Yoga for Mental Health

"Suffering is the breaking of the shell that encloses our understanding."

– Kahlil Gibran

The word yoga means to unite. Yoga is a mind/body practice that promotes integration and balance. Research reveals that regular yoga practice supports the treatment of mental health illnesses and other related health issues like addiction. Yoga calms the nervous system, increases awareness physically, mentally and emotionally, relieves stress, reduces muscle tension and enhances attention and concentration. One in five Canadians, in any given year, experience a mental health problem or illness. Yoga can be an excellent adjunct to talk therapy and if consistently practiced may be a potent antidote to suffering.

Benefits of breathing and movement

Breathing (pranayama) is a central component of yoga. With regular yoga practice, you learn to breathe more fully and regulate your breath, lowering heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, calming the mind and balancing the nervous system.

Movement is life. Through yoga, we learn to become embodied. With practice, you learn to mindfully experience your body and the range of sensations, thoughts and emotions that arise. Your body is a naturally sensitive informant if you allow it to be. Through regular yoga practice, awareness arises that you are more than your thoughts and feelings. Breath, movement and yoga postures anchor us in the here and now, helping us to feel more present and grounded. By consistently engaging in practices like breathing, moving and meditation, you learn to observe self, choose your response in challenging situations and draw on constructive coping tools.

"Wholeness does not mean Perfection; it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life."

– Parker Palmer