An individual’s physical health is not complete and whole if he or she is suffering from spiritual, emotional, and mental illnesses. A truly heath individual is someone who is physically well, mentally sound, and emotionally stable. Taking care of one’s mental health is as equally important as caring for and maintaining one’s physical health.
Stress, mood swings, anxiety, and depression- these are just some of the most common emotional setbacks that an individual may go through in every waking day. Some people may beat these setbacks through unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, playing video games, and even abusing drugs. But there are still most people who go the healthy path with coping strategies such as starting a new physical hobby, enrolling in art or cooking classes, and engaging in healthy exercise regimens such as Yoga.
What is Yoga?
Yoga exercises are not just about learning how to do flexible and complicated body poses though it literally means physical postures or poses. Yoga also has something to do with uniting an individual’s physical body and consciousness with the mind and spirit. Every physical pose that an individual does in yoga, the body, the mind, and the spirit become one.
Structures of Yoga
The 3 important structures in Yoga are exercise, breathing, and meditation. Hatha Yoga involves learning the different yoga postures and techniques such as stretching. Pranayama will allow the individual to practice proper breathing. With every physical pose and breathing exercises, individuals are also taught how to channel their minds or meditate even while doing the exercises and the breathing.
Yoga for Physical and Mental Health
You may already be enrolled in a rigorous exercise program but at the end of each session and in your everyday life, there are moments when you feel so down and alone, stressed and tired, depressed and anxious. Doing Yoga may just be the solution to these emotional and mental battles that you still go through even if you have proper exercise and healthy diets.
- Develop your body’s strength and flexibility: Every Yoga pose requires coordination and balance. Stretching every inch of your body may result to pain but in the long run, balance and coordination will step in and you may actually forget or learn to deal with the pain, too.
- Improve the body’s overall functioning: Immunity, metabolism, pain reduction, respiratory relief, and better circulation are some of the few body functions that can be enhanced and obtained with Yoga.
- Reduce stress levels: With every pose, inhale and exhale, and meditation, you can let go of whatever stress and fatigue you may have gone through during the day. With a lower stress level, you also avoid suffering from physical manifestations of stress such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
- Learn the art of proper breathing for a clearer mind: You can use your knowledge of breathing exercises for anytime that you feel anxious at school, work, or at home. With controlled breathing, you also utilize your lungs and nasal passages better and as well as soothe your central nervous system.
- Develop a positive, happier, and relaxed mood: Yoga is a relaxation technique. A person’s sense of well-being and spiritual growth are also developed in Yoga. A relaxed body and mind is the gateway for only happy thoughts and positive outlooks.
