Yoga for Mental Health

Mental health concerns such as anxiety and sadness are becoming more widely recognized. Preventive methods and non-medicated treatments are all recommended by therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists before attempting the medication.

Content

1. Benefits of Yoga for Mental Health?
2. 10 Yoga Poses To Boost your Mental Health

Benefits of Yoga for Mental Health?

Taking up yoga is one of the most effective lifestyle improvements you can make. Doctors usually recommend that you should try to engage in physical activity. They also encourage you to take part in meditation and dietary changes. Yoga combines two of the above three recommendations in a single move. Here are some of the numerous mental health benefits of yoga.

1. Calms the Mind

One important reason for recommending yoga by doctors is that yoga poses involve sophisticated postures and breathing techniques to help calm your body and mind. Practicing yoga poses causes for preventing the most common mental problems like panic attacks and anxiety attacks.

2. Improves Patience

A lack of patience is a common side effect of anxiety, depression, and bipolar diseases—the lack of patience results in uncontrollable anger outbursts. Yoga contains a variety of breathing exercises known as pranayama, which assist in clearing your mind and body. These exercises will increase your patience and feeling of inner balance and assist you in avoiding angry outbursts.

3. Helps Build Confidence

Yoga can help those struggling with self-esteem issues; a lack of confidence or self-esteem is frequently cited as a cause of depression and anxiety. Regular yoga practice helps to center your body and gradually develop it. It boosts your self-esteem. Yoga breathing also aids in the removal of self-doubt from the mind.

4. Improves Your Mood

Exercise causes the release of beneficial brain chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine. In addition, exercises helps you maintain a positive attitude and prevent common mental health conditions such as depression. Therapists recommend yoga for mental calmness, attention, and mood improvement. Practicing yoga is an excellent technique to help control bipolar disorder, which causes mood swings.

5. Helps Focus

Those suffering from conditions such as ADHD are frequently encouraged to try yoga since it helps to relax and center the body while also assisting the mind in focusing. Because ADHD impacts focus and attention retention, practicing postures that integrate breathing techniques and enhance focus can benefit.

10 Yoga Poses To Boost your Mental Health

Practicing yoga poses with no attention to mental health will not help you; instead, do poses that are focused on the issues you are dealing with; here are 10 yoga poses for mental health.

1. Natarajasana Pose

Natarajasana pose, also known as "The Dancer's Pose," is excellent for balancing one's attitude. It can help people who are suffering from sadness or anxiety.

How to do

• Bend one knee back while keeping both legs firmly on the ground; hold the ankle with your arm. 
• Lean forward and lift your ankle towards the sky while maintaining a firm posture. Make a fist with your free hand and extend it in front of you. Take five deep, steady breaths.

2. Padmasana Pose

Padmasana pose is a fundamental yoga pose and possibly the most difficult. It aids in the reduction of anxiety and depression. In addition, this pose enhances digestion, spinal strength, and mental and emotional well-being.

How to do

• Lift one ankle above the opposite thigh while sitting cross-legged. 
• Put it as near to the hip as possible, and then repeat with the opposite ankle. 
• Keep your back straight and your palms on your knees. Breathe slowly and evenly for 30 seconds.

3. Anjaneyasana Pose

Anjaneyasana pose is also known as the "high lunge." The crescent form of this exercise has been shown to enhance blood flow and soothe the mind.

How to do

• Lunge forward with one leg while standing. 
• Bend your front knee, making sure your knee is parallel to your ankle, and lengthen your rear leg. 
• On both ankles, press your ankles flat against the ground. 
• Raise your arms to the sky and join your palms together. 
• Deeply inhale and exhale in a steady stream. 
• Repeat 5 repetitions for each leg.

4. Savasana Pose

Savasana pose, also known as "The Dead Body Pose," is analogous to lying down for a nap. It is pretty simple.

How to do

• Stretch your legs out and lie flat on the ground. 
• Extend your arms beside you and turn your palms skyward. 
• Close your eyes and breathe evenly as your attention travels around you. 
• Continue breathing for 5 minutes while listening to the sounds.

5. Garudasana Pose

Garudasana is usually referred to as The Eagle Pose. This pose necessitates that you breathe while keeping your body balanced. It aids in the prevention of anxiety attacks while also boosting focus.

How to do

• Breathe deeply and move your weight onto one leg. 
• Wrap one leg slowly around the other. 
• Sink your hips and bend your knees slightly. 
• Maintain a flat ankle on the ground. 
• Maintain steady and slow breathing. At the elbows and wrists, wrap one arm over the other.

6. Chakrasana Pose

This asana, known as the Circle Pose, is challenging, but it improves your relaxation and focus.

How to do

• Place your arms high above your head while standing. 
• Bend backward while keeping your back straight. 
• Repeat this process until your palms reach the floor behind you.
• Maintain a solid grip on the ground with your ankles.

Photo by Elina Fairytale from Pexels

7. Virabhadrasana Pose

There are several versions to this practice, all of which require focus and steady breathing. It is commonly referred to as "The Warrior Pose." We're going over the fundamental warrior pose.

How to do

• Spread your legs wide, turn your hips to one side, and turn your ankles to the side you face while standing on two feet. 
• Make a 90-degree bend in your front leg. 
• Stretch your arms to your sides and take a deep, steady breath for 10 seconds.

8. Vriksasana Pose

This asana, also known as "the tree position," is relatively simple and serves to develop your sense of self while also centering your body and mind.

How to do

• Lift one leg and place the ankle on the inside part of your opposite thigh.
• Do this while standing straight with your ankles flat on the ground. This move will cause your knee to flex outward. 
• Maintain your balance while stretching your arms skyward and connecting your palms.

9. Vajrasana Pose

Vajrasana is a meditation stance that has been shown to improve concentration, serenity, and digestion.

How to to

• Begin by sitting on your knees, stretching your ankles outward, and then slowly bringing your thighs and calves together. 
• Then, with your palms on your knees, do the following. 
• Deeply inhale and exhale for 30 seconds to a minute.

10. Vrksasana (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) Pose

Vrksasana is not a beginner's pose; it is a basic handstand.

How to do

• Standing with your ankles flat on the ground and bending forward to lay your palms on the floor. 
• Make sure your back and knees are straight. 
• Begin to shift your weight onto your arms gradually. 
• Lift one leg straight up above your hips, one at a time. 
• Then brace your weight and repeat for the other leg.

While yoga is an excellent way to assist and manage mental health, it should not be regarded as a cure for mental health problems. Yoga can be used as a supplement to therapy, and if the medicine is required, it is the best option. Consult your therapist to choose the most effective mental health treatment strategy for you.