How to Cultivate Mental Clarity with Yoga!

Greetings wellness lovers! I hope you are having an excellent week!

Today I have a special article for you by guest blogger Valerie Johnston... all about the mental benefits of yoga! 

In college, I discovered the effectiveness of yoga when it came to managing stress... and ever since my first yoga class, it's been an essential element of my multi-weekly well-being routine. :)

Cultivate Mental Clarity with Yoga

By Valerie Johnston, Healthline

Photo credit: RelaxingMusic

Yoga is an ancientdiscipline that originated in India thousands of years ago. Since the practiceof yoga was introduced to the West in the late 19^th century, agrowing number of people became familiar with the discipline until it explodedin popularity in the 1980s. Over the last few decades, yoga has become ahousehold name and is practiced by people from all walks of life.  

A growing number of peoplepractice yogaas a part of their fitness program. Yoga can be used to increase flexibility,reduce the risk of injury, boost stamina, develop strength, and many otheraspects of fitness. 

There is also a strongpsychological component to yoga. Individuals who suffer from anxiety ordepression, for example, may find that they also have difficulty concentrating.Chronic anxiety and depression have a way of causing a mental fog that does notallow a person to think clearly. Other mental health disorders can also reducebrain function and cause cloudy thinking. Even if you don’t suffer from amental health issue such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression, you maystill struggle to maintain mental clarity. In the modern world, many of us areconstantly bombarded by information and live busy lifestyles. Yoga gives us away to slow down and clear our minds.

Adopting the Yogic Lifestyle

Developing positive mentalhealth takes a well-rounded approach. Self-acceptance, positive relationshipswith other people, personal growth, a healthy diet, and regular exercise,including yoga, are all important factors that contribute to improved mentalhealth. Without a healthy balance of these benefits in your life, it can bedifficult to maintain mental clarity.

Adopting a yogic lifestyleis easier than ever. There are a number of resources people can use to beginthe practice of yoga, no matter where you live. If you have access to a yogaclass, this is the best way to gain hands-on experience in the practice. An experiencedteacher can show you how to perform poses (asanas) that result in a healthiermind and body. Many people leave yoga classes feeling a dramatically improvedsense of well-being and mental clarity. These benefits typically extend intoone’s work life, social life, and family life.

If you don’t have access toa yoga class near you, there are plenty of helpful DVDs, books, and onlineresources that will help you get started. If improved emotional well-being andmental clarity are your goals, then look for resources that demonstrate how toperform poses that assist in achieving these objectives.

Focused Breathing and Yoga

While breathing is a naturalinstinct for humans, you may be surprised to discover that you do not breathein a way that optimizes your emotional and physical health. Deep breathing andfocused breathing are a common part of yoga practice. Developing properbreathing techniques can have a dramatic affect on your ability to concentratein any given situation. Proper breathing will also ensure that an ideal amountof oxygen reaches your internal organs and muscles, which will promote youroverall fitness.

Focusing the Mind

How often do you reach fordistractions in your everyday life? While there’s nothing wrong with listeningto an iPod, watching television, text messaging, or using other modern devices,there is a growing addiction to these distractions. Overuse of devices fordistraction can cause our mental well-being to become unbalanced, which canlead to memory problems, anxiety, lack of clarity, and other issues. Throughthe regular practice of yoga and other body-mind techniques, you will be ableto achieve higher levels of mental clarity, awareness, lucidity, and emotionalwellness. As an added advantage, you will also be able to improve your physicalfitness so that you both look and feel increasingly rejuvenated.

Valerie Johnston is a health andfitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running amarathon and writing for Healthline.comensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! What's your favorite mental benefit of yoga?

Have a lovely week!!

Xoxo,
Ashley