It is a well-established scientific fact that physical exercise improves the mood and reduces stress. As a yoga instructor I have certainly found this to be true. I have seen students not only become physically fitter but also calmer and more relaxed as a result of doing yoga regularly. My experiences are also supported by researchers, who have examined the connection between yoga and stress.
Yoga offers natural anxiety relief
In many cases, acute anxiety and depression can need medical and pharmaceutical interventions. Hence, it is important to check and reduce stress before it become a serious-enough problem to negatively impact health. Doing yoga and engaging in meditation can naturally reduce stress by helping to manage the body’s stress-response. Yoga becomes a self-soothing technique to help us relax and improve the mood in much the same way as some exercises, a favorite hobby and spending time with good friends do. Stress responses such as fast breathing, increased heartbeat and heightened blood pressure can be controlled better when one practices yoga regularly.
Yoga and stress among college students
College students are often seen to battle with various study and social related stresses. Yoga is seen to help them develop better coping mechanisms and stress management strategies. In one study, it was found that breathing exercises such as Pranayam can decrease sympathetic activity and help students relax mentally. Specific exercises such as Suryanamaskar can help to lower negative emotions, bring peace and mental calm.
Yoga can also help to improve academic performance and thereby enhance psychological wellbeing, found researchers. They found that students who did yoga were more alert and refreshed and therefore were able to concentrate better on their study as well as during class. Not only that, yoga is also seen to improve emotional sensitivity; which can help students deal more effectively with relationship issues, peer pressure and other problems that they may face as students.
Yoga and the pain response
One study examined the impact of yoga on people with fibromyalgia (characterized by extreme sensitivity to pain). Of two groups, the group that underwent a yoga program along with standard treatment showed marked improvement in their symptoms. The yoga group was seen to be better able to manage sleep disturbances, pain, stiffness, tiredness, poor memory and anxiety. Another study also demonstrated that fibromyalgia sufferers were able to improve their pain threshold as a result of doing yoga.
Yoga for women with depression
Yet another study found that women in their mid-30s with anxiety and depression experienced a lowering of their symptoms after 12 sessions of hatha yoga. The overall impact of yoga and meditation – in increasing positive emotions, lowering negative feelings and improving mental balance – is seen to help a range of problems. Researchers have also found that people with conditions such as asthma, hypertension, drug addiction, osteoarthritis and other mental health issues can find it easier to manage their conditions with the help of yoga.
Low risk, high yield approach to stress management
The great thing about yoga is that it can be modified to fit the requirements of each individual depending upon their age, fitness level, and flexibility. Some forms of yoga are quite demanding and strenuous whereas other forms of yoga can be gentle and supportive. It can work for the elderly who need to engage in gentle, low-impact forms of exercise that do not stress the joints, and also for younger people who need vigorous forms of exercise that challenge and strengthen.
For all categories of people, yoga can be an effective and safe method of stress reduction. It is easy to maintain a yoga regime as it requires no equipment and is easy to do even at home. Yoga is what experts call a low risk, high yield approach to lowering stress and improving overall wellbeing.