Yoga and Mental Wellbeing

To know more about yoga for depression and anxiety, click here

Would you like a long vacation and a clear blue ocean to feel calm? Me too.

Calmness and stability are essential components to a healthy and fulfilling life. Finding peace in chaos is certainly not easy, but you’ve already taken the first step. Take a moment to notice your breath. Is it deep or shallow? Slow or fast?

Is there any tightness in your chest as you breathe?

Your breath is a fairly accessible indicator of your state of mind. Anxiety and stress are often accompanied by shallow or irregular breathing. How about when you change that? How about when you breathe deeply and regularly?

Pranayama

Pranayama is the control and regulation of breath and prana, your vital life-force energy. The yoga tradition has several pranayama practices, many of which are extremely beneficial to ease stress and anxiety and bring about some peace of mind.

Check out this video on pranayama for anxiety and stress relief:

Meditation

Meditation is a broad term that is about developing awareness and a sense of perspective in any given situation. What falls under meditation is vague and vast but common techniques used include watching the breath, focusing on a specific object, open mindfulness.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra (or yogic sleep) is a powerful meditative practice for deep relaxation. It calms the mind down, balances the nervous system, and gives your body and mind the space to heal and recover.

The following is a guided yoga nidra video that you can follow along with. You can do it anytime during the day for relaxation, and before bedtime to improve sleep.