Yoga is perhaps one of my favorite forms of healing. The practice carries various nuanced and subtle gifts to the yogi practicing. It is accessible for most body types and requires little more than your time. It marries together various other healing practices, such as deep breathing, meditation, and movement (found in the walking practice) to bring to you a triple boost of wellness. Here I will cover the mental health benefits of starting a yoga practice, general concepts to note, ways to start a practice, and how to make it a habit.
Benefits (see reference list at bottom of this article):
-Reduce trauma symptoms (Trauma is stored in the body. Yoga helps the body process trauma.)
-Reduce anxiety and depression
-Improve sleep quality
Improve executive functioning, memory, and attention/concentration
-Improve pain tolerance
-Lower stress
-Improve body image
-Improve self-esteem
General Concepts:
First and foremost, do what feels good for you and your body. Listen to your body. If your body does not feel good in a pose, listen to it and change it up in a way that feels good for you. If your yoga instructor is instructing you to go into a pose that does not feel right for you, then don't go into the posture. While any form of physical movement may come with discomfort, and this discomfort can actually be a good thing -- really notice what your body is communicating to you. Is it saying this is uncomfortable because it's new or because I have been stagnant for too long, OR is it saying this is uncomfortable because my body actually can't and shouldn't move in this direction?
You do not need to buy a yoga mat, yoga blocks, yoga pillow, or yoga pants to get started. Yes, you can simply start with a towel on the floor in your pajamas if that is all you have available to you or all you seem to have the energy to utilize.
Don't forget to breathe.
Bring playfulness and lightheartedness to the practice.
Ways to Start a Practice:
In-Studio: Some people need the structure of a studio to get into a habit of practicing yoga long enough to seriously feel the benefits. In-Studio practice also has the benefit of a live in-person expert who can ensure you are practicing safely. Not to mention, many studios offer heated sessions which some find to be additionally detoxifying and healing. In-Studio practice also offers people a community and opportunity for socialization. Even if you don't talk to a single person going in and out of the studio, simply being around other humans in person is good for us.
At-Home: At home practices are excellent in that they are so easily accessible and convenient for daily life. If you are looking to start an in-home practice, I recommend the following:
Yoga With Adriene: Adriene is a yogi who provides free YouTube videos to follow along. Her channel has various standalone practices, along with ten 30day yoga "journeys" that you can follow when you are stating to make this a habit.
DownDog App: Another at-home option for starting a yoga practice is the app DownDog. It is $60 for a yearlong subscription. The app is easy to use and extremely customizable.
Make it a Habit
Make it Satisfying: create a yoga calendar and commit to practicing for 2 weeks or 30 days and track it. Cross off each day you practice.
Make it Attractive: Recruit a friend or family member to practice yoga with you. Go in studio together, or invite your yoga buddy to practice at home with you. If you don't have someone to practice with, consider joining a yoga group.
Make it Easy: Scale your practice down to 2 minutes. Commit to a set of simple yoga moves that can be done in 2 minutes and do this daily for 30 days. You are doing yoga -- it's as simple as that.
Make it Obvious: Pair your new yoga habit with a habit you are already doing. Practice right after you brush your teeth in the morning. Practice on your lunch break. Practice as soon as you get home from work. Practice during your kids nap time.
Make it Attractive: Create a satisfying routine with your yoga practice. Get your essential oils going right before you practice. Dim the lights. Put a sign on your door so no one disturbs you. Leave your phone in the other room.
Make it Obvious: Set up your environment so it is easy to choose to do yoga. Put your yoga app on your home screen. Create a YouTube playlist of easy go-to videos. Lay your yoga mat out so it is ready for you to jump on as soon as you get home from work.
Conclusion and Disclaimer
The benefits of yoga are numerous. If you are struggling with your mental health, give yoga a try. Yoga alone may not be enough to help you manage trauma symptoms, anxiety, or depression you may be facing. If that's the case, give me a call. Therapy could help. As always, practice at your own discretion. While serious injury from yoga is uncommon, there is always a risk. In studio practice can help mitigate this risk, and following the rule of listening to your body will help prevent injury.
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