Why yoga is good for your mental health
Breathing
Deep diaphragmatic breathing can massage the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the main nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system. It plays a part in controlling the heart rate, immune system, digestion and mood. Stimulating the vagus nerve signals to your brain to move from the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze) and move into the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). In turn we feel more relaxed, calmer and clearer headed therefore more able to respond mindfully and with compassion towards situations and ourselves. Vagal tone and heart rate variability (change in your pulse as your breathe in and out – i.e. pulse increases as you inhale / decreases as you exhale) this is shown to be associated with increased tolerance/resilience to stress. Healthy vagal tone = emotion regulation, connection, resilience.
Bringing our body into a calmer state can help us reduce the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) in our body which is released when we are in the sympathetic nervous system state. Cortisol increases glucose (sugars) in the blood stream in order to give us energy to fight or flight. It reduces the functioning of nonessential tasks that go on in the body (e.g. digestion) when we are in this state. Blood goes to the limbs in order for us to use them and repair them more quickly whilst running away or putting up a fight. Cortisol is really helpful if your life is actually in danger/at risk. However an increased amount of cortisol either high levels too often or lower levels over a long period of time can be harmful. It can increase inflammation in the body which is associated with diseases like cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.
Mindful breathing can bring us into the present moment, giving us time to pause to connect with your body and emotions that you might otherwise be trying to ignore or distract yourself from.
Moving
Moving the body releases feel good hormones (endorphins) which boost our mood and counterintuitively give us more energy. Just changing your posture (the way you sit or stand) can have a direct impact on the way you feel. The connection between your body (movement) and mind is a two-way street. If you feel down or low you might move slowly, if you feel anxious you might move quickly, frantically. But if you change the way you move and often its in a way that is opposite to the way you feel e.g. jumping and shaking your body when you feel depressed or even a simply roll of the shoulders and lift of the chest can boost your mood or slowing your movements down, perhaps coming down to the floor can help you feel less anxious.
By moving our body, we can release the cortisol (see above) out of our system, bringing the oxygenated blood out of our limbs and back into our brain, particularly to our frontal brain (pre-frontal cortex) which is where we can regulate our emotions. This also helps us to sleep better by being in a more relaxed, restful state.
Mindful movement can bring you brain something to focus on, especially if the movement requires a specific skill or high level of concentration. Meditative movement in particular has been shown to be highly beneficial for our wellbeing and increasing our self-esteem, especially when we move in groups.
Meditating
Meditation reduces activity in the limbic system (where emotions come from) reducing emotional reactivity. This results in a more tempered response in future stressful situations (because they will come!) In addition, meditation can increase GABA a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that makes us feel calm. Research has shown that people who are depressed often have lower levels of GABA, so increasing its levels in our brain is associated with better mood and reduced anxiety.
If you can learn how to focus your mind and ‘sharpen’ your brain you can benefit from better attention, awareness, thought, language and memory. Research has shown you can become more able to process new information and make decisions. It also provides us with a focus on deep self-reflection which can open up exploration of our range of emotions, thoughts and experience. Similarly, it can help you discover positive attributes about yourself too.
Yoga is the perfect practice that encompasses breathing (Prāṇāyāma), movement (Āsana) and meditation (Dhyāna) to boost your mood, reduce your stress and anxiety, improve your sleep and boost your self-esteem.