Yoga’s Role in Mental Well-Being
“I feel so good!” “That was so relaxing!” “That was just what I needed!” are all common phrases after a yoga class. Whether you are doing a hot sweaty vinyasa class or a gentle chair yoga class, you will feel like you’ve just done something that is really good for you body, but also really good for your mind and spirit.
Yoga is an activity that you can do at any age – whether you are 8 years old, 80 years old or somewhere in between. You don’t have to be flexible to do yoga, you just have to be willing to give it a try. In a yoga class, focus on quieting the mind, focusing on your breath and noticing how a stretch feels in your body are top priority.
Here are 4 ways that yoga helps can help your mental well-being:
Boost Your Mood
The poses in yoga are gentle and low-impact, but they do require your muscles to contract and stretch just like other types of exercise. We know that exercise releases feel good hormones like dopamine and serotonin and yoga does that as well. In yoga, however, you also simultaneously lower your stress hormone, cortisol, through deep breathing and meditative movement. It’s a win-win combo that helps to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression and help you have better moods.
Quiet Time
Our brains need times of low stimulation during the day to recharge. They need a break from screens, sounds, impending deadlines and to-do lists. Yoga offers a low stimulation environment with dimmed lights, soft gentle music, slow gentle movements, and focus on the breathe. This gives your mind the break it needs to recharge.
Sleep Better
We feel our best when we are well rested. Yoga helps get us ready to rest by teaching our minds and bodies to calm down and relax during class. This knowledge can be taken with you off the mat and you can use your relaxation and breathing techniques to help you relax before bed (or if you wake in the middle of the night).
Be Part of a Community
Social connections are an important part of our well-being. Yoga helps you become part of a community. Whether you come just to practice with a group of people or you strike up a conversation and get to know your fellow students, you are a part of the community. You are always welcome, and your presence makes the community better.
Yoga can play an important role in your mental well-being. Consider incorporating a weekly yoga practice into your schedule and feel the benefits firsthand.
True North Yoga offers private 1:1 and small group yoga and wellness classes at your home, neighborhood or office. Learn more or schedule your own private class at www.truenorthyogamn.com or contact Nikki at hello@truenorthyogamn.com.