The Mental And Emotional Benefits Of Practicing Yoga
While yoga is an exercise that utilizes every part of the body, the benefits extend far beyond just the physical. In fact, there are immense emotional and mental health benefits that come with practicing yoga. From reducing stress and anxiety to elevating the mood and reducing anger and depression, the emotional impact yoga has on the mind and body goes far and wide. Even taking 30 minutes out of your day to practice mindfulness through yoga poses and set sequences can alleviate the stress that is weighing you down.
In today’s post, we’re going to be sharing the mental health benefits associated with yoga. If you are in the Fort Collins area and are looking for a community-focused yoga studio to join, look no further than Yoga Pod. If you have any questions or want to sign up for a class, contact us today.
Let’s get into it!
How Yoga Impacts Your Mental Health
We live in a high-stress world. From busy work and professional duties to tending to our families and friends to running errands all over the place, it’s hard to find a moment to take for ourselves. With schedules filled to the brim and pressing matters to attend to, feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression can creep in. For many, this is why they practice yoga.
Exercise in general is a mood booster, and yoga can be just that. If you’re looking to relieve symptoms of mood-related disorders, taking time to practice yoga — by yourself or in a class setting — can help to relieve stress and boost your mood. Even if you’re just looking for a low-impact exercise to increase your focus, yoga is the place the start.
Anxiety
Research shows that yoga relieves and reduces the symptoms of anxiety. When your mind feels like it is running a million miles per minute and you can’t slow it down, taking time out of your schedule to do yoga and meditate can be the relief that you’re looking for. Creating space to be mindful about what you’re thinking can give you a chance to slow down the speed at which your thoughts are racing.
A main component of yoga is breathing, which is an essential aspect of calming the mind and relieving symptoms of anxiety. When you feel as if your brain is overacting, taking even a few minutes to meditate through yoga positions can bring a sense of calmness to your mind.
The practice of yoga, in fact, lowers tension throughout the body, which in turn can affect your mental and emotional health. During times of high stress, our bodies tend to hold onto it throughout. Depending on where you carry stress, you may feel tension in your shoulders, your neck, or even your hips. In fact, many women hold onto stress in the hip area. When you do yoga exercises, you’re not only creating a space to ease your mind and calm your fast train of thoughts, but you’re relieving the effects that stress and anxiety have on your body.
Join The Yoga Pod Fort Collins Community
Located in sunny Fort Collins, Yoga Pod is the yoga community to be apart of. With a focus on building community and striving for overall wellness, our classes are versatile, effective, and fun. No matter the skill level you’re at, whether you’re a beginner or are more advanced, you’ll find a Yoga Pod class that’s perfect for you. You’ll feel challenged and will have fun in the class setting. You can find our yoga class schedule online. Whether you sign up for just one class or decide to purchase a monthly or even yearly membership, you are welcome here. We’ll see you in the studio!
