International Yoga Day 2020 – How does Yoga Help Calm the Mind?

By Bharti Gitay

The link between mental health and physical health is often misunderstood. They’re often thought of as separate entities, but the two go hand in hand. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. According to Dr Michael Craig Miller, professor at Harvard Medical School, exercise and physical activity can be as effective in treating some depressive symptoms as therapy or medication.

Amid growing concerns about the global spread of COVID-19, which has exacerbated mental health concerns globally. According to WHO, over 90 million Indians, or 7.5 per cent of the country’s population of 1.3 billion, experience from some form of mental health concerns. India faces a significant gap between the prevalence of mental health issues among the population and the availability and effectiveness of mental health care in providing adequate treatment. This discrepancy results in structural stigma toward mental illness which in turn is one of the main reasons for the persistence of the treatment gap, whereas societal factors such as religion, education, and family structures play critical roles.  Due to this and other reasons, many individuals dealing with mental health issues turn to alternative approaches like yoga. Research shows that doing exercise influences the release and uptake of feel-good chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine in the brain, helping you feel good in the short term. Low-intensity exercise sustained over time can promote the production of neurotrophic proteins. These proteins cause nerve cells to grow and form new connections and as a result can improve brain function, making you feel better in the long term.

Yoga means “to unite” in Sanskrit. Uniting mind, body and individual and collective being is the essence of this ancient practice. Yoga provides individuals with the opportunity to concentrate on their body and mind through their breath, which can help alleviate tension and stress. Stress creates cortisol and that builds up in our system, making it difficult to metabolise them. We can address this is by putting other chemicals in our body, a perfect chemical that can address them is endorphins, which generates with exercise. As an exercise, yoga is a natural way to increase endorphins and serotonin production. According to the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, recommend that serotonin production plays a role in the treatment of depression. Also, serotonin is believed to play a major role in happiness and can be generated with regular yoga practice.

In this fast pace life, we are being driven to distraction by our own increasingly sophisticated and seductively addictive technologies. We are being enslaved by our impulses to look outside of ourselves for affirmation that we’re OK, or that there’s something more interesting than now that we should be checking because maybe this moment’s not good enough.

“We’re actually imprisoned by what we’re unconscious of. Not a moment goes by in which we don’t like this rather than that or want this more than that suggest the American Professor, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Yoga incorporates several techniques for taming the monkey mind One is breathwork, each breath is tied inextricably to the present moment, you are not breathing in the past or the future, but only right now. And, Yoga is a physical exercise that involves different body poses, breathing techniques, and meditation. It may help with depression and symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating or loss of energy.

Yoga as a form of exercise focuses mainly on deep, controlled breathing. This allows to clear the mind and strengthen the body-mind connection. Additionally, breathing is one of many components of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which also includes your heart rate, digestive system, and more. The vagus nerve runs from the brain all the way down through to the opening of the diaphragm to the gut, and its purpose is to send signals to adjust the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system that form the ANS. This positively impacts on heart rate, digestion, and general feelings of being calm and centred.

Yoga is also especially helpful because of its gentle, calming, and fluid nature. Each pose is flexible, so people of all levels can practice and can gradually build the practice.

Bharti Gitay is Psychologist & Outreach Associate at Mpower – The Centre, Mumbai. She is a compassionate Mental Health professional dedicated to providing effective and empathetic care. She is passionate about mindfulness practice with individuals and families to help live a meaningful and authentic life. She is a trained ACT therapist.

Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

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