Anxiety and stress have become a part of every individual’s life. It makes it harder for a person to make sound decisions and enjoy life with fewer worries. If you are amongst those suffering from either of these issues then practicing yoga for mind will bring abundance and normalcy to your life.
Yogic lifestyle has been a part of Indian culture for centuries. It offers numerous physical and mental health benefits. The art of yoga is a combination of different flowing body movements. However, you should know there are different styles of yoga that help you get in touch with your true self and unlock your actual potential.
With that said, let us first understand what these different yoga styles are.
From gentle to sweat-breaking hardcore yoga, given below are the different mind yoga styles you can practice.
Kundalini Yoga has fewer physical movements and focused more on your spiritual development. Further, Kundalini Yoga includes specific movements, meditation, breathing techniques, and mantra chanting to help you unlock the hidden Serpent energy coiled around your spine.
The Sivananda Yoga, found by Swami Sivananda is a holistic form of yoga with a focus on the entire body. It includes relaxing the body and mind by using the right breathing technique. You also have to adapt to a vegetarian diet with Sivananda Yoga and have a positive mindset.
Also known as Hot Yoga, Bikram yoga includes a series of yoga techniques and postures in a heated environment. Bikram Yoga has beginner courses and the heat adds to the challenge. However, this style of yoga is encouraged at your own discretion.
Vinyasa Yoga is a type of mind yoga that focuses on moving from one pose to the next. There is an emphasis on your breathing throughout the sequence. Vinyasa yoga is for you if you love being part of an unpredictable yoga session. It is what makes Vinyasa yoga poses interesting and minimizes boredom for you as a practitioner.
Hatha Yoga covers the fundamentals of Yoga including the right breathing, right posture, and meditation. If you are looking for a slow and gentle yoga style then choose Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is the best yoga style for those looking to start their journey into this sacred art.
Iyengar Yoga is one of the best yoga for mind styles that focuses on strengthening your body and calming down the mind. You learn to focus more on the right body alignment, posture, and right practice.
Every pose in Iyengar yoga is held for a longer period of time. Iyengar Yoga includes the use of yoga props like belts and blocks.
Dru Yoga includes flowing body movements, focused breathing, and visualization to help you get fit on a physical and mental level. It helps you create a deeper mind-body connection.
Ashtanga Yoga is a structured style of yoga. It helps you develop solid core strength and tone the entire body. Ashtanga Yoga is for you if you like a yoga style that is a bit more challenging. The body movements and yoga postures in this style of yoga require strength and coordination.
Power Yoga, often confused with Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga is a type of fitness yoga. If you want a yoga style that is different from the regular workout and helps you sweat then choose Power Yoga.
There it is! The nine types of yoga for mind styles you can inculcate into your regular life to get rid of anxiety, depression, and a host of other mental health issues.
Let us now find out the yoga poses you can practice for peace of mind.
You should know that performing any type of yoga without focusing on mental growth will never yield positive results. If you are having issues with concentration and focus daily then maybe it is time you give a try to these awesome yoga poses.
The crescent variation of the Anjaneyasana helps improve the blood flow and keep your mind calm.
How to Practice the High Lunge
Note: Make sure your knee is in line with your ankle. Your front knee has to maintain a 90-degree angle. Remember that improper practice of this yoga pose can damage your joints.
Also known as The Dancer’s Pose, the Natarajasana is great for balancing your mood. It helps get rid of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
How to Practice the Natarajasana
Note: Doing the Natrajasana pose quickly will put your body at an increased risk of injury. Yoga experts recommend you perform this pose under the supervision of a yoga teacher. Don’t try this pose in case of a knee or ankle injury.
The Adho Mukha Vrkasana is your basic handstand. However, you should not practice this asana as a beginner.
How to Practice the Adho Mukha Vrkasana
Note: You should keep your body straight throughout this asana. Keep both your legs in line with your hips and make sure a teacher is there to guide you.
The circle pose is a bit tricky but it goes a long way in helping you remain calm and focus on the task at hand.
How to Practice the Chakrasana
Note: The Chakrasana is a bit risky so make sure you have a yoga teacher to help you practice this yoga pose.
The Eagle Pose requires you to breathe while keeping your body in balance. It helps you get rid of anxiety.
How to Perform the Garudasana
Note: Garudasana is a mind yoga pose that requires both focus and body balance. Make sure you do each step with ease and stop if you experience any pain.
The Warrior Pose has many variations that help you focus and develop steady breathing.
