmness in the stormy seas of our modern lives. That’s why savasana, or deep relaxation, is an essential aspect of yoga. It’s an oft-overlooked part of life in general — but crucial for reaping the full mental health benefits of yoga.
Conclusion
As we’ve concluded above, any exercise you do can help your psychological well-being. However, following the core principles of yoga can be particularly useful for improving mental health. It’s the sort of easy, long-term exercise you can do anywhere — and feel instantly better, more focused, and relaxed.