This article is all about what is mental health and wellness? And how yogic exercises can help all human beings to maintain their mental health and wellness.
Mental Health |
According to World Health Organization, “Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
Mental health is enough enduring state, wherein a person is well suited, has piquancy for living, and is attaining self-actualization or self-realization. Mental health is a positive state and not a very absence of mental disorder.
Mental health contains our emotional health, mental and social well-being. It also affects how we think, feel and act.
It’s a global term that refers to the condition of any person that result from the normal organization and functioning of the mind.
If we witness mental health problem, our thinking, mood and actions could be affected.
Wellness |
Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence (Sumati Reddy, 2008).
The World Health Organization defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups”
Wellness is just not being healthy. In fact, maintaining good health is one element of wellness. Wellness comes from within. It depends on thinking processes, eating habits, culture, and surroundings. All these aspects contribute to wellness and two more important aspect which bring about an impact on individual wellness are environmental wellness and financial wellness
What is Yoga?
Yoga is basically a spiritual discipline grounded on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It’s an art and science of healthy living. The word ‘Yoga’ is taken from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic Sacred book, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Supreme Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature.
How Yoga can help in maintaining mental health and wellness?
This is well said ‘sound brain remains in a sound body’, so for a sound body and sound brain yoga could be beneficial in several ways.
Yoga is a form of bodily exercises (different body poses/asanas), breathing techniques, meditation.
You can get the following benefits with the regular practice of yoga:
- Soothes worries and anxiety level
- Relieve stress
- Reduce depression
- Improve sleep quality
- Develop quality of life
- Improve blood supply to working cells of body
- Promote mental relaxation
- Improve emotional control
- Enhances mental alertness and focus
- Reduce unnecessary distraction
- Stimulate happy hormone level in body
- It builds confidence
- Yoga makes you more aware of your posture at all times
- Yoga makes you more mindful
- Increase balance
- Reduces fatigue
- Enhances flexibility
- Promote healthy heart rate
- Improve kidney function
- Relieve or inhibits psychotic symptoms
- Improve social and occupational functioning
- Increase strength
- Lowers obesity
- Reduces cholesterol
- Helps to deal with hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and during menopause in females
- Enhances Self-esteem
Always remember, brilliant yoga heals the soul. So, take the time to make your soul happy.