How Yoga Improves Mental Health

Your mental health is crucial to your ability to function well in a busy, unpredictable, and routinely chaotic world. It can be difficult to find ways to relieve the stresses that accompany everyday life that aren’t destructive, let alone actually beneficial to your well-being. At BodyEthos wellness studio, we offer yoga programs where you can find a way to achieve peace within your mind while also strengthening your body. Learn more about how yoga can help your mental health below.

Image of a woman doing yoga

Releases Endorphins

Endorphins are natural painkillers in your body that release in response to physical stimulus. When you experiment with yun yoga, vinyasa yoga, or other various forms of stretching, these chemicals are released in your body, reducing pain and generally leaving you feeling mentally well.

Class of four doing warrior pose

Reduces Activity in the Limbic System

One physical benefit of yoga exercise is that activity is reduced in the limbic system, which is the area of your brain that is in charge of our behavior and emotions. This reduced activity means that your mind has the opportunity to slow down, relax, and focus on the moment.

Small Buddha statue and stones

Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System

The parasympathetic nervous system is what primarily controls our need to eat and sleep. When you participate in activities like yoga, this system kicks into gear, once again bringing you to a state of calmness where your attention can be focused on your internal world.

Woman doing a yoga pose

Elevated Levels of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a chemical in your brain that blocks certain neurotransmissions that can typically lead to stress and anxiety. When levels of this acid increase during yoga exercises, the effect can be beneficial in that your physical and mental responses to external stimuli are slowed. Your entire body slows down and allows for a deep sense of relaxation.

It is a necessity for your mental health wellness to engage in physical activity. Yoga has incredible effects on the body that deeply benefit the mind.

Start on your journey towards better mental health through various different styles of yoga. Reach out to BodyEthos in Balmain, Australia today and let us help you on your way.