How Does Yoga Help Your Mental Health During The Pandemic?
When the Covid pandemic began in in at the start of 2020, you were probably optimistic that it would burn out within a few weeks or months at most. In the beginning, you probably looked at the brighter side of things and took the pandemic as an opportunity to learn a new hobby or to finally get around to reading those books you keep promising yourself that you’ll read.
Now, ten months into the pandemic, you’ve probably abandoned many of the hobbies that you started, and you’ve been feeling stress and anxiety that you’ve never felt before.
The most important thing here is to acknowledge that what you’re feeling is valid, and to know that you’re not the only one feeling this way. Billions of people around the world are basically navigating their way through an unprecedented time, and this is a scary and uncertain thing for everyone.
If you’re looking for a safe and natural way to take care of your mental health, yoga could be the answer that you need.
Kady McDermott Love Island and The Only Way is Essex star wearing Camilla Set
How Yoga helps with Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural response to stressful and uncertain situations, and a global pandemic with no current end in sight just about tops the list. Many times, you might feel even more anxious because you feel the natural “fight or flight” response – except that there’s no way to “fight” the pandemic, and there’s nowhere safe to flee towards.
Yoga can help you cope with your anxiety because it gives you the tools you need to recognize your anxiety triggers, as well as find effective methods to soothe yourself. You’re also learning how to regulate your stress response.
With yoga, you’ll find ways to prevent yourself from spiraling whenever you have an anxiety attack. Instead, you’ll be able to step back, breathe, and acknowledge your anxiety while dealing with it.
How Yoga helps with Panic Disorder
If you have panic disorder, it probably has been very difficult with you to deal with the pandemic. You might not have only experienced regular feelings of stress and anxiety, but these feelings might have already started manifesting themselves in physical ways. Often, severe stress and anxiety can cause tension, high blood pressure, headaches, and pain sensitivity, to name a few.
Yoga can help immensely with lessening both physical and mental symptoms of panic disorder because the postures are designed to ease physical discomfort. These postures, known as asanas, can relax tight muscles, release tension, and reduce built-up stiffness in your body.
What’s more, yoga can also help break negative thinking patterns that are common in people with panic disorder. Yoga teaches you how to meditate and focus on breathing, and in doing so, visualize how to properly deal with your panic disorder triggers.
Kady McDermott Love Island and The Only Way is Essex star wearing Camilla Set
Yoga and Self-Care
One of the main points of yoga is self-compassion. When you’re stressed out or anxious, you often forget to go about your daily routine. You might forget to bathe or sleep, or you might not be getting enough sleep. All of these things further contribute to your negative state of mind.
By doing yoga for around 10 to 20 minutes a day, you’ll be able to “reset” yourself and find a sense of calmness and peace. This will allow you to return to your regular routine more easily.
Kady McDermott Love Island and The Only Way is Essex star wearing Camilla Set
Conclusion
Yoga can be one of your most effective self-care tools during this pandemic. Whether you sign up for an online class or you find free videos on Youtube, the only thing that matters is that you find a yoga routine that works for you. By doing yoga, you’re not only helping yourself improve your mental health, but your physical health as well.
Want to know more about yoga, health and wellness? Our friends from Lotus Kitty would be happy to help. Go to www.lotuskitty.com for more tips.