How Yoga Can Transform Your Mental Health in 4 Steps
My personal yoga journey began while I was performing in live theatre. A place that while exciting and wonderful fed into my constant desire to be perfect. As I evolved past that my yoga practice evolved with me but enter motherhood. I didn’t see it coming but that too took me back to that place of perfection and comparison, questioning myself and finding it difficult to trust my intuition. Coupled with a postnatal hormonal cocktail and lack of sleep I found myself more anxious than ever.
There are endless books and podcasts reminding us of the latest mental health trends. To help you sift through the sea of information, here are 4 tips to help you boost your mental health:
Self Care
It’s a buzzy word these days but what does it really mean? I see it as developing healthy habits, rituals and routines. Integrating self care into your routine shouldn’t be overwhelming. You could start by identifying what you struggle with the most. For me it was sleep. Setting boundaries around my own bedtime, saying no more often and getting to bed earlier with a calming routine like listening to a guided meditation was instrumental. The whole point of self-care is to give you health and happiness,so make sure you find something that supports you, not another thing to fit into your schedule.
Body Strength
Your body is connected to your mind so when physical health is good often your mental health will follow. I started moving my body in the morning while my baby napped or played next to me, some times outside in a class with other new moms. The effects of this was threefold: getting outside for some vitamin D in the morning supported my sleep at night, being in community with others who were in the same season of life, and challenging myself started to slowly rebuild my confidence. Luckily there are many different styles of yoga, if flow seems daunting go for a gentler flow or just go for a walk. The point is to just move your body!
Find Calm
Modern life can get overwhelming quickly these days. It’s more crucial than ever to find those moments of peace to help you destress and relax. And the good news is that it doesn’t need to be complicated. Going for a walk, making a cup of tea, talking to friend, journaling, or my personal favourite: deep breathing-which can be done in a more structured setting like a yoga class or even just by finding a minute to take 5-6 deep breaths wherever you are. If you do still find yourself struggling to land in any sense of calm, please consider asking for help. Having someone hear your needs can help you to zero in on specific issues and find a more clear solution, specific to your life.
Set Realistic Goals
Often times when we decide to make a change we tend to dive in to many habits all at once. Moving my body, getting enough sleep and drinking lemon water in the morning were all things I wanted to happen at once but when I struggled to make all 3 successful I felt defeated. A friend recommended I try one, maybe 2 changes to start. Funnily enough but surrendering control helped me to feel…more in control, more confident and more able to handle bigger changes as they came. Small changes done consistently will serve you better over time than a massive change that requires more of you initially. A glass of water in the morning will become warm lemon water, will become healthier meals…taking care of your body…your rest…your mental health and so on.
Let it Flow
Remember that life ebbs and flows. It goes up and down, the tide rolls in and out, it constantly changes. Yes we want to feel good and happy but there will be times where those highs and lows swing more widely and really it’s all about how we handle those lows that will make the most difference.