Yoga for Mental Health | What are the Proven Benefits?
Yoga for Mental Health | What are the Proven Benefits?
Yoga for Mental Health
In today’s world, baseline stress emerging from everyday activity is often amplified due to poor diet, ignored self-care practices, global economic crises, deadly pandemics, and other imperfections of life. So, volatile emotional state and mental disorders are becoming normal. That is why we need to focus on strengthening our natural healing system. Yoga can do wonders in this regard.
It is not just a circuit of stretching and breathing, but actually, is an entire therapy; if performed correctly. It soothes your soul, pacifies your breathings, relaxes your muscles, and lowers your blood pressure. Thus, it helps in mitigating stress and curing depression. That is the reason, most of the time; health practitioners use yoga for mental health benefits to amplify the effects of medication and therapies.
“According to the National Survey of Yoga Practitioners conducted in the US, more than 80% of the participants claimed that this practice made them happy, above 60% reported that it reduced depression and fatigue. Overall, every participant admitted that yoga helped him/her in overcoming emotional stress and conquering social relationships”
(Ross, Alyson, et al. “National survey of yoga practitioners: mental and physical health benefits.” Complementary therapies in medicine 21.4 (2013): 313-323.).
Does Yoga Work for Stress Relief?
Yoga has many intensities, styles, and forms. However, Hatha yoga, in particular, is considered best for stress relief. The mindful nature of the Hatha style of yoga makes it the best choice among practitioners who focus on stress management. It enforces meditation. Moreover, the word “Hatha” is the combination of the opposite word; sun (ha) and moon (tha), in a beautiful equilibrium.
Thus, this oxymoron literally indicates the significance of balance in life. The best part is; beginners can try it at a slower pace with some easy-to-do movements (poses/asanas). So, use Hatha yoga for mental health and drain all the stressed stuffed in your skull.
“Yoga is a promising approach for dealing with the stress response”
(International Journal of Yoga Therapy)
Yoga A Weapon to Fight Mental Illness
Yoga is more about observing your inner aura and that is why it positively affects moods and stress levels. The foundation of yoga lies in the correct breathing patterns. It detaches the practitioner from the outer world, and that is how the practitioners achieve self-awareness.
Moreover, those Asanas which require back-bend and chest-open helps in decreasing depression and reducing anxiety. As yoga is a mild (low-to-medium impact) physical activity, so, it definitely impacts the chemical and hormonal composition in our body; by releasing GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) and working similarly like anti-depressants. Thus, yoga facilitates your brain in evading from unnecessary and burdening thoughts and works as a magic potion for mental health.
“A study conducted at the US revealed that participants who performed yoga at least three times a week experienced fewer symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression, neuroticism, and anxiety”
(Novotney, Amy. “Yoga as a practice tool.” Monitor on Psychology 40.10 (2009): 38-41.)
Yoga A Magic Activity for Sharp Memory
Many of us think that yoga’s meditation and relaxation postures only work for physical strength. However, memory is another significant aspect which yoga influences. Though it is often overlooked, yet here we will be thoroughly discussing the positive impacts of yoga on memory.
Yoga is as effective for memory as it is for stress relief and overall mental health. It actually helps in the consolidation of verbal, visual, and analytical skills as it requires concentration, meditation, and focus.
Yoga needs a marriage of body and mind, and that’s what is required to keep the memory sharp. In an experiment conducted on 57 male volunteers, cyclic meditation (yoga postures) and spine rest (yoga relaxation) were performed to gauge the effect on their memory.
Wechsler memory scale (WMS) was used to gauge the scores; which were recorded before and after performing the yoga activity. The results were shocking, as each individual scored higher after cyclic meditation (CM) and supine rest (SR). Moreover, a significant increase in score was found after CM than SR.
Can Yoga Combat Hypertension?
High blood pressure causes hypertension, headaches, and fatigue. Well, Yoga can assist in normalizing blood pressure and pacifying the nervous system. So yes, it can help you in combating the leviathan of hypertension which, daily, engulfs your peace of mind. As all forms of yoga practices include meditation, breathing, and mindfulness, thus, it is the key to a healthy mental circuit.
Research proved that Yoga had a significant effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) (4.17 [6.35, 1.99] ) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (3.62 [4.92, 1.60])”
(Marshall Hagins, Rebecca States, Terry Selfe, Kim Innes, “Effectiveness of Yoga for Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2013, Article ID 649836, 13 pages, 2013.)
Thus it helps in keeping the heart healthy, which in turn is necessary to cure hypertension.
Effect of Yoga on Sleep Cycle
The poor sleep cycle can affect your quality of life, social relationship, and overall mental well-being. Studies show that yoga helps in sleeping and relaxing well. The study was conducted on patients of lymphoma. They incorporated yoga in their daily routine and it was found that yoga helps them in sleeping well without medications.
This indicates that yoga impacts sleep quality and thus inadvertently affects the quality of life. Another research revealed that yoga increases the secretion of melatonin; a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness. Thus, it helps in balancing the sleep cycle and thus ensures proper rest.
Can Yoga Provide Migraine Relief?
Migraines are severe headaches that occur recurrently. A study shows that annually, 1 out of 7 Americans have severe migraines. Conventionally, doctors use medications and physiotherapies to treat it. However, increasing evidence shows that yoga could be a useful adjunct therapy in reducing migraine pain and frequency.
Researchers divided 72 patients with migraines problems into two groups; one with yoga therapy and the other with self-care medications for three months. The results verified that those who were practicing yoga experienced reductions in the intensity of pain and the frequency of occurring.
