How Yoga Calms Your Mind k

8/9/2019 How Yoga Calms Your Mind k

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How yoga calms your mind: It'll help you beat stress, anxiety and depressionwithout popping pillsss

+12Yoga can be a natural anti-depressant remedy and can boost mental health, with those who enjoy it recording higher levels of healthy amino acid GAA

!epression " it#s a condition that afflicts more of us than ever before$%he most common psychological disorder in the &estern world, around ten times more people are diagnosed with depression nowthan '( years ago$)motionally crippling, it can re*uire years of epensive and time-consuming therapy and often medication to control it$n 2(12 a staggering ( million prescriptions for anti-depressants were written in )ngland, up 2. million in 1 years$&hile counselling and medication will always be re*uired for some, for many mild depression and low-level aniety are the price wepay for busy lives juggling wor/ and family in an age of constant digital bombardment$ut there is a low-cost, easy and enjoyable alternative to pills that can benefit us all mentally " a natural anti-depressant remedythat studies have shown boosts a chemical in the brain that is essential for good mental health$

And what#s the name of this wonder drug0 %he answer is, of course, yoga$ All this wee/, in a brilliant pull-out series, the ail is focusing on yoga#s benefits for old and young, men and women, no matter your

fitness levels$&hile for the past three days we#ve eplored many of the physical benefits of practising yoga, today we turn the spotlight on thedifference yoga can ma/e to your mood$%here#s an easy-to-follow routine of eercises to help rela and de-clutter the mind on the net page$any yoga devotes " myself included " will tell you how a session of yoga leaves you feeling calm and positive, with a sense ofbeing able to cope with whatever life has to throw at you$

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• The eight healing positions o# yoga: $o%es that can ease&&&

!ould ust one session o# yoga a wee( help you shed three&&&

• Lose weight with yoga, #orget #ad diets and agonising&&&

"HARE THI" ARTI!LE4hare

4cience is increasingly bac/ing up this anecdotal evidence$ 5ne recent study compared levels of the amino acid GAA in those whopractise yoga regularly compared to those who do an e*uivalent amount of wal/ing " considered to be a similarly strenuous form of eercise$4cientists found they were significantly higher in those who did yoga$%his amino acid is vital for a well-functioning brain and central nervous system and helps promote feelings of calm inside the body$

6ow GAA levels are associated with depression and aniety$ As well as increased amounts of GAA, scientists found that those who did yoga also reported lower levels of aniety and bettermoods than the wal/ers$eanwhile, a 2(17 study by assachusetts General 8ospital found that the deep physiological state of rest induced by the threeyoga elements of postures, breathing and meditation produced immediate, positive change in immune function, energy metabolismand insulin secretion$nsulin is /nown not only for regulating blood sugar, but also for triggering the production of serotonin " the feel-goodneurotransmitter that can be stimulated artificially by some anti-depressants, such as ro9ac$4croll down for video

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+12ost people wouldn:t thin/ of yoga as the best form of eercise for losing weight but scientific research is increasingly showing lin/s between yoga and weightloss$ %here are now various different styles of yoga

)asy Yoga poses you can do at home and on your lunch brea/


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;linical psychologist !eborah espected yoga teacher atricia &alden, who suffered from clinical depression in her 2(s, described how, in her first class with afamous yogi master called $


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f your top rides up, eposing your tum, or you#re worried your leggings are a little see-through, this band will cover the area from thetops of your thighs to the bottom of your ribs$ t#ll /eep you warm and preserve your modesty$E1?$'(, yogamatters$com

You can breathe more deeply and your thoracic spine begins to elongate$%hese simple things have an effect on your physiological and mental state$ felt that immediately$#n addition, yoga teaches you the art of self-study, whether it#s your mental or physical state, which can also help you find clarity inother parts of your life " your relationships, your wor/, your ability to set aside time for yourself " and that this may need tochange$=inally, recent trials have shown that such is yoga#s power to restore mental calm, it#s helpful for patients with post-traumatic stressdisorder F%4!$5ne small study recently eamined the impact of yoga and breathing on soldiers who had served in ra* or Afghanistan and whohad been diagnosed with %4!$

