YOGA FOR HAPPINESS : DELETE STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

Be happier with yoga

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. – Dalai Lama

If you want to be Happy, you need to take action!

Devoted yogis will tell you that yoga is not only the path to enlightenment but also happiness. Numerous studies support this claim, pointing to yoga as a general practice for quelling stress, easing anxiety and elevating mood.

Although there's no scientific analysis of whether particular yoga poses make us happy, research shows that certain body posturing, respiration and thinking positively influence our physiology.

You'll feel lighter and happier, because yoga makes everything better. 

Reasons why Yoga boosts our Happiness

There’s a definitive element that could very well change the way that you see fitness, health, and wellness as a whole. This becomes even more incredible when you start to realize that you can very well get from yoga a boost in your happiness levels. That’s right, there are research and journalism that points towards the most amazing find, that yoga could very well change your life and make it much better. If that sounds like something compelling, then you will no doubt want to explore this on a deeper level.

Oxytocin Is the Key

When looking at the biological response to yoga, you’re going to find that this natural chemical release is the key to moving forward with the health benefits. In order to gain a handle on your overall health, especially wellbeing, you’re going to need to find a way to stimulate the body to create this. Encouraging this release will give you elation, and will come with other benefits such as a release of anxiety, reduction of depression, and even lowering blood pressure. These manifest through the use of meditative elements found in the exercise. It’s something that practitioners will cite every single time they work with the poses, but it’s something that you can start to feel from day one. There’s a certain peace that comes with going through the motions, and you can definitely feel them if you jump into the fray of experiencing this for yourself.

Different kinds of yoga have different benefits


My vision of yoga before I tried it was a lot of statue-like beautiful people in a bare studio going "Om" in unison. It turns out that there are lots of different types of yoga, from very spiritually-focused and/or relaxing all the way up to very athletic and physically demanding. If you think yoga isn't for you because you like (or dislike) a particular style of workout, do your research--chances are excellent there's a style and venue that you'll enjoy. Yoga has become so popular that it's everywhere, and there's no one single way to do it.

Yoga changes your brain immediately


You may think it takes years of dedicated practice before you start to see happiness-results, but that's not the case at all. Studies have shown that the brain's gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels spike after just a single hour of yoga. Higher GABA levels are associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. Simply put, even a single class can start changing your brain chemistry and improving your mood.

Long-term yoga practice creates long-term changes


Those who stick with regular yoga practice report themselves to be happier and healthier. Studies like this one show that yoga reduces fatigue, anxiety, and anger. Real biochemical changes created through yoga practice support better physical and mental health.

Breathing makes you happier


Every yoga practice incorporates some elements of focusing on the breath to invigorate or relax. Research has shown that the ability to become aware of and regulate the breath is key in terms of lowering stress and anchoring oneself in the moment--both of which are needed to feel happier. Although you could do the breathing exercises without the yoga, pairing the two together is a guaranteed happiness-booster.

Straighten your mood


Did you know that your posture is related to your mood? It is, and although we tend to think of sadness as causing slumping rather than vice-versa, it turns out that changing your posture can change your mood. Yoga of all types strengthens that brain-body connection where the body sends messages to the brain that make it feel strong and positive, so don't wait to lengthen your spine and stand up straight!

Breathe in the present moment

According to a 2010 Harvard study, people spend 47% of their time worrying about things that aren't happening ... and, understandably, are less happy because of it. By focusing on your breathing during yoga, you keep your mind in the present moment on your current action.

Better still, in as little as 90 seconds of deep, diaphragmatic breathing, you can initiate your parasympathetic nervous system, which shuts down the stress response by lowering cortisol (stress hormone), blood pressure and heart rate while increasing oxytocin and endorphins (happy hormones).

People that pursue better health, and allow for a quiet time through the meditation of yoga, find themselves in joy and happiness due to the intentions one has. Unhappy individuals have been known to manifest physical issues because they do not pursue intentional change within their life. Focusing on the mat, and going through the learning process of quiet, concentrated meditative elements, happiness manifests.

Certain body posturing, respiration and thinking positively influence our physiology. For instance, even forced smiling in stressful situations immediately lessens your stress response and elicits happy hormone production. As such, my yoga for happiness sequence is based on poses, breathing and meditation proven to boost feel-good physiology within minutes.