What Are The Potential Benefits Of Yoga For Anxiety And Mental Health?

With 40 million adults living with anxiety in the United States, millions are seeking natural ways to help manage their symptoms and develop deep relaxation techniques through complementary and alternative medicine. Yoga is one of the most popular suggestions from medical and mental health professionals as a safe, effective method. 

Yoga is an ancient practice believed to have originated in India over 5,000 years ago. The term yoga derives from the Sanskrit term "to yoke," which means "to unite." In the case of yoga, to "yoke" means to unite one's body and mind through spiritual practice. It's hard to identify the details of the history of yoga, but it's believed that in its early days, yoga centered around meditation and religious practice rather than the Asanas, or physical postures, that many are familiar with today. 

History of yoga

Today, the core values of yoga focus on using meditation to overcome pain and broaden one's consciousness. The form of yoga and the postures that most people are familiar with today stemmed from Hatha yoga. Hatha was the first form to focus on bodily movement, breath, and meditation. Still, it wasn't until the mid-1900s that yoga, specifically Hatha yoga, became more well-known among Westerners.

The physical and mental benefits of yoga began to receive more attention in the West in the 1980s, with the practice becoming particularly popular among the health-conscious, especially those focused on complementary and integrative health. During this time, it began to be seen as a purely physical practice and form of exercise among Western yogis to fight stress and support the nervous system. In recent years, practitioners have started reconnecting with their roots and recognizing the positive changes to mental health and spiritual connection.

Today, people in the United States practice yoga for various reasons. For some, it's simply a good workout; for others, it's an effective stress-management technique and a valuable tool for wellness. It’s even considered a part of sports medicine for some athletes who are recovering from injuries. Many people practice yoga because of its psychological benefits, using it to help manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges that may affect both body and brain.

Yoga for anxiety: How can these practices alleviate anxiety symptoms?

Many people report practicing yoga to help them relax, but does the ancient practice work to ease anxiety? According to experts, yoga can help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety disorders as part of complementary and integrative health. 

Reduces perceived stress and anxiety through yoga

Practicing yoga can help reduce stress from one's physical response to stress in just a few minutes. For example, it can reduce heart rate, ease heavy breathing, lower blood pressure, and relieve other risk factors for disease. Additionally, practicing the Asanas can help reduce built-up tension in the body, releasing tension and relieving some of the physical symptoms that contribute to these disorders like panic attacks.

Teaches self-acceptance

Perhaps most importantly, it teaches practitioners about self-acceptance. There will likely be some Asanas or pose variations that are very uncomfortable or that your body simply cannot do, and that is okay. It teaches practitioners to accept discomfort and their limits with compassion and self-love. For those living with symptoms, this can be a vital thing to learn. Yoga teaches practitioners to accept their struggles but still love themselves and simply stay in the moment to relax and feel grounded.

Poses and breathing techniques for anxiety and mental health

There are various poses (or Asanas) that can be great options for moments when you start to feel anxious and need to slow down your breath and calm your mind. You might consider talking to an instructor or looking up physical poses online if you are interested in trying more yoga poses for alleviating symptoms.

Padangusthasana/Big toe pose

For this simple technique, stand with your feet parallel and about six inches apart. Activate your right and left thigh muscles; begin with a slight bend forward from your hip joints and gradually increase the bend, keeping your legs completely straight. You will find yourself in a forward-fold position, with hips slightly tilted to allow a deeper stretch

Once you are in the fold, place each hand's middle and index fingers between your big toes and second toes. Using those two fingers, firmly wrap them around the big toes (right and left toes of the right foot and left foot) and press your toes into your fingers. If you cannot reach your toes without rounding your back, use a strap and wrap the strap around the bottom of your front foot.

Once your inhales and exhales are even in length, start to increase the length of your exhale by contracting the abdomen as you breathe out. Continue to increase the length of the exhale as long as the breath still feels smooth and relaxed. 

Ideally, the exhale will become twice as long as the inhale, but simply try to make your exhale as long as you can while still feeling comfortable and without straining to make the breath longer. Even if your exhale is only slightly longer than your inhale, this breath practice will still have a calming effect. If the breathing practice ever starts to feel uncomfortable, reduce the length of the exhale and the breath to a pace that feels more comfortable for you. You can place your left hand on your front knee or extend your right arm forward with palms facing up to promote openness and ease in the pose.

Other relaxation techniques

If this yoga practice doesn’t suit you, you might consider different breathing techniques, such as Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing. You may also find some techniques by joining a yoga group or class, participating in yoga therapy, or reviewing resources provided by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. For extra support, using props like a folded blanket or adjusting to a tabletop position during practice may help ease the process, especially if you're dealing with flexibility limitations in areas like the left leg or left ankle.

Combining physical practices with therapy for your mental health

While this practice can help alleviate symptoms, it can be vital to reach out to a mental health professional for assistance. Persistent feelings of stress can lead to more serious mental health issues when unaddressed, and for most, therapy is the best way to learn how to cope with them. 

Consider online therapy with a mental health professional

However, if seeing a therapist in person isn't available to you, consider online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp to treat anxiety. With online therapy, it's easy to find a therapist with experience in helping people with these symptoms. You can speak to a licensed, accredited mental health professional on your schedule from the comfort of home via text, phone, video chat, and online messaging. It's also often less expensive than conventional therapy without insurance.

Efficacy of online therapy for depression and anxiety disorders

Numerous studies with an experimental group and a control group have demonstrated the effectiveness of online therapy, which is often measured by anxiety scores and depression scores before and after treatment. One study published in 2020 found that online therapy was effective for general anxiety disorder (GAD). Other studies have found online therapy to also be effective for depressive symptoms.