In this blog, I share a comprehensive list of yoga asanas for mental well-being. Practicing these basic and easy asanas will definitely help you boost your mental health.
I often hear people say it doesn’t work, we don’t have time and it takes a lot of effort. Because we usually look for quick fixes and quick relief. With decreasing attention and growing intolerance, we are gradually heading towards a world full of restless minds and excessive stress. You can be anxious and confident at the same time, feel depressed and work at the same time, but you can’t be angry and humble at the same time.
Yoga Asanas for Mental Wellbeing and Emotional Health
The magical benefits of yoga are known to the world. Is known it improves strength and flexibility and also has huge mental health benefits ranging from improving mood and concentration, to relieving stress and anxiety.
In my blogs I often talk about reclaiming your lost interior space and I almost fail to mention the power of exercise, meditation and mindfulness. Yoga is a discipline and is for everyone who wants to make wellness a priority in their lives.
Now with wellness, we often stress about losing weight or gaining strength, which is also good, but what we’re losing here is the weight that needs to be lost first, which is the weight of the burdens of accumulated stress, accumulated responsibilities . and tasks, lack of managing expectations and unmet goals.
Now the million dollar question is, how can practicing yoga asanas for mental well-being help you develop peace of mind? Yoga has qualities of both the physical fundamentals of humanity and spiritual upliftment. A classic blend of knowledge, karma and devotion. It can help you disengage from external factors that they cause you stress.
9 Easy Yoga Asanas for Mental Wellbeing You Must Try
Now before you start, let me tell you that you don’t have to be a yogi or a yogini to reap the benefits of yoga. Yoga is an effective tool to calm the mind and strengthen the body, regardless of your experience level, gender and age.
Also, keep it as simple as possible, create your own vibe and don’t be intimidated by fancy yoga studios and stress about complicated poses. Yoga is for everyone. Here is a list of 9 easy yoga asanas for mental well-being:
Denial of responsibility: It is important to consult your doctor before starting yoga if you have never done it before and also if you are suffering from any underlying disease. Make sure your bowels and stomach are empty before performing any asana. It might be a good idea to leave a gap of a few hours between your last meal and exercise.
1.) Chandra Namaskar |
2.) Chakrasana |
3.) Adho Mukha Asana |
4.) Paschimottanasana |
5.) Prasarita Padottasana |
6.) Balasana |
7.) Viparitasana |
8.) Halasana |
9.) Savasana |
1.) Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation)
You must know the sun salutation well, but we’re hardly talking about a moon salute. Like the sun salutation, each step is coordinated with the breath. The difference between moon salutation (yin) and the sun (yang) solution is that the latter is about heat, light and activity in our lives, and the former is about calmness, coolness and meditation.
Moon Salutation for Mental Health:
Moon Salutations are used to calm the mind and draw your awareness inward. It helps you channel the lunar energy. which has cool, relaxing and creative properties. The best part about the Moon Salutation is that the slow stretches allow you to connect with every part of your body and bring your maximum awareness to it. Stretches the spine, hamstrings and the back of the legs. strengthens the muscles of the legs, arms, back and stomach.
2.) Chakrasana (wheel pose)
Chakrasana is extremely beneficial for those who usually hunch over the desk all day. Bending backwards in the pose will relieve tension or stress from the body and help reduce ailments arising from it. One of the best yoga asanas for mental well-being is also useful for strengthening and toning your muscles.
Chakrasana for Mental Health:
Chakrasana relieves you of anxiety, stress and other emotional problems rewarding you with good mental health. Here’s how; wWhen you do Chakrasana, blood flows directly to the brain cells oxygenating them. It not only rejuvenates you physically, but also recreates the field to fill you with infinite peace, reconnecting you with your inner self.
3.) Adho Mukha Asana (Downward Facing Dog)
Adho Mukho Asana is very easy to follow and is also part of many sequence exercises. This asana has many amazing benefits that make it extremely necessary to practice it daily. The best part is that even a beginner can acquire this asana with great ease.
Adho Mukha Asana for Mental Health:
Adho Mukha asana helps reduce stress by helping you relax and calm down. In this pose, as the neck and cervical spine are stretched, stress is released from the muscles. Stretching through the pose releases endorphins that help relax your body and mind.
4.) Paschimottanasana (Forward Sitting)
One of the best yoga asanas for mental well-being as it provides a deep stretch to our entire body. It is very effective for people suffering from various blood and gland related disorders like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Paschimottanasana for mental health:
Paschimottanasana helps relieve mental and physical stress, thereby calming the body and mind. It stimulates the smooth flow of blood throughout the body, thereby activating the cells of the entire body, especially the mind. Proper blood circulation relaxes the body and mind, which in turn helps in reducing mental ailments like anxiety, insomnia and other such disorders.
5.) Prasarita Padottasana (Wide Stance Forward Bend)
Prasarita Padottanasana is an energized version of yoga that helps increase blood flow to the brain while stretching a person’s legs, arms and back.
Prasarita Padottasana for Mental Health:
Prasarita Padottanasana is an easy and effective pose to relieve symptoms of anxiety and mild depression. This practice gives energy and reduces fatigue. In addition to the mental benefits, physically the pose uses your body weight to release tension in the back, while also providing a nice stretch in the hamstrings and calves.
6.) Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Balasana is a front kneeling asana in modern yoga as an exercise. It is very easy and can be practiced by anyone. Balasana is performed before and after various asanas, including Sirsasana as it is a resting pose.
Balasana for Mental Health:
It is a very effective posture for relieving stress and anxiety. It helps you calm down as you kneel in this asana with your eyes closed. It helps release tension in the back, shoulders, spine and chest.
7.) Viparitasana (high wall pose)
This is my daughter’s favorite, although she does it for fun with me, the benefits are cathartic. It is one of the most effective yoga asanas for mental well-being. A fully supported pose is done using a wall and sometimes a pile of blankets.
Viparitasana for mental health:
Viparitasana is a simple yet effective stress-relieving yoga pose that helps relax and calm the mind and stimulates the nervous system. It also regulates blood flow and is useful in treating depression and insomnia.
8.) Halasana (Plow Pose)
Halasana may seem slightly difficult, but it is extremely effective in calming your brain and therapeutic for your back. An inverted pose would require you to keep your hands on the floor, lift your legs and place them directly behind your head.
Halasana for mental health:
Halasana strengthens and opens the muscles of the neck, shoulders, abdominals and back. It is very helpful in ccalming the nervous system, ultimately reducing stress and fatigue. In addition to this, it is useful for strengthening the immune system and improving flexibility.
9.) Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Last but not least, never underestimate the power of one of the easiest yoga asanas for mental well-being that one can do, but the hardest of all because you just have to lie down and bring all your awareness to your body. In hatha yoga and modern yoga, Savasana is often used for relaxation at the end of a session. It is the usual posture for Yog Nidra meditation practice.
Savasana for mental health:
Practicing Savasana relieves the physical and mental stress created during a workout. It lets your body rest after the intense stress your body goes through after a rigorous exercise routine. It rebalances the body by allowing it to rest by focusing on the flow of your breaths.
In the end, I would say that doing some form of asana on a regular basis has been shown to enhance brain wave coherence and improve functions such as memory and intelligence. It has been years since people have been practicing restorative Yogasanas and benefited in their lives.
When you can’t go out, you can always turn inward and work on your inner repair, which will ultimately help you build resilience for the future. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay fit. Get up!
Love and light!