In addition, current allopathic treatments are insufficient to bring people to the state of mental well-being. Reducing stress has the potential to promote wellness and prevent diseases.

Throughout the world, yoga is gaining popularity. It does so as an accessible, reasonable and profitable practice for the mind and body. People turn to yoga to improve our mental health. This is due to preferences for self-treatment instead of clinical intervention. We perceive greater efficacy than medication and fewer side effects and lack of medication efficacy. Yoga has minimal side effects and is cost-effective compared to pharmacological treatments and psychotherapy.

Like other therapies, yoga is not a definitive solution for mental health problems. Yoga and mental health do not always go hand in hand. Along with other approaches, yoga has great potential to lead people towards greater well-being. An additional benefit of yoga is that it improves physical condition and fosters self-confidence so we can say that Wellness and yoga retreat for adults, couples, women, and men.

What is Yoga?

In Sanskrit the root of yoga means “to unite”. Uniting mind, body and individual and collective being is the essence of this ancient practice of South Asia. Those who participate regularly in yoga typically interact with the world in a more calm and reasonable way. The most positive social interactions and relationships are one of the effects of the individual practice of yoga. The yogic philosophy postulates that each form of life is interconnected and united. Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked. The main goal of yoga is to create inner compassion. In addition to a deep sense of unity with all forms of life.

Yoga is an individual activity that has social implications. Some of the effects of individual practice is that practitioners interact with the world on a regular basis. They connect in a more calm and reasonable way and maintain more positive social relationships. These are some of the wave effects of your individual practice.

Yoga classes are accessible for people with low income. They also offer the opportunity to experience the benefits of inner peace and a healthier body.

The repercussions of initiatives for the mental health of the population on a large scale like this are:

  • less violence in society
  • less addictions
  • Greater capacity to be authentic with each other.

Yoga and quality of life

As the Sutras of Patanjali point out: “Yoga is the practice of reassurance.” Positive mental health is “a state of well-being in which each individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stress of life, can function in a productive and fruitful way, and is able to make a contribution to their community”

So far, the literature’s recommendations on yoga and mental health hold promise for yoga in particular for depression.

It has been shown that yoga improves the quality of life in people who are both healthy and sick. One study found that yoga is just as effective as exercise in improving stress, quality of life, moods, heart rate variability and lung function. A meta-analysis concluded that because weight gain and toxicity are side effects of several pharmacotherapies, yoga can be an effective and less toxic treatment for severe mental illness.

How does yoga work?

The mechanisms that make yoga an improvement for health, for the prevention of diseases. Also in treatments, rehabilitation and palliative interventions that are not fully understood. Several researchers consider that yoga works through a positive effect on the nervous system, cardiovascular system and gene expression. The stimulation of the vogues nerve affects the increase of the parasympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system. It also increases the activity of GABA (a neurotransmitter) in the brain. It has a positive impact on cardiovascular health similar to other forms of physical exercise, breathing and body movement.

From a yogic perspective, breathing is a bridge between the mind and the body. Slow diaphragmatic breathing is common to almost all forms of yoga. The key to calming the mind is to slow down and deepen the breathing. Practicing yoga helps to restore mental stability and calmness, mainly due to this type of breathing. Practitioners are able to connect internally through this stillness and silence. Almost all yogic practices, including asana (postures), pranayama (life-force practices) and dhyana (meditation), promote tranquillity and inner listening. Being more kind and benevolent with you and with others is part of the practice on the mat and outside of it.

Conclusions

Yoga and mental health in promoting the quality of life of the population is promising. It is adequate, accessible, and profitable and fosters self-confidence. Yoga is a practice of promoting individual health. It can be done in groups and with the support of the community. Like other holistic practices such as tai chi, qigong, meditation, etc., it includes a community component. Practicing yoga together, in workplaces, schools and other group settings has been shown to promote the health of the population. Although yoga does not address the social determinants of mental illness, it does promote a greater sense of inner peace for those who practice it.

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