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Fri, Sep 26Chesapeake Mental Health
Yoga for Mental Wellbeing
at CMHC Towson
Yoga has been shown to have numerous benefits for both the mind and body. On the mental health side, it can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, while promoting feelings of calm and relaxation. Practicing yoga can also help improve overall mood, increase self-awareness, and reduce symptoms of trauma-related disorders. Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the brain, which is associated with improved mood and cognitive function. Overall, incorporating yoga into your routine can have a positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
CMHC's Yoga Instructor
Ally-Anne Rigoli-Redd
RYT200, LGPC, Certified Nature-Informed Therapist
Ally, LGPC, is a registered yoga teacher who integrates movement, mindfulness, and nature into her therapeutic work. Her yoga practice offers clients a somatic foundation for self-awareness and grounding, often drawing on the natural world to deepen connection, presence, and healing.
Why Yoga?
Beyond its physical benefits, many people practice yoga as a way of being more mindful. Careful concentration on one’s body and breath can provide welcome relief from feeling “stuck” in one’s thoughts. While yoga for mindfulness is not intended to solve personal problems , it helps individuals bring calm to how they internally experience personal problems.
According to Johns Hopkins, Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages.
Add Yoga to your wellness regime and experience to potentially gain:
● Better Stress Management
● Improvement in Strength, Balance, and Flexibility
● Relief from Lower Back Pain
● Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases
● Quality Sleep
● Natural Boost in Energy Levels
Numerous studies show the value of Yoga in our everyday lives. Anyone from children to adults can harness the power of Yoga and live a better life.
Live In The Moment
Multitasking drives our world. We wake up, shower and get dressed, drive to work, and plan our day. We leave work, come home, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Amid all these activities, we are constantly moving; yet we are unaware of the present moment. Our unawareness makes us lose a part of ourselves. Therefore, practicing Yoga for Mindfulness is a welcome and refreshing gift of self-care.
Humans worry a lot!. We can stress about the past, present, and future! Continuous worrying takes away peace of mind and affects daily activities. In severe cases, it can even cause depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, or heart issues.
This is why living in the moment is necessary for a happy life.
So how does Mindfulness help? Mindfulness is awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of the present. It’s the power to acknowledge reality as is, without immediately labeling it as good or bad. It doesn’t require you to meditate the whole day; instead, regular practice can increase your capacity to be more aware of your senses and surrounding environments.
Practice Yoga For Mindfulness
Mindfulness plus Yoga offers a holistic approach to help you regain balance, become self-aware and develop a positive mindset. Every posture we teach is with the intention to provide you with an inner insight about yourself.
Become Mindful, And Live Happier!
Yoga FAQs:
What is the best yoga for mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the Western term for the spiritual aspects of yoga.
Mindfulness yoga is based on the Hatha Raja Yoga tradition and incorporates slow, gentle movements of the body, which build awareness through the breath of the present moment to cultivate a felt sense of mindfulness characteristics, which include: non-judgment, non-striving, patience, self-compassion, beginner's mind, acceptance, and letting go. Forms are usually held for a few rounds of breath to build awareness.
Does yoga help with mindfulness?
Absolutely! With every breath and every form, it gives us a chance to pause and come back to the present moment, enhancing awareness, gratitude, and curiosity.
Can you do yoga instead of meditation?
Definitely, yoga is meditation in movement. In Hatha Raja Yoga we do yoga first to calm the monkey mind in preparation for meditation, so it's always an option.
Which yoga is best for anxiety?
As steady, gentle, and conscious in which forms are held for a few rounds of breath, with options for movement within the form is helpful to teach the body to relax, and allow the mind to recognize ways to calm through breath, especially through abdominal breathing, and longer exhales.
Is Mindful Yoga safe for all ages and body types?
Yes, Mindful yoga allows you to do what is best for your body. It teaches you how to listen to what your body needs, and attend to it through safe, effective, healing forms.
