Tara Yoga

Yoga For Beginners Guide

Just as it is important for our body to be in shape for us to enjoy a healthy lifestyle the same is true about our mental health, mental health refers to our emotional well being and this helps us get through our daily life with little or few problems.

Stress and worry can cause our mental health to deteriorate and this can cause problems in our family life and at work, practicing yoga on a daily basis can help to keep our mental health good and our body fit and well. Yoga can help to relieve mental illness problems, these problems can be divided into six categories which are:

• Mood disorders – These can be feelings of hopelessness and despair, we can go off our food or eat more than usual, have problems sleeping or nightmares, feel tired all the time or they can even lead to self harm or suicide. There is basically two different types of mood disorder these are.

• Depression – This is a state of extreme sadness or melancholy, the person suffering from depression can go into themselves and go off food and have trouble sleeping to the point where it affects there life.

• Bipolar disorder – This is a condition where a person goes between depression and an elevated almost joyful mood on a regular basis.

The symptoms of mood disorders are usually only temporary and many of us at some time or other will get depressed it is when the symptoms last for more than two weeks that it is said we have a mental health problem.

• Anxiety disorders – These include anxiety felt in the extreme, phobias and panic attacks that are severe enough to disrupt our daily routine. Anxiety disorders will usually develop over a period of time and gradually worsen.

• Schizophrenia – This occurs when a person’s sense of perception is distorted; they will experience disordered thinking and will usually have hallucinations.

• Eating disorders – These involve any obsession with food it can either be not eating to the point of anorexia or over eating such as bulimia.

• Personality disorders – These are destructive, abnormal thoughts or behaviour and emotional responses. People who suffer from personality disorders will usually have problems when dealing with others.

• Organic brain disorders – These are usually the result of accidents and physical brain injury, people suffering from organic brain disorders will usually have memory loss and suffer confusion.

How yoga can help

Yoga is known for its series of slow rhythmic movements or poses, which are called Asanas. These along with breathing exercises and meditation reach deep into the body and mind and help in cleansing and maintaining our nervous and circulatory systems, which automatically gives us a healthier mind and body.

By practicing the breathing exercises this makes sure that our muscles and internal organs receive a fixed amount of oxygen. Yoga alone will of course not treat a mental illness or cure it but it can help to alleviate conditions which may have caused the illness.

If you are suffering from a mental illness then seek the advice of a Doctor for you may need medication and counseling to work alongside the practice of yoga.