Yoga Poses for Peace of Mind, Mental peace with Asana
Yoga for mental peace
The Mind can be defined as a matrix of thoughts, and the state of thoughts – positive or negative – defines the state of mind. A quiet mind is actually a mind with no thoughts at all. A quiet mind is like a tranquil, placid lake with no visible ripples of agitation, disturbance, or disharmony over its surface. Calmness is generally experienced while one is in a relaxed state of mind.
Yoga poses to calm the mind also work by relaxing the elements of the physical body- nervous system, muscles, prana – in order to relax the associated mind. Mind is inherently prone to remaining scattered in multiple directions. The word scattered implies the energy aspect of the mind; the mind is made of multiple thoughts which are nothing but packets of energy – the prana.
On account of being scattered the power of energy gets diluted, and thus weak. Weak energy- mind – is incapable of achieving anything. The state of an agitated mind is nothing but a weak mind struggling to achieve stability, as agitation is not its nature, stability, steadiness is.
Now to stabilize the mind one needs energy, which is present within it but is scattered, the potency of the scattered mental energy can be enhanced by focusing the entire energy on one ides, element, or thought. The moment the mind becomes focused, concentrated it becomes calmer, more gathered than scattered as before.
Calmness is an active state and can be beneficial at multiple levels, first being that the mind becomes free of past experiences of hurt, or pain which was keeping it tied to the bottom of the pool made out of grief, anger, revenge and regret.
Today other techniques for reducing anger are also available which are effective in calming the mind. Patanjali had also mentioned ways to alter one’s thoughts in order to calm the mind. Once freed from there the mind can become more constructive, or positive, the first requisite of progress towards any direction.
The bearer of a calm mind remains unperturbed about other’s opinions, judgments, or views oneself. The clarity of thought is activated which helps one make right and more productive decisions. Mind becomes more flexible in the face of unexpected outcomes; frustration no more rules the mind which has tasted calmness and the mind which is capable of retaining this state all the time.
A calmer mind is a potent mind, which holds the power to push, and transform anything it sets itself upon. A calm mind begets tolerance, patience and real happiness. As the psychological health receives a boost, the physical wellbeing follows the suit. Rather, the ultimate goal of yoga is to achieve Samadhi which is nothing but a higher concentrated, focused state of mind which is bereft of all negativity.
Yoga for Peace of Mind
How to calm your mind? is a pertinent question written all over the faces of suffering souls. Regularly practicing calming yoga poses is the relevant answer to this question. Yoga is the only mode of so called physical exercise which directly works on the mind via the physical body.
Yoga for peace of mind not only infuses the body and the mind with fresh positive energy but also harmonize it in the entire body. When the different parts of the body resonate with the same frequency, the mind loses its perplexity and it settles down into tranquility.
Yoga asana for mental peace activate the parasympathetic nervous system ( the nervous response which triggers relaxation in the body) and help switch off the sympathetic nervous system ( the nervous response which keeps one on the edge of fight or flight possibilities).
This happens because yoga seems to work upon a trio of the major glands of our endocrine system – hypothalamus, the pituitary, and the adrenal glands. As the activation of the parasympathetic system signals the brain that all is ok in the body, the brain drops the its defense guards and just chill.
Several studies have found that the yoga for peace of mind can increase the mass of the brain in the areas related to awareness, attention span, and memory functions; or increases the number of cells which comprise the grey matter within the brain.
The more the mind becomes calmer with calming yoga poses, one becomes more mindful of oneself as well as the presence of the world around. The practice of pranayama for a calmer mind has been found to have an arresting effect on the sympathetic nervous system, the diaphragm which is actively involved in the breathing exercises for calming the mind is directly linked to the working of the sympathetic nervous response.
Release of oxytocin, and endorphins while one practices yoga help bury the negative emotions for the moment which imparts tranquility to the mind. Release of another hormone called melatonin also receives a boost with the regular practice of yoga poses to calm the mind, melatonin boosts the quality of sleep which is directly linked to a calmer mind.