Another study group performed a similar experiment on 60 patients with migraines (one group having a conventional care regime and the other having a yoga routine in addition to conventional care). It was found that the ones performing yoga had decreased headache intensity and frequency than those having conventional care regime only.
Thus, a plethora of researchers proved that doing yoga may help in decreasing migraines. One of those researchers argued that yoga stimulates the vagus nerve, which in turn reduces migraine pains.
Are Yoga and Mindful Eating Related?
Mindful Eating, also known as intuitive eating, is all about focus and presence of mind. This concept revolves around the fact that while eating, being present in the moment makes us realize how much we ate and how fast are we eating. It helps us to stop eating earlier. So basically, it is about paying attention to the food plate; each portion, and the number of portions. Moreover, it emphasizes to consider not only the taste but the smell, texture, presentation, color, and even sensations which the food gives.
This practice helps in promoting healthy eating habits which decrease weight, helps in controlling blood sugar and treating eating disorders. So how can yoga help in this ground? Well, as discussed above, yoga is all about the presence of mind; mindfulness. In this way, it can also help in developing mindful eating habits.
A study incorporated yoga into an outpatient eating disorder treatment program with 54 patients. The results were rather impressive as eating disorder symptoms and preoccupation with food were reduced due to continuous yoga-based activities. Another research focused on gauging the effectiveness of yoga on binge eating disorder (a disorder which is characterized by compulsive overeating and a feeling of loss of appetite control).
Yoga was found to cause a decrease in the frequency of binge-eating episodes, and even in weight. Thus, we can safely say that those who have no eating disorder can even utilize yoga to develop healthy eating habits.
Yoga for Improved Quality of Life
Mood swings, frequent fatigue, and circadian life-based tensions significantly affect the quality of life. The good news is; yoga can even help in improving the overall quality of life.
A multitude of yoga practitioners has admitted that it gives them serenity and takes them to another level of spirituality. That is why yoga is becoming increasingly common as supportive therapy to improve the quality of life for many individuals.
In a study, 135 seniors were assigned to three different groups; one with six months of yoga, another with a walking routine, and the last with the control medications.
It was found that the group which practiced yoga had an improved quality of life, as they had very little mood swings, meager fatigue, and little stress as compared to the other groups.
Other studies have also confirmed that yoga could help in improving sleep quality, enhancing spiritual well-being, and rebuilding social functional network.
Yoga with Chronic Diseases
Chronic pains and diseases affect mental health and stress the emotional fabric of the soul. Yoga helps in keeping the spirits high. An interesting study investigated how yoga can reduce symptoms in patients with cancer.
Another similar study focused on the effects of chemotherapy on women having breast cancer. It was found that yoga surprisingly decreased the symptoms of chemotherapy; such as vomiting, nausea, and depression.
Another research revolves around the pain and fatigue-related effects of breast cancer. In this project, women with breast cancer performed yoga for eight weeks. At the end of the study period, the women had less fatigue and pain. As they admitted that they have experienced an improvement in relaxation level.
Is there any Age Bracket which Works with Yoga?
Due to increased popularity in yoga over the past two decades, even the west has many yoga studios, practitioners, and trainers. Even a major faction has adopted it besides their workout routine. However, as yoga has its roots in the orient, most of the research work is established by Indians in local journals.
So, still, Western clinicians and practitioners have relatively minor access to the published research arguing that yoga is good for people of all ages. Even in India, many yoga practitioners claim that yoga keeps them young (and acts as an anti-aging supplement).
But we will not rely on the local notions and therefore, we have dug it deep. A study conducted in Japan reveals that a young group of people have a higher rate of decrease in stress as compared to the older group. However, it should be noted that both young and old people, found yoga helpful in minimizing not only their state but also their trait stress.
That is the reason; yoga therapy is periodically conducted at old age homes in Japan. Thus, yoga works for all age brackets, though the effects vary from person to person.
Effects of Yoga on Mental Health of Children
Children are more prone to experience emotional distress and mental illness, which is a painful reality. Though multiple factors can cause these adverse effects on the mental well-being of children (such as biological changes, environment, and surroundings) yet these can be minimized by teaching them brain control. Yoga is the best and fun option in this regard.
An experiment was conducted to assess the mental health of children after performing 60 minutes of yoga for seven weeks. The results were interesting, as, after this activity (yoga), intellectual and instinctual mental level of children was significantly improved.
Children had improved peripheral coordination, increased concentration, and decreased mood swings. Thus, yoga can help in developing a better persona at an early age. For more information, here is the complete guide about yoga for children.
Summary of yoga for mental health
A plethora of research-based studies has proved that yoga has an overlooked but strong connection with mental well-being. Incorporating yoga in daily life can help in a multifaceted manner; first by increasing brain efficacy, secondly by improving muscle co-ordination, thirdly by reducing stress levels, fourth by decreasing depression, and last by alleviating stress levels.
Thus, it helps in fighting wide spectra of mental illness and serves as a magical wand in setting life back to track. It also helps in sharpening the memory and flourishing the intellect level.
Furthermore, it assists in developing a habit of mindful eating, thus inadvertently helps in nourishing the brain. Additionally, many published research articles have proved that yoga helps in alleviating chronic pains and fighting deadly diseases such as cancer. Moreover, it helps in eliminating the trouble-causing recurrent pains like a migraine.
The best part is that it is equally effective for children and senior citizens (though in different scenarios and for distinct purposes). Thus, yoga should be a “must” in your today’s schedule as it will lift your mood, reset your brain, and ultimately improve the quality of life.
