Today is World Mental Health Day. In honor of this, I wanted to talk a bit about the yoga for mental health and how yoga can be particularly powerful for those experiencing mental illness. I was exposed to yoga thanks to a psychologist who saw the potential benefits yoga could have in my fight against anxiety and depression. I didn’t entirely buy it, but I was willing to try anything at this point. It didn’t take long for me to realized just how powerful yoga was at helping me conquer my mental health issues and soon I became a dedicated yogi and a subsequently less anxious person. But why is yoga for mental health so effective? What can yoga actually do for you and your mental wellbeing?
Yoga teaches the brain how to cope with stress and discomfort
Anxiety is a snowball effect. Maybe you say something you didn’t mean or make a small mistake on a work project. It’s not a big deal. But it’s a stress trigger. And those of us with anxiety don’t handle stress triggers well. Soon our brain turns these small stressors into a nasty monster that turns everything else we touch into a black mass of fear and self-deprecation.
When we practice yoga, we are put into mildly stressful situations (who hasn’t felt their whole body tense in tree pose?) But instead of getting scared and walking away, we practice breathing deeply even in the face of this minor stressor. According to Psychology Today, yoga helps us train our brains to remain calm even in the face of stress. This practice is then something we can take off the mat and practice in our daily lives to help us become less anxious.
Yoga lifts our mood… and our GABA levels
Have you ever noticed a mood bump after yoga? Ever wondered why? It’s not just endorphins. Studies show that people who practice yoga have 27% higher GABA levels than those who don’t. Okay, but what the heck are GABA levels? We all have them and they help us regulate our moods. People who suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders tend to have lower GABA levels.
If you have experienced anxiety or depression you know it can come seemingly out of the blue and take hold of you with a grip that feels impossible to break. A lot of this has to do with brain chemistry, and part of that includes GABA levels. One study showed that yoga had a greater influence on GABA levels than walking, and higher GABA levels mean better moods and less anxiety.
Yoga for mental health is here to stay
It’s becoming more and more common for doctors and psychologists to suggest yoga to their patients, and it’s no wonder why. On a purely biological and chemical level, our bodies and brains love yoga. But if you ask me, yoga for mental health is about more than increased GABA levels and retraining our stress response.
Yoga has given me a safe space where my emotions are not something to be feared, but something to explore and experience with compassion and openness. On my yoga mat is one of the first places where I was told it was okay to feel afraid, weak, and overwhelmed. It was okay to feel anything. My yoga teachers taught me how to take a deep breath even when I hardly felt I could breathe and all. My yoga practice gave me the spiritual practice I needed to believe in myself and my yoga community gave me the support I needed to get through my bad days. The truth is, yoga for mental health is just yoga. And yoga has done more for me and my brain then I ever believed it could when my therapist first suggested I try yoga for mental health.
Looking for a safe space to de-stress and build a strong yoga practice? Check out True Nature’s retreat calendar to find the perfect relaxing yoga vacation for you.
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