In order to live a quality life, to be the healthiest one can be, they have to mentally healthy as well. Mental and spiritual health is one of the main domains of a healthy life. Mental health has become more prominent in today’s health studies and is something has become greater importance when it comes to an individual’s personal health.
To improve one’s mental health, many things can be done. From being surrounded by people who you can vent to, to seeking professional health, and getting physically active can all help improve mental wellness by reducing tension and stress which also in turn enhances cognition and decreases mental impairments like anxiety.
Yoga is one activity that can help an individual's health by not only incorporating light activity and exercise, but it can also show improvements in one’s mental health as well. Results saw that yoga helped decrease tension and anxiety in not only students but many adults as well as enhancing cognitive functions. One study also looked at physical pain and stress and saw that yoga also helped reduce that.
Positive mental health can improve many aspects to an individual's overall health. This includes productivity and creating positive contributions to one’s community. More information can be found here.
Brunner D, Abramovitch A, Etherton J (2017) A yoga program for cognitive enhancement. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0182366. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0182366
Field, T. (2016). Yoga Research Review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.06.005