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Yoga for Mental Health: Benefits & How To Get Started

What Is Yoga? Yoga is a practice that is used to unite one’s mind, body, and spirit. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word, which translates as “to yoke” or “union.” To yoke means to unite the mind, the body, the breath, and spirit. Yoga texts can be traced back as early as 800 BC in a series of texts known as the Upanishads.2 In the west, many people are familiar with the asana of yoga, which are the physical postures used in practice. However, there are many more elements involved in yoga, such as meditation and guidelines to live by. Benefits of Yoga for Mental Health Practicing yoga can be beneficial for one’s mental and physical health, as it affects the physiology of their body, hormones, and brain chemistry. In yoga, as the body starts to become more flexible and fit, so does the mind. Below are the benefits of yoga for mental health: 1. Improved Mood Practicing yoga elevates certain hormones in the body and chemicals in the brain, one of which is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). ...