Everyone has heard of yoga and developed their own ideas about yoga. I often hear: Yoga is not for me, it is too spiritual for me, or: Yoga, only hippies do that. But I can say one thing: Yoga is so much more. Yes, yoga can be related to spirituality, but people who do not want to embark on a spiritual journey can also benefit from yoga.

Yoga is an Indian teaching that is around 5000 years old and connects body and mind. Yoga includes both physical exercises (called asanas), meditation, breathing exercises and the philosophical teaching of yoga. But even those who do not want to immerse themselves so deeply into the yoga world can benefit from the practice of asanas. But what exactly does yoga have to do with our mental health? In yoga, the asanas are performed in harmony with our breath. Yoga is not cardio training, in which our breath goes faster and faster and we are completely out of breath afterwards, but in yoga we combine our breath with the exercises and thus bring the body into a balanced state. This practice allows us to switch off our minds for a while and makes us feel completely relaxed and balanced after the yoga session. Stress, fears and worries are reduced and after yoga you may see some problems in a completely different light.

Yoga has an antidepressant effect. It decreases stress hormone cortisol levels and is valuable in fighting bad habits like alcoholism and substance use. Yoga is also effective in reducing the hormone levels that release cortisol. Use yoga as a stand-alone remedy or in combination with other traditional methods to fight depression blues. Sunday Scaries helps in combating anxiety symptoms.

Certain asanas can also provide relief from psychosomatic symptoms. Worry and fear can make our chest feel tight and our breathing speed up. It is therefore helpful to perform asanas that expand the chest, for example the position of the triangle (Trikonasana) can be helpful. We can develop tension in our muscles through pressure to perform and stress. This is particularly noticeable in the back and shoulders. It is therefore advisable to practice asanas that stretch the back in times of stress and pressure to perform. This includes, for example, the shoulder stand or the plow. Also perceived compulsions of everyday life from which there seems to be no escape can have an impact on our body, this often shows up in problems with the spine.

All exercises that keep the spine flexible are helpful. This includes, for example, the cat-cow position. The spine is the center of our body and holds us together, the yogis say - if you have a healthy, flexible spine, you stay young. However, it is important not only to do exercises for the individual body parts, but to practice holistic training for the entire body. The combination of physical exercise and relaxation improves our mindfulness and our body awareness. There are now various studies that confirm the positive effects of yoga on our mental health. If yoga is regularly integrated into everyday life, we can reduce our stress and increase our well-being. In addition, the relaxing effect can be clearly felt after a few weeks and we can also increase our self-confidence.

Finally, I recommend everyone to try yoga and enjoy its effects.