A group of men were put on an intensive course of 4udarshan oll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to reston the ground For cushion in front of you and your arms to rest on the floor by the soles of your feet with the palms facing upwards%his pose is /nown as the ;hild#s ose, and it stretches and relaes the spine, hips and thighs as well as relieving bac/ and nec/pain$1$ 4%A3!3G =5>&A>! )3!

enefitsB mproves upper body circulation and calms yet energises the body$8ow toB 4tand with feet parallel and hip-width apart, toes pointing forward$reathe in and stretch spine upwards with arms straight above head and palms facing in$ As you breathe out etend body and hipsforward, bending from the hips$ring hands towards the floor$ f your hands can#t touch the floor, lightly touch your legs$ %he body should be as close as possible tothe front of your thighs$


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+12%he standing forward bend improves upper body circulation and both calms and energises the body

2$ 4)A%)! %&4%enefitsB )tremely relaing$8ow toB 6ie flat on your bac/, allow feet to rela and roll out, arms a little out to the sides, palms up$f necessary, you can place a cushion under your /nees to support your lower bac/$


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+12%he seated twist is said to be etremely relaing and can be done with a cushion under the /nees for support

7$ )I%)3!)! JY 54)enefitsB A cross between ;hild#s ose and !ownward =acing !og, this lengthens the spine, releases tension in your upper bodyand calms the mind$8ow toB egin on all fours$&al/ your hands out far enough so that, while /eeping your arms straight, you can drop your chest towards the floor, /eeping your

hips over your /nees and arms shoulder width apart$lace your forehead on the floor and pull your hips bac/ towards your heels$8old this position for a minute$


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+12%he etended puppy pose Fpictured is a cross between the ;hild#s ose and the !ownward =acing !og

$ 8AY AYenefitsB =eel-good pose that opens and stretches hips, realigns the spine and relieves stress$8ow toB 6ie on your bac/ and bring your /nees into your belly$Grip the outsides of your feet with your hands, open your /nees as wide as you can and propel them towards your armpits$Gently push your feet up into your hands to create a good stretch$


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+12%he happy baby pose is described as a :feel-good: move which stretches hips and realigns the spine

.$ 6)G4 J &A66 54)enefitsB >elaes and helps with insomnia$8ow toB 4it sideways as close as you can to a wall and swing your legs up the wall so that your body is lying on the floor at ?(degrees to your legs$!o this pose after a challenging wor/out and after travelling by plane$


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+12%he legs up the wall pose helps with insomnia and is recommended after a particularly challenging wor/out

.$ ;5>4) 54)enefitsB )tremely relaing$

8ow toB 6ie flat on your bac/, allow feet to rela and roll out, arms a little out to the sides, palms up$f necessary, you can place a cushion under your /nees to support your lower bac/$


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+12%he corpse pose is usually recommended towards the end of the wor/out and allows complete relaation'$ &A>!5&3

After doing the routine, sit up crossed legged, close your eyes and ta/e ten deep, slow breaths$4tart slowly wriggling your fingers and toes to bring the life bac/ into them, then open your eyes$%ry to enjoy the moment of stillness and awareness of your own body, and thin/ bac/ to this moment throughout the rest of the day when things get stressful$3ow is a great time to try meditation, too Fsee further below$

t boosts memory and can help you ward off dementia>ecent studies have shown that yoga benefits the brain in a number of different ways$ t not only gives an instant memory boost, butalso helps to protect the brain from dementia$

A 2(17 study at &ayne 4tate Jniversity in !etroit showed that a 2(-minute yoga session was better at improving memory andconcentration than a 2(-minute jog$

5ne group of volunteers practised 8atha yoga, while another ran on a treadmill$ &hen given mental tas/s to do, the yoga groupwere found to perform better$%he study#s authors speculated that the breathing and meditative eercises in yoga may help people to concentrate better generally$

A separate study by the same team found that older people who practised yoga three times a wee/ showed improved cognitivefunction compared with a group who did simple stretching and toning eercises$

