Yoga for Optimal Mental Health Workshop with Margot Strauhull

The mental health benefits of yoga can be traced back to its inception, with the ancient texts of Patajanli’s Yoga Sutras, where he says “Yogas Chitta Vittri Nirodha”, which translated means, Yoga is the practice of the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. In addition to creating a more calm mind, current scientific research in the fields of psychology and interpersonal neurobiology has shown yoga helps reduce stress, relieve depressive symptoms, reduce reactivity, regulate our autonomic nervous system, and improve focus.

There is no one style of yoga that is better or worse for your mental health. Some styles of yoga may be better for creating more relaxation and some may be better for boosting your spirit. Rather than being prescriptive about what type is best, we will explore how different styles impact you and your unique makeup.

Great question! Ask yourself what are your mental health goal. Some poses are better for enlivening the body and some are better for calming. There are also 8 Limbs of Yoga, and physical posture is only 1 of them, so we will also touch on these other limbs of yoga and how they can benefit your mental health as well.

Props and yoga mats are provided in the studio, but students may bring any props that will make them comfortable during our time. Students may also want some paper and a writing utensil if they’d like to take notes. Students can expect some movement, some experiential activities, and some time for discussion during our time together.