Yoga for Mental Health: Beyond the mat

You’ve probably heard someone tell you that yoga is good for your mental health.  But why?  There are many reasons that support this, and they’re not just related to the physical exercise or the elements of relaxation that a yoga practice offers.  I’ve heard plenty of people say, ‘I’m here for savasana (the 10-20 minute relaxation and integration time following the yoga asana (poses) practice).’  And with the pace of life we live, sometimes that 10-20 minutes of down time can be the most valuable part of a yoga class.  Some of the other mental health benefits of yoga include the meditative qualities of linking the breath with movement, breathwork practices to regulate the nervous system, the physical benefits of increasing mobility and flexibility (which in turn can improve mood by making life more accessible), and also the shifts in energy by moving mindfully and/or also taking time for rest.  Overall, yoga promotes greater physical, energetic and mental well-being.  A benefit of yoga for mental health wellness that is sometimes overlooked is the many little life lessons and skills learned while moving through a practice.  In this way, Yoga continues to support you off the mat, and in everyday life.

One example of taking Yoga off the mat is meeting your body where it is in the moment.  In class, the yoga instructor may guide you into a pose that feels challenging, or perhaps inaccessible, which can create a sense of frustration or even inadequacy or failure.  Yet, by holding a compassionate heart for oneself, there may be space to accept what your body can do, and meet this in its truth, rather than trying to force an outcome.  In everyday life, you might encounter this same scenario if you feel unprepared, without the skills needed, or lacking available resources to do something.  When this happens, you may evoke those same qualities of compassion and grace, and accept what is available, rather than falling into frustration or disappointment, or trying to force the situation.  This same compassion can be applied when you might find yourself comparing your value and worth and/or your body to others.  Instead of focusing on what you feel is lacking, you might meet yourself with gratitude, love and acceptance for all that you are, just as you are.

At other times in a yoga class, you may find small wins, meeting the teacher’s offered challenge.  Whether that’s because you’ve advanced in your practice, gained strength and/or skill, the body gives you a ‘yes’ that day, or you’re ready to test your limits, you may come to recognize that with determination, perseverance, resilience, trust and gently stretching your perceived boundaries, you can achieve that challenging pose.  These moments build confidence not only in your yoga practice but also imprint these small victories in the body on physical, mental and emotional levels.  When you later confront a daunting challenge in life, you can recall these skills and perhaps find an unexpected outcome and win for yourself.  By gently testing your limits on the mat, you stretch your ability to push against real or perceived boundaries in life, and that’s mental and emotional growth!

Through practicing yoga, you’ll also likely start bringing stronger awareness to your mental and emotional states, allowing them to be acknowledged, accepted and felt.  In the duration of a yoga class, many people arrive to the mat with their minds racing, finding it difficult to initially settle into a (generally) quiet space.  Many yoga teachers invite you to bring your awareness to how you’re arriving (often offered in suspension of judgment), a first ‘check-in’ for your mental, emotional, energetic and physical states.  While the class continues, some of those emotions of frustration, comparison or mental challenge may rise (as well as relaxation, contentment and bliss), and as you start to recognize what these feel like, you move into a deeper internal awareness (interoception).  With the mind more present, you can then drop deeper into your body, moving with more intention and noticing sensations within and around you, and where your body orients in space and time (proprioception).  It’s common to operate on ‘auto-pilot’ mode, unaware and distracted, and by increasing awareness through yoga, you can become more present and engaged in life on a regular basis.  You may better notice how you’re responding to people, conversations and situations around you.

Most yoga classes conclude with savasana, a place to practice the skills of reflection, integration, focus, calm and peace.  Following the yoga poses, the awarenesses gained throughout class, those small life lessons that become part of who you are, the time of silence or guided meditation during savasana gives space to sit in reflection on the impacts of the practice on your body, mind, emotions and energy.  There’s a magic that happens in this time of integrating the practice into all levels of your Being, and you might find you develop an ability to become an internal witness to the landscape of your mind and body, sensing even deeper awarenesses or coming to recognize things through a different lens.  Some yoga teachers invite you to find a sound or sensation as your singular point of focus (meditation), and as life happens around you (other people breathing, coughs, sounds of life outside the class), the skill to keep your focus, unaffected by distractions happening around you, builds an internal calm and peace, and a trust that whatever awaits beyond this time of savasana will be there when you are ready to address it.  Such a skill becomes invaluable when living in a world of constant chaos, unending texts or emails, immediacy, uncertainty and unpredictability, giving you space to approach life from a place of calm and rational thinking, from a balanced mental state.

The practice of yoga vastly surpasses the calls of physical exercise and relaxation.  Within the space of your yoga mat, you tend to your mental health, allowing yourself to awaken acceptance, cultivate compassion, foster tolerance, gently test boundaries, safely inquire within, become more mindfully present, open to curiosity, shift perspective and create space for peace.  Yoga offers an incredibly profound experience, a training ground to better relate with yourself so that you arrive at life more balanced, grounded and confident (and all that in just 60 minutes of a yoga class!).  If you haven’t tried yoga, are hesitant about the physical movements, or are skeptical about the benefits, I encourage you to explore a class or find a teacher where the focus is on meditation, breath practice, body awareness and the rejuvenating qualities of the practice.  Anyone can do yoga, it’s not about contortionism or flexibility; at the heart of Yoga is a pathway to peace and mental, physical, emotional, energetic (and spiritual) wellbeing.

By Jen Rizza, Founder of Newtown Wellness Collective, Reiki Master Teacher, Therapeutic Yoga Instructor, Wellness Coach & Mentor