Yoga is an ancient practice that has its roots in India and is over 5,000 years old. It is now a global phenomenon in promoting physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Yoga is a union of physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana), which helps in harmony between the mind and body. Yoga has become a go to practice for many who are stressed out with modern life and an awareness of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. People who are looking for natural nonpharmacological ways to enhance their psychological wellbeing. In a report by (World Health Organization, 2022), 1 in 4 people live with a mental health disorder, highlighting the need for available, non-pharmacological treatments. Research has shown that regular yoga practice can result in better mood, reduced symptoms of anxiety, and better cognitive function (Goyal, et al., 2014). In addition, yoga promotes mindfulness, which is an active, open attention to the present that allows people to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment. Good emotional resilience and general psychological balance are linked to such mindfulness. The low cost and side effects, along with wide ranging benefits, make yoga an ideal addition to daily routines and therapeutic programs to help combat the mental health crisis.
Yoga is an effective way of managing stress as it involves the use of certain postures that help the body to relax. Stress leads to raised cortisol levels that are associated with diseases like hypertension, sleeplessness, and poor concentration (Pascoe, et al., 2017). Several researchers have established that yoga practice reduces cortisol levels and increases levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that is vital in maintaining a stable mood (Streeter, et al., 2012). As a practice, yoga has positive impacts on the human body by promoting relaxation and enabling people to be more alert and prepared to handle daily stress.
Besides stress, yoga has potential in treating anxiety and depression. Specifically, anxiety disorders, defined by excessive, persistent worry and hyperarousal, are associated with irregular breathing patterns. A meta-analysis by (Cramer, et al., 2013), stated that yoga was as effective as pharmacotherapy in managing depressive symptoms particularly for clients who had not responded to other treatments. Yoga focuses on diaphragmatic breathing aids in the regulation of respiratory activity and thus reduces the level of physiological activation of the mind (Streeter, et al., 2010). By performing yoga people are able to achieve better state of mind, emotional stability and self-understanding, which can be considered as the foundation of mental well-being. The focus on acceptance and non-critical attitude in yoga helps the practitioners change their negative thought patterns for the better, which also reduces the ruminating and negative thinking that is characteristic of mood disorders. In a study involving veterans with PTSD who underwent trauma sensitive yoga, the veterans said that they had reduced hypervigilance and enhanced emotional regulation. (van der Kolk Laura, et al., 2014)
In addition, yoga has been proven to enhance sleep quality, and sleep is closely related to mental health. Sleep disturbances are known to be associated with various mental health disorders, and research has shown that yoga helps in enhancing sleep by using relaxation methods and meditation. In the study done by (Manjunath, N. K., Telles, & S., 2005), it was established that those who did yoga daily had longer, and sound sleep and they were more refreshed and alert and hence they were more emotionally and psychologically stable.
In conclusion, it can be stated that yoga is a holistic, easily accessible and backed by evidence method of enhancing mental health. Hence, it can be a good tool in managing stress, anxiety, depression, and improving sleep quality, making it a valuable adjunct to conventional treatments. With the continued support of research in the psychological benefits of practicing yoga, the inclusion of yoga in mental health care programs may go a long way in improving resilience, healthy emotional states, and overall quality of life. Promoting the practice of yoga to people may go a long way in helping to solve the mental health problem that is facing the world today in a sustainable manner.
References
Cramer, H., Lauche, R., Langhorst, J., . . . G. (2013). Yoga for depression: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. . Depression and anxiety, 30(11), 1068-1083.
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., . . . J.A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being . a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine, 174(3), 357-368.
Manjunath, N. K., Telles, & S. (2005). Influence of Yoga & Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population. . Indian Journal of Medical Research, 121(5), 683.
Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., Jenkins, & Z. M. (2017). Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of psychiatric research, 95, 156-178.
Streeter, C. C., Whitfield, T. H., Owen, Rein, . . . J. E. (2010). Effects of yoga versus walking on mood, anxiety, and brain GABA levels: a randomized controlled MRS study. The journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 16(11), 1145-1152.
Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., . . . R. P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical hypotheses, 78(5), 571-579.
van der Kolk Laura, B. A., West, J., Rhodes, A., & E. (2014). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. . The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 75(6), 22573.
World Health Organization. (2022). World Health Organization . Transforming mental health for all. World Health Organization.