The role of yoga in mental health and stress management

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Yoga is basically a spiritual discipline based on an immensely subtle science, which emphasizes on creating harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living. The word ‘Yoga’ is acquired from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, showing a perfect harmony between the mind and body.

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“Yoga” also refers to an inner science including a variety of methods through which human beings can realize this union and attain mastery over their destiny. Yoga, being broadly considered as an ‘immortal cultural outcome’ of Indus Saraswati Valley civilization – dating back to 2700 B.C., has proved itself catering to both material and spiritual upliftment of humanity. Basic humane values are the very identity of Yoga Sadhana.

How Yoga Helps In Stress Relief?

Life can be stressful. For beginners, there’s your busy schedule — waking up super early for school, studying late at night for tests, altering sports practice, homework, and meals. It’s a lot to balance!

Day to day issues can increase emotional stress, too like counseling a friend through a breakup, be sorry about a disagreement with a parent, weighing an important decision, or stressing over whether you’ll make final cuts for the university team. With many thing on your mind, it’s normal to feel stressed.

There are many ways to manage with stress. Talking with friends, exercising, and seeing a school counselor are just some of them. Yoga can help lessen stress because it encourages relaxation, which is the natural opposite of stress. Yoga can help three aspects of ourselves that are usually affected by stress: our body, mind, and breathing.

You don’t have to wait to feel stressed out to do yoga. People who do a little bit of yoga each day often find they’re better able to handle things when life gets a little crazy. Practicing yoga develops your ability to calm, focus, balance, and relax yourself.

Yoga Is Not Just Stretching

Many people think of yoga as stretching or twisting the body into different impossible-looking shapes. But yoga is easier than it looks. There are simple poses as well as complicated ones, so there’s something for every ability. Yoga needs no special equipment, so you can do it almost anywhere.

Yoga poses are good exercise and can help loosen up the tense muscles in your body. The areas of the body that tend to carry the most stress are the neck, shoulders, and back. But other parts of the body (like the face, jaw, fingers, or wrists) also can benefit from simple yoga stretches.

Yoga is so much more than just physical exercise. The object to getting the best out of each pose is to emphasize not only on your body, but also on your mind and breathing.

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How To Get Best Results In Yoga

When you’re in a yoga pose, think about how you can unite your body, mind, and breathing. Even a simple pose like mountain pose is a stress reliever when you aim on keeping your breathing slow and even, and visualize yourself as firm and steady as a mountain.

Stay ‘in the moment.’ When we’re under stress, we’re often thinking about what we need to do in the future (“I have to cram for that test”) or what we could have done better in the past (“I wish I hadn’t said that!”). Instead of allowing your thoughts wander as you do yoga, think about what your body and breath are doing in this moment. Notice how a particular muscle or area of the body feels. Aim on breathing in slowly as your body stretches tall, and breathing out slowly as you curl up.

Being in the moment like this helps you build your ability to focus and concentrate, which helps in all aspects of life.

Use your breathing when things get difficult. When a yoga pose feels challenging, imagine sending your breath to the area in your body that feels stiff or tight. It will help. You can use this skill in the rest of your life, too. Whenever something challenges you — a tough homework problem, a disagreement with a parent — try to aim on your breathing. You may be surprised by how much better you can deal with the situation.

Best Time To Try Yoga

taking a weekly yoga class or using a yoga DVD is good to help you learn some yoga poses. There are classes as well as yoga DVDs made especially for teens.

You can also include mini-bits of yoga into your day to day life to help you survive stressful moments. Here are some ideas:

Before a test. Do easy neck and shoulder rolls right at your desk to relieve tense muscles in your neck, shoulders, and back. Also try squeezing and relaxing your fingers and hands. These exercises can take as little as 30 seconds, and can be repeated as often as you need!
While studying. Try a few simple yoga moves to help relax any areas that may have become tense while studying. Neck and shoulder rolls can release tension in your back and shoulders. Forward folds and twists will relieve lower back strain. Give your face a mini-massage to help loosen up a tense jaw. Balancing poses, like tree pose, can help focus your energy so you can concentrate on what you need to do!
Before bed. Do a few yoga stretches before bed to help you relax — especially if you have a lot on your mind. Poses where you fold forward, like child’s pose, tend to be calming. They allow you to tune out the rest of the world and feel quiet and peaceful. Stay in a forward fold for 3 or 4 full, slowing breaths, and allow your body and mind to relax.

