The Psychological Benefits of Yoga


In the rat race of life, most people are enveloped in highly demanding jobs that leave them mentally as well as physically exhausted. The more sedentary your professional life gets, the higher is your anxiety. So, how do you combat such stress? The answer is inculcating yoga in your day-to-day life.

Yes, it is true that in order to lead a content life, you ought to follow a good health regime. However, the term 'healthy’ is not limited to one’s physiology only, one’s mental well-being is equally important for one to lead a happy life. Various research studies have assessed the efficacy of yoga in improving one’s mental health, and have concluded that yoga does have an array of psychological benefits.

Here are 5 psychological benefits that you can achieve from practicing yoga every day:

  • Improve your memory: Do you find it difficult to concentrate? Proven to be effectual in boosting your memory and concentration, Dharana is an ideal way to clear your mind of all the excesses and calm your nerves. By silencing the static noise running through your mind, you equip yourself to focus better, remember important things, and therefore, perform better in your life.

  • Control the ravages of traumatic experiences:Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one condition that most people suffer from after going through a rough patch in life. Flashbacks and nightmares, often mark the order of the day for patients suffering from this condition, leaving them highly vulnerable. Though there are many pharmacological treatments available to combat the effects of traumatic experiences, some patients become immune to such approaches. According to the American Psychological Association, Hatha Yoga has been proven to be substantially helpful in reducing the symptoms of conditions like PTSD.

  • Combating anxiety and depression: Regulate your stress levels by inculcating yoga exercises such as meditation in your daily regime. Relaxation is the key to a stress-free lifestyle, and as an article published by the Harvard University states, yoga is the perfect way to deal with your stress response system.

  • Keep psychological issues at bay during adolescence: Adolescence is that time in one’s life when humungous levels of hormonal changes take place. These hormones make the adolescent a tad bit irritated and anxious. According to a study put forth by the Journal of Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics, Kripalu Yoga involves physical postures, meditation and breathing routines that help teenagers experience better moods.

  • Improve your overall psychological well-being: If you continuously feel that the entire weight of the world’s problems is on your shoulders, you might just be following a highly strenuous lifestyle. As per the British Psychological Society, yoga helps one soothe their mind as well as their body. Breathing regimes and yoga exercises have been proven to be exceedingly effective in revamping your psychological health by keeping negative elements on the wayside of your life.