Why your yoga practice may not be improving your mental health
Oct 06, 2023
Are you wondering why your yoga practice isn’t improving your mental health?
Here are several reasons why …..
You’re not meeting your mood. How we meet an anxious mood is completely different to how we meet a low mood. This means you’re also not balancing your mood with an intervention. This needs to be done after you’ve met your mood.
You rely on going to a yoga class to get your yoga in. This takes a lot of time, as it involves driving to the yoga studio, doing the class, then driving home. It also isn’t a practice tailored to your specific needs. It can’t be as it’s a group class, and we are all different. When we rely on going to a yoga class to get our yoga in, we are less likely to practice often enough.
Your practice isn’t daily and it isn’t consistent. Research shows that a daily home practice of 5 - 10 minutes that is tailored to your needs, is more effective than 3 yoga class each week. It takes advantage of the neuro-plasticity of the brain better.
Your yoga practice is limited to asana (postures). Postures are beneficial, but they are only a small part of yoga. This practice often takes more time than pranayama (breath work) and meditation. It’s often not as effective. Not to mention it’s not as portable.
Your practice isn’t creating a balanced automatic nervous system (ANS). The ANS doesn’t have to be just automatic. There are such simple hacks to prove this. These hacks are often simple and quick. Many of us are sympathetic nervous system (SNS) dominant. The SNS is the get up and go system. There are some people who have the opposite problem.
You practice isn’t creating an ANS that reacts appropriately. For example, when the danger has passed, your parasympathetic nervous system is slow to switch back on. It’s like a car that needs its brakes serviced.
Your practice isn’t tailored around the time of day, which causes you sleep disturbances. Poor quality sleep, exacerbates or causes mental health issues. For example, instead of activating the PNS at night, your practice activates the SNS. You become too revved up to relax and fall asleep when you need to.
Your practice doesn’t cultivate proper breathing patterns on and/or off the yoga mat. Using the primary respiratory muscles is crucial for good mental health. Unfortunately most of us overuse the secondary ones instead.
Your yoga practice, diet and lifestyle is aggravating any Ayurvedic Dosha imbalances that you may have.
Your practice doesn’t release tension in your physical body. Research has proven that there is a connection between body tension and mental health issues, especially stress and anxiety. This can also cause sleep issues.
Your yoga practice doesn’t include self study (Svadhyaya) and Saucha (cleaning out the mind of thoughts and habits that don’t serve us). This is imperative to change your mindset, turn negative thoughts into positive ones.
The good new is, my 12 week online coaching program fixes all of this!
It is designed to teach yogis and future yoga lovers who may be feeling stressed and anxious or have a low mood how to take a holistic approach to their mental health so they can have more energy, feel less stressed and happier overall.
It works because it’s based on my unique mix of accessible yoga that doesn’t have to involve postures. It also involves movement, nutrition, mindset and time management. It will enable you to cultivate your own daily practice that meets your unique needs.
It starts on the 16th of October. Click the link below to book a free introductory call:
