Power of yoga for holistic health in post-Covid world: How yoga can help relieve stress

The Coronavirus induced pandemic has caused panic around the globe, affecting all aspects of life. From frontline health workers to job goers, everyone is stressed due to this pandemic and trying to cope with it in their own ways.

Our bodies are incredible machines that keep us alive and healthy. They are the source of our movement, our sense of well-being, our ability to think, our connection to others, and much more. But our bodies are also complex machines that function in several ways we don’t fully understand. Yoga is one way to increase our understanding of our bodies and how they function. It is a method that helps people maintain mental health and psychological balance during the stress caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

“Yoga is an invaluable gift to India’s ancient tradition and is a holistic approach to health and well-being”, as our Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly stated.

It is a way of living that promotes 'a healthy mind in a healthy body; an exercise that combines breathing and stretching to reduce stress, improve strength and flexibility, and improve overall well-being. There are several types of yoga, including Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, and so on.

Here are some ways yoga can improve your quality of life  

Become a mindful eater: When it comes to eating, most of us follow a set pattern. But when it comes to eating healthy, many of us struggle to maintain our weight or follow a particular diet.  

Yoga isn’t just a great workout: It can help you improve your eating habits and develop a deeper understanding of your body. When you practice yoga, you strengthen your body and improve your flexibility and balance. Yoga also helps you develop a deeper sense of mindfulness and awareness of your body and your surroundings. This helps you become a more observant and conscious eater, which in turn can help you lose weight and improve your health. 

Reep cardiovascular benefits: Yoga has been shown to have numerous physical and mental health benefits. It has been shown to increase cardiovascular fitness and improve blood flow and blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. One of the most well-known cardiovascular benefits of yoga is its ability to increase cardiovascular fitness.  

Yoga provides a variety of cardiovascular exercises, such as breathing and strengthening exercises, that help improve cardiovascular fitness, which also increases bone mineral density and decreases the risk of bone fractures. 

Increase productivity: Most people have different routines every day which include physical exercises in the morning before going to work and relaxing after a hard day at work by unwinding for sometime at home. With the lockdown caused by the outbreak of Coronavirus, people are now staying at home and not doing their usual morning exercises and/or evening relaxation routines. This can bring considerable stress and anxiety to people who are used to relaxing their bodies after a hectic day and also making them less productive when it comes to their work.  

Thus, it is essential for all to do yoga once a day to relax and calm their body and minds from the stressful events happening around them. This will help them improve their mental sharpness at work and also improve relations with others since they will be more relaxed. 

Boost self-awareness: The physical postures and stretches increase blood flow to the brain, which improves focus and concentration. Mindfulness and concentration yoga induces an increase in our awareness of our surroundings, which has been shown to improve our relationships, job performance, and our ability to overcome adversity. The stress reduction and improved mental clarity further improves physical and emotional health. 

Overcome anxiety and depression: Good mental health not only helps us cope better with difficult situations but is also linked to our physical health as our brain affects the functions of our entire body. Therefore, coping with the anxiety related to the COVID crisis is crucial for preventing future health issues such as heart attacks or strokes due to depression. Yoga is a form of exercise that involves the practice of postures to build a sense of balance, improve flexibility, and lower stress. Thosands of people have turned to yoga over the past decade to help them cope with anxiety and depression. 

Sleep better: Yoga can help improve the quality of your sleep in a number of ways, including helping you to feel calmer, more relaxed, and less agitated, and reducing stress levels. Research has shown that yoga can help with falling asleep and reducing the number of times you wake up at night. A series of yoga poses that includes the headstand, the triangle pose and the handstand, or horizontal balancing pose, can help improve sleep and reduce stress. 

All in all, yoga is an important thing for living a good life. It can help you become more centered, calmer, and focused by practising anytime and anywhere.  

READ | Diabetes Diet: 5 food items to help control blood sugar level

The author is a reputed name in the field of astrology and a motivational speaker.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)