After eight wee/s, the group " all aged between .. and '? " were speedier and more accurate when it came to information recalland tas/ switching than they had been before$


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+12%he beauty of yoga is that it can be adapted to various needs and lifestyles Ffile picture, posed by model

%he stretching and toning group saw no significant change in their performance$ Again, the team thought the mental focus involvedin yoga could eplain the results, but study author 3eha Gothe, a professor of /inesiology, addedB 4ince we /now stress can affectcognitive performance, the eight-wee/ yoga intervention may have boosted participants# performance by reducing their stress$#Yoga also promotes a healthy brain because, li/e all forms of eercise, it protects against obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure$%hese are ris/ factors for dementia because they can all restrict blood flow to the brain, eplains !r 6aura hipps, sciencecommunications manager at Al9heimer#s >esearch J


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85%5! Y5GA8otpod provides yoga classes in an inflatable pop-up studio, heated to a cosy 7'c Fslightly cooler than a classic i/ram yoga class$%his is said to warm the muscles, aid fleibility and ma/e the heart wor/ harder$%here are classes up and down the country, often in unusual locations$=or more information, visit hotpodyoga$com

+12 Actress Kennifer Aniston is said to be fans of udo/on " a fusion of yoga, martial arts and meditation

A>>)A4A3A%his wor/out fuses ballet moves and yoga for a high-intensity wor/out that tones you all over$)pect your legs to sha/e after just one session$;lasses are available online$ barrecore$co$u/6AJG8%)> Y5GA4ometimes it#s hard not to laugh at yourself during a yoga class, but in these classes it#s positively encouraged$6aughter has proven therapeutic benefitsB it lifts mood and has even been shown to improve heart health and raise your painthreshold$=ind out more at laughteryoga$org$u/Y5GA6A%)4;ombining the calm of yoga with the strengthening, toning wor/out of a pilates class, yogalates is an international fitness trend$You#ll find these classes have a stronger focus on the abdominal muscles and you#ll also be holding the poses for longer than in

most yoga classes$%ry 6ouise 4olomon#s Yogalates !H!s, available on Ama9on$

!H++"E *+1R *+A "T*LE%5!AYB Yin Yoga%his is a slow-paced yoga that targets the connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments, rather than the muscles$=orget fast-flowing moves, in Yin all postures are done either lying or sitting down and held from three to ten minutes at a time$Yin yoga was devised to provide a calming physical and mental antidote to our hectic world$ t#s the gentle yin# to complement theyang# of intense physical eercise and busy lives$%he aim is that if you balance both elements, you#ll find a balance and avoid burn out$t is a slow but deep practice which has both physical and mental benefits and is suitable for all levels of students$

A;>5Y5GA


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%raditional yoga is an individual practice, but acroyoga " a combination of yoga and acrobatics " encourages wor/ing with apartner, using each other#s bodies to support and enhance your pose$J!5


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%he mind begins to calm down, as does the body$ n turn we eperience more *uiet and a sense of ease in every area of life$#editating for a few minutes a day can reduce stress and aniety, improve sleep and benefit your relationships$t has benefits for physical health, too " studies have shown meditation can reduce the perception of pain and protect againstconditions related to stress such as high blood pressure and heart disease$&ith modern technology and social media /eeping us switched on 2 hours a day, letting your mind ta/e time out is more importantthan ever, says 4andy 3ewbigging, author of the best-selling boo/ ind ;alm$ odern lifestyles are putting people into a perpetualstate of stress,# he says$!ame 4ally !avies, the chief medical officer for )ngland, recently reported that wor/ing days lost to stress, depression and aniety

have increased by 2 per cent since 2((?, at a cost of E1(( billion to the economy$4o meditation is important from an economic perspective as well as a personal one$#erhaps the biggest misconception about meditation is that you need to stop all your thoughts$ )perts agree that this is virtuallyimpossible$%he aim is learning to step bac/ and get a different perspective on thought, rather than stopping thought altogether,# says Andyuddicombe$8ere are 4andy 3ewbigging#s tips for meditationB