How to Practice The Warrior Pose
Note: You should make sure your ankles are in line with your knee. Make sure to breathe evenly and not hold the pose for a longer period if your body starts to shake.
The majority of the time you hear about the benefits of yoga, these usually include physiological benefits like improved flexibility and decreased muscle stiffness. However, not enough is shared about the mental and psychological benefits of this sacred art.
Let us check out the five major mental health benefits of yoga.
Do you always remain stressed and experience frequent burn-out? Yoga helps you get out of these negative feelings. The practice of yoga includes bringing your focus towards the body and mind, which helps you live a happy and content life.
The mind yoga helps de-stress all the tensions, not to forget the breathing exercises that keep you away from any negativity. In short, you are more likely to enjoy good mental health with a yoga practice.
There are situations in life where you just find it difficult to concentrate on daily tasks. Yoga is the best way for you to address this issue. There are specific yoga poses that improve your memory and concentration power.
For example, the very practice of concentration is good for clearing your mind of all negativity and calm down the senses. Since you are removing the unnecessary noise from your mind it becomes easier to remember things and focus.
If you have been suffering from past trauma, chances are you have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). This mental health disorder causes frequent nightmares and flashbacks to your painful past.
Some mental treatments might help you find relief from this mental health issue, but yoga particularly Hatha Yoga is beneficial to reducing the symptoms of PTSD.
Yoga consists of not just the practice of asanas but also relaxation, and meditation. It fights anxiety and depression by taking control of your stress response system. The regular practice of yoga lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, not to forget also work on improving the respiratory system.
Adolescence in your life is a stage when there is a high chance of you developing mental health issues. With psychological health issues rampant in teenagers, it is important you find a solution to these mental health issues.
If you inculcate Kripalu Yoga, it includes physical postures, breathing, meditation, and relaxation. Yoga has been found to help in lowering anxiety levels, improve anger control, and release tension from your mind and body.
Have you heard about wellness retreats? Do you know it can help you overcome mental health issues in the long run? Let us explore a bit as to how a wellness retreat can help you stay fit in the long term.
Sometimes going on vacation becomes more exhausting than staying at home. However, you should definitely try to visit a wellness retreat at least once in your life. These places offer you the perfect combination of activity and relaxation to help you unwind from the stress of daily life.
If you are looking for a place that offers the best views, and activities to help you de-stress then a healing retreat is the place to be. Given below are the benefits of visiting a wellness retreat.
Planning a vacation in itself is a task. You need to take care of the accommodations, the flight tickets, and move from one place to another; which can make you tired before the vacation actually begins.
Visiting a wellness retreat helps you relax and unwind as you are not just doing yoga for the sake of it but also to experience mental peace and calm. You have regular sessions of restorative yoga that rejuvenate your body and mind.
Technology has certainly made it easier for you to connect with loved ones living in any corner of the world. However, too much access to technology does exactly the opposite by overloading your mind with information and that can cause serious mental health issues.
The yoga retreat helps you disconnect and detox from all the distractions. Your ability to concentrate gets a major boost, not to forget yoga retreat also helps you detach from things that stress you out.
The yoga retreat offers you a chance to bring positivity into your life. You practice yoga with like-minded individuals coming from different walks of life. Regular practice of yoga for mind is the best opportunity to expand your perspective of the world by communicating with individuals from other countries.
There are different types of yoga courses that yoga retreats offer. These include beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. You have the choice of enrolling in the course that you feel comfortable with. The yoga retreat is much more than just beautiful mountains, and a peaceful environment.
Yoga retreat also helps you develop good eating and exercise habits that go a long way in helping you stay healthy in the long run. It helps you in countering a host of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Also Read: Heal mental issues with a healing retreat
The stress of daily life wreaks havoc on your mental health and causes issues like depression and anxiety. Inculcating regular yoga for mind practice prepares your mind to remain calm in stressful situations and that goes a long way in helping you enjoy good mental health.
Ans) The IQ depends on how fast you understand things and how long can you retain things. If that’s what you want to improve, then surely practicing yoga for the mind is going to be very useful. From using your brain effectively to giving it rest, yoga practice does it all.
Ans) For better concentration and focus, Bhramari pranayama is the best yoga breathing exercise for you. The humming sound while practicing this breathing cools down your sense and has a relaxing effect on you.
Ans) To sharpen your brain, you need to do regular exercise, eat healthily, and use your brain to solve difficult tasks. Moreover, you can practice yoga for the mind to increase its functioning.
