International Day of Happiness 2018: These yoga asanas will help improve your mental health

International Day of Happiness 2018: Here's how you can help curb mental health issues.

By: Shaloo Tiwari | | Published: March 20, 2018 1:32 pm

Mental health is an issue that is affecting most of the young adults these days. Be it work pressure or money crisis or even a bad relationship. There can be several reasons for mental health issues but there is one answer to balance your thoughts out. Yoga classes, for the most part, accompany a hidden guarantee: If you inhale and stretch, and listen to the instructions, by the end of the session, you will have a sense of relief. It’s most likely not an amplification to say that there is a level of improvement—physical, spiritual, mental —after a yoga session, more often than not. In any case, what happens when there’s something genuinely upsetting us—for instance, on the off chance that we are battling with the psychological disorder? Would yoga be able to enable them to accomplish something beyond feel somewhat better? Would it be able to mend their dysfunctional behaviour?
The answer to that is yes. Yoga can help your mental health with a proper session with your yoga instructor and a therapist.
Before starting with yoga as a treatment, we should realise and work on the source of depression. Move out of the negative circle and move towards the positive surrounding and start aiming at self-worth and healing. Before starting the yoga session, speak to your instructor so that they are aware of the condition
There are a few asanas and pranayama that has shown a great success with regards to mental health and they are listed below.
Yogic Asanas
Sukhasana – Happy Pose Also Read - Mental illnesses on the rise in India: Know why and what you can do to fight the problem

sukhasana
Formation of the posture
1. Lie down on your back, stretch your legs forward and bring your hands beside your body with palms on the floor
2. Lift your upper body to attain sitting posture with legs stretched out.
3. Fold the left leg and tug it inside the right thigh.
4. Then fold the right leg and tug ii inside the left thigh.
5. Keep the palms on the knees.
6. Sit erect with spine straight Also Read - Spend time in nature to reduce work stress and improve mental health

Benefits
1. It stretches and helps in lengthening your spine.
2. Broadens your collarbones and chest.
3. It calms your mind.
4. Enhance your condition of peacefulness and serenity.
5. Removes anxiety, stress and mental tiredness.
6. It helps in improving body posture.
7. It relaxes your hips Also Read - Food insufficiency during COVID-19 pandemic increases depression and anxiety symptoms

Vajrasana – Thunderbolt Pose

asana 2
Formation of the Posture
1. Sit on the floor with your knees close together, toes together and heels slightly apart
2. Place your pelvis on your heels and place your hands on your knees, palms facing down
3. Your spine, head and neck should be upright and straight without straining. Do not arch your back
4. Observe the total posture of your body and make the necessary adjustments so that perfect alignment and balance are experienced.
Benefits
1. This asana helps in digestion
2. The calf muscles are also sometimes known as the second heart of the body because our mobility is determined by the strength in your calf muscles
3. Vajrasana mobilizes and massages your calf muscles
4. Asana relaxes and strengthens feet, ankle, and kneecaps.
5. Ankles are flexed
6. Massages the abdominal organs.
7. Good posture for meditation and/or Pranayam

Paschimottanasana – Seated forward bend

asana 3
Formation of the Posture

Begin with Dandasana
With exhale breath drop legs down on floor slowly keeping them together
Lift upper body
Pull stomach in
Inhale and stretch your hands up, palms facing each other and keeping elbows straight
Stretch spine upward, keep head between arms
Keep knees straight and press thighs towards the floor
Exhale and bend forward from lower back
Bring hands down and hold big toes with fingers and thumbs
Place upper body on lower body
Touch nose to knees
Hold the pose for 10 seconds

Benefits

1. It acts as a stress reliever.
2. Reduces fatty deposits in the abdomen.
3. Remove anxiety, anger and irritability.
4. Calms the mind.
5. Stretches the spine and brings flexibility.
6. Good for constipation and digestive disorder.
7. Useful for increasing height.
8. Tones the abdominal-pelvic organs.
9. Balance the menstrual cycles.
10. This asana is recommended especially for women after delivery.

ArdhaChandrasana

ardhachandrasana
Formation of the Posture
1. Begin with Samasthithi,
2. Come into Padahastasan posture, keep the left hand on the floor about a foot ahead of the left foot with fingertips
3. Begin to straighten the left leg while simultaneously lifting up the leg
4. Open the hips, stacking the right hip on top of the left hip
5. Bring the right leg straight and parallel to the floor, flexing the right foot with toes facing forward
6. Balance on the left leg, reach the right arm up towards the ceiling, opening the chest and making a straight line with the right and left arms
7. Bring the gaze up toward the right fingertips.

Benefits
1. Practising this asana helps to make the thighs, ankles, buttocks, abdomen, and spine stronger.
2. This asana also gives the hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, spine, and groin a good stretch.
3. This asana also helps you to balance and focus and also gives you a sense of better coordination.
4. It acts as a stress reliever.
5. It is said to improve digestion as well.
6. It also relieves menstrual disorders and pain in the legs.
7. The pose helps to ease lower back problems.

Pranayama
Bhastrika Pranayama in lotus posture

yoga last

Formation of the posture
1. Sit in a comfortable position and then slowly bring your left leg on your right thigh and right leg on left thigh, forming the Padmasana (Lotus posture)
2. Keep the spine erect, head straight, shoulder relaxed
3. Hold Prapthi mudra on knees

Benefits
1. Cleanses the entire body and releases toxins
2. Expansion of the upper chest
3. Reduces excess fat in body
4. Enhances digestion
5. Regulates the nervous system
6. Purifies blood
7. Activates body by reducing laziness/yawning

Brahmari Pranayama

Formation of the pose
• Sit in comfortable pose-sukhasan / ardhapadmasan / poornapadmasan
• Spine erect, head straight
• Hold Prapthi mudra on knees (guptanadis)
• Plug both ears with the thumb, index finger on forehead, middle two fingers on eyes, gently pressurizing the right (suryanadi) and left (Chandra nadi) sides and the little finger at the bottom of each nostril. Elbow raised to shoulder level.
• Inhale deeply and exhale with “Omkar” slowly making a buzzing sound like that of a bee while keeping mouth slightly opened (mouth movement like bee wings) and tongue slightly touching palette
Benefits:
• Helps in transformation and creating special energies for body to calm the body
• Increases sensitivity in tastes and fragrances
• Relieves stress/anger/anxiety
• Powerful in creating our own nature

Published : March 20, 2018 1:32 pm

Read Disclaimer