Medication and therapy are powerful tools for managing mental health, but self-care is also an important way people with mental health diagnoses can manage their symptoms. One self-care tool patients often find helpful is yoga, which combines meditation and exercise. At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health, in Leland, North Carolina, we encourage patients to explore different mental health tools to learn what works for them.
Benefits of Yoga
If you find the right type of yoga, you are likely to experience not only improvements to your physical health but also enhanced mental health symptoms. Research has found the following benefits of yoga:
- Less tension and anxiety due to decreased cortisol levels
- A quieter, calmer mind that improves emotional regulation
- Reduced heart rate
- Improved social attachments
- Increased relaxation
- Decreased depressive symptoms due to increased serotonin production
- Better sleep
- Decreased PTSD symptoms, especially intrusive memories and emotional distress
- Improved recovery from substance use disorders
How Yoga Helps
There are several ways that yoga can enhance a person’s mental health recovery, some of which include:
- Bypassing language, to use different thought processes to manage distress
- Enhancing the effectiveness of other treatments, such as therapy and medication
- Contributing structure and routine to participants’ lives
- Giving people a tool that allows them to connect with others
- Improving a person’s ability to pay attention to their body and the current moment
- Helping people to understand themselves with less judgment
- Providing a healthy coping mechanism to replace existing coping mechanisms that might not be working for the person
- Studies that looked at brain imaging scans found that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex and hippocampus than people who didn’t do yoga consistently, which may allow for better learning, memory and information processing as they grow older, particularly because those studies found less shrinkage in those areas of the brain as yoga practitioners aged.
Types of Yoga
It is important to realize that not all forms of yoga are the same. There are many different types of yoga, so it is a good idea to think about your needs and current physical condition and do a bit more research before signing up for a specific variety. There are even trauma-informed yoga classes offered in some areas.
Gentle Yoga Styles
These yoga styles are often easier for beginners and people who have physical limitations or medical conditions, or who are not used to a strenuous workout routine.
- Hatha. A simple class that combines a few yoga styles and is often a good place for beginners to start
- Anusara. Up to 250 different yoga poses may be offered during this type of yoga, and there may also be chanting and meditation
- Iyengar. These classes are slower paced and sometimes include props to ensure correct positioning
- Restorative. Bolsters, blankets, boxes, and chairs are sometimes used for support in this style of yoga, which focuses on mind, body, and spirit
- Kripalu. This version starts with slow movements and progresses with three awareness levels
- Sivananda. There are 13 poses used in this style of yoga, and participants can lie down between poses. This variety is often good for people who need to adapt yoga to their physical limitations
- Viniyoga. This is a great style for people who want to improve their flexibility or are recovering from an injury. It promotes body awareness and relaxation by focusing on breathing and stretching, without as much concern about doing every pose perfectly
Challenging Yoga Styles
If you’re already familiar with yoga or are looking for a workout that is a bit tougher to enhance your fitness level, these yoga varieties might be a better fit for you.
- Ashtanga. This form of yoga involves constant movement and a special breathing technique
- Bikram. This variety is not good for people with certain medical conditions. It is also called “hot yoga” because it occurs in a room that is more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Vinyasa Flow. This is one of the most athletic versions of yoga and is sometimes called “power yoga.”
- Jivamukti. This style is similar to power yoga in athleticism, but also incorporates aspects of veganism, nonviolence, and chanting into the practice.
People of all ages have benefited from yoga. At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health, our patients include adolescents and older adults. While these populations are very different, both can benefit from incorporating meditation practices like yoga into their mental health routines.