!LE)ER *+A -IT

%oeso

%he eposed sections of these soc/s ma/e you feel li/e you#re barefoot, while giving you etra grip to stop you sliding on your yogamat$ %hey#re also helpful if you suffer with cold feet$E11$??, yogamatters$com

• ic/ a time and place when you won#t be disturbed$ Aim for ten to 2( minutes at a time, but even five minutes will help

calm the mind$ f you want to do it for longer, split it into two or three sessions throughout the day$• Kust before brea/fast is a good time so that you#re in the right mindset for the day, but you can do it whenever you#re

anious or caught up in your own thoughts$• 4tart by getting comfortable$ 3ewbigging saysB encourage people to find a position that#s comfortable, but not so

comfortable that they#re going to fall asleep$ &hether you#re lying, sitting or standing, the spine should be straight and not rounded$ And you don#t need candles, incense or jingly music " unless you want to use them$#

• %he easiest way to meditate is with your eyes open$ 3ewbigging saysB You#re aiming for a state that call GAA&5 "Gently Alert, Attention &ide 5pen$#

• =ocus on a spot ahead of you$ >elease any tension in the face and around the eyes$ %hen, allow yourself to notice what#s

in your peripheral vision " so without loo/ing left or right, you#re widen-ing your vision$• 6isten to your breathing$ You should notice this helps your mind to *uieten,# he says$

• f you prefer to close your eyes, /eep them facing forward and stay gently alert$

• Another way to meditate is to breathe in for a count of four and then out for a count of four, paying attention to how eachbreath feels$Hisit headspace$com, mindcalm$com

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+12Kane 5#8alloran, .(, Fpictured teaches yoga

Kane 5#8alloran, .(, lives in 5tley, &est Yor/shire$ 4he is married to !avid, .(, a lecturer, and has a daughter of 2( and a son aged17$

A former social wor/er, Kane now teaches yoga full time for northleedsyoga$co$u/ After my children were born, suffered from acute aniety and post-natal depression and was on antidepressants for eight years$

%hey allowed me to function, but didn#t cure me$n 2((1, /new needed to try something other than medication to lift the depression$ A neighbour taught yoga, and sheencouraged me to ta/e a class with her$t was a !ru yoga class " a gentle style that helps you focus mindfully on your body and breathe in a way that is really uplifting$

Afterwards felt relaed and positive, something #d not eperienced for years$%he aniety didn#t disappear completely, but over the following days started to feel calmer and more positive$ started to believe could ta/e some control over my life$ went bac/ the following wee/ and the same thing happened$ )very time did a class, felt asense of calm and a little bit more positive$ now realise that yoga releases stress in the body and balances the emotions$%he /ey for me was that it was very nurturing and began to believe in myself again$ y 2((7, had weaned myself offantidepressants$ haven#t touched them since$Yoga has transformed my life$ feel confident, energised and happy$ And it#s a privilege to be able to pass that on to others$4arah archam, 7', an % consultant and h! student, is married to ar/, (, a sales director, has two children aged five and eightand lives in 6eeds$4he saysBmy husband suggested try yoga three years ago$ 8e was wor/ing overseas a lot, while was juggling wor/ and children on my ownand felt incredibly tense and stressed$t was all getting on top of me and needed something to help me feel more in control$ ar/ said should have some me time# and

the first thing that popped into his head was a yoga retreat$t sounded relaing, so went online and found an Ashtanga yoga retreat in =rance$

Ashtanga can be *uite strenuousM you sweat a lot, which some people don#t li/e, but found it relaing$ came bac/ feeling energised and determined to carry on with yoga$ joined a class and started going three times a wee/$Yoga#s given me an increased awareness of my body and what put into it$ =or instance, in the evenings used to treat myself toone or two glasses of wine$ %oday, barely drin/$ut it#s the way yoga has altered my mind that is most significant$ f feel myself getting impatient with the children, use yogabreathing to calm myself$ &ith wor/, find myself going into stressful situations with a clearer mind$ #m also more creative and that#sdown to yoga because it de-clutters your brain$

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How Yoga Calms Your Mind k

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