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Yoga and YOU

The best part about yoga is that it helps you find out more about your mind, body, and emotions. Yoga can help you become more balanced, calm, focused, and relaxed as you go through life’s usual ups and downs.

But if you give yourself a half hour each day to do a few yoga poses, after a couple of weeks you should start noticing a nice change. Keep going longer and yoga will become a natural part of your daily routine, ready to help you overcome life’s stresses well into the future.

Yoga is practiced by more than 36 million Americans and by many millions more worldwide. A discipline that is thousands of years old, yoga has spiritual and philosophical roots. Many who practice it, especially in the U.S., seek the physical benefits. There are also powerful benefits of yoga for your mental health.

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

There are many kinds of yoga. The type most practiced in the U.S. is hatha yoga, which combines physical poses and mindful breathing. Yoga can improve balance, flexibility, range-of-motion, and strength. It can also enhance mental health, although these benefits are harder to measure. According to many studies, yoga can:

Release helpful brain chemicals. Most exercise triggers the release of “feel-good” chemicals in the brain. These mood boosting chemicals include brain messengers such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Although yoga movements are slow and controlled, they still elevate your heart rate, make the muscles work hard, and stimulate the release of brain chemicals. As a result, yoga can make you happier.
Ease anxiety. Yoga can improve anxiety. The breath training included in yoga may be especially effective, as there is a relationship between anxiousness and breathing problems. If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, yoga may not help. Still, some psychologists are using yoga to supplement other forms of therapy.
Reduce stress. When Americans answered a survey about why they practiced yoga, 86% of them said that it helped to deal with stress. The tightening and relaxing of muscles can reduce tension. You may also benefit from the peaceful atmosphere, calming music, and positive attitude that you will find in most yoga classes.
‌‌Relieve depression. Studies show that yoga can ease depression. Researchers have found that yoga is comparable to other treatments, such as medication and psychotherapy. Yoga is usually inexpensive and doesn’t cause the same side effects as many medicines. It can even benefit those with major depressive disorder. The use of yoga for depression needs more study because there aren’t very many controlled trials.
Promote other healthy habits. If you practice yoga, you may be more likely to choose more wholesome foods. Yoga may also be a gateway to other types of physical activity. Exposure to other health-minded people can inspire you to make other positive lifestyle changes.
Improve sleep. Research suggests that yoga can improve sleep. This may be especially true for older adults. In one study of yoga participants over the age of 60, participants reported an increase in both the quality and quantity of their sleep. They also increased their sleep efficiency, which measures the percentage of time in bed actually spent sleeping.
Enhance social life. If you attend an in-person yoga class, you may benefit from interacting with others in your group. Social ties can positively affect both mental and physical health. Also, acting in unison with others, sometimes called synchrony, carries unique social benefits. Moving and breathing at the same time as others can give you a sense of belonging and promote bonding with the group.

Besides these benefits, yoga may be beneficial for those trying to lose weight, stop smoking, and manage chronic disease. Of course, your results may vary. Your outcome can depend upon your attitude, the quality of your instruction, and the type of yoga being practiced. ‌

How to Use Yoga to Improve Your Mental Health

The best way to learn yoga is with a qualified teacher, either in a private session or in a group. A yoga teacher can correct your poses and show you how to alter them if needed. You can use blocks, straps, and other items to make some poses easier. You can even do yoga in a chair instead of on the floor.

It’s also possible to learn yoga online or from a book or DVD. But the best way to keep away from injury is to take an in-person yoga class. Once you have the basics down, you can use books and videos to help you practice. You will benefit more from yoga if you do it at home between classes, and online classes can keep your home practice interesting. If you are comfortable doing yoga at home, you can practice when you experience extra stress, sleeplessness, or other challenges.

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Risks of a Yoga Practice

Yoga is a low-risk activity, but it can cause injuries, mainly sprains or strains. Poor technique, pre-existing conditions, or simply trying too hard can cause injury. Some injuries may be found to teachers with insufficient training. The risk of injury doesn’t keep most yoga fans from their practice.

The risks of yoga are more for older people, who may have less muscle power and lower bone density. You should talk to your doctor about your exercise program if you experience injuries. Also, you should never use yoga practice as a replacement for medical care.