Guest article from our yoga therapist, Sammie Mason.
Mental health issues are common and sadly have been perpetuated further by the pandemic over the last year. NHS England state that 1 in 4 adults will experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem each year, with people from all walks of life being affected, at any point in their lives. Mental health problems can range from worries and stress that we all experience as part of everyday life to more serious longer term conditions.
The most common mental health problems include depression and anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). NICE (National Institute for Health Care Excellence), suggest these mental health illnesses affect more people than any other mental health problems (up to 15% of people at any one time in the UK).
Why Yoga Therapy for better mental health?
There are a number of reasons why yoga therapy is a good intervention for those with mental health issues. The yoga tradition does not view mental health as a separate mental, biological or spiritual problem but rather a combination of all of these. Yoga Therapy can work with the mind, body, breath, heart and also with lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and physical activity; each one invariably influencing the others.