Many people are aware of the physical health benefits of yoga, but did you know it can also be a powerful tool to help improve your mental health as well? Studies have found that engaging in yoga can help improve your sleep, increase your energy, improve your mood, and help you manage stress.
Coming from a self-proclaimed “stiff guy” (I used to attend a class called Yoga for Stiff Guys many years ago), I can personally attest that you don’t have to be a Yogi to get some of these benefits.
If you’re interested in learning more about yoga, one of the best ways is to attend a class. The WVU Rec Center offers free yoga classes several days per week, and we also have several excellent yoga studios in the greater Morgantown community (see links below).
If you’d rather engage in yoga from the comfort of your own home, there are loads of videos on YouTube to help you get started. Also, many yoga studios now offer virtual classes in addition to in-person class (with the option of leaving your camera off if you’re camera shy).
Some people choose to make yoga regular practice by attending the exact same class each week, while for others it can be something more on the fly where you engage in a few downward dogs in your bedroom at the beginning or end of the day.
Regardless of how you go about doing yoga, I hope it is as helpful for you to stay on top of your mental health as it has been for me.