Hey there Yogis!
Did you know that nearly one in five Americans lives with a mental health condition?
This includes mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, trauma, among others.
For this Mental Health Awareness Month, we wanted to share how yoga can significantly improve mental health and overall quality of life.
Slowing down the breath and focusing on the present moment helps shift the nervous system from the sympathetic state — responsible for the fight-or-flight response — to the parasympathetic state, which promotes relaxation and recovery.
This shift helps calm and restore both body and mind, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, while increasing blood flow to vital organs.
Yoga also helps regulate energy levels, supporting a stronger immune system.
Consistent practice can reduce feelings of fear, aggression, and stress, while stimulating areas of the brain associated with pleasure, calm, and emotional balance.
As a result, anxiety may decrease and symptoms of depression can improve.
Beyond the mental and emotional benefits, yoga also helps build muscle strength and increase flexibility, contributing to overall wellbeing, confidence, and self-esteem.
We all deserve to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Yoga can be a powerful tool to support many aspects of self-care and wellbeing.
I. A quote by Emmanuel Carrère
"Meditation is seeing things as they are.
Meditation is detaching yourself from identity.
Meditation is discovering that you are something other than the voice that constantly says: me, me, me.
Meditation is discovering that you are something beyond the ego.
Meditation is a practice that gently dissolves the ego.
Meditation is learning to be grounded in the challenges of life.
Meditation is non-judgment.
Meditation is mindfulness.
Meditation is observing the boundary between what you are and what you are not.
Meditation is the calming of mental fluctuations.
Meditation is observing those fluctuations — the vrittis — in order to quiet them.
Meditation is awareness that others exist.
Meditation is diving inward, building new inner pathways, allowing something new to emerge and expand into openness.
Meditation is discovering within yourself a quiet, radiant space where you can feel at peace."
— Emmanuel Carrère, Yoga
II. Lotus Pose
Padmasana
Just as the lotus flower holds deep symbolism in Hindu philosophy, Lotus Pose is considered a foundational posture in yoga practice.
Padmasana is a seated pose that offers both physical and energetic benefits.
It can help improve circulation in the lower spine, gently stretch the ankles and legs, and increase flexibility in the hips.
Regular practice of this posture supports a sense of openness and inner growth — much like the unfolding petals of a lotus flower.
How to practice Padmasana.
III. Ted Lasso | Series
Ted Lasso follows an American football coach who is unexpectedly hired to coach an English soccer team.
Despite lacking experience in the sport, Ted’s leadership style — defined by empathy, optimism, and emotional openness — creates meaningful change within the team.
The series addresses mental health in a compassionate and accessible way.
Throughout the story, Ted struggles with panic attacks and unresolved trauma related to the loss of his father.
He also navigates the emotional challenges of divorce and separation from his young son.
Even while facing personal pain, Ted embodies kindness, vulnerability, and hope.
One of the most memorable symbols in the show is a simple sign in the locker room that reads:
"Believe."
Ted often taps the sign before important moments, reminding the team that belief and hope are powerful forces.
"I think it's the lack of hope that comes and gets you.
I believe in hope.
I believe in belief."
Ted Lasso has not only opened conversations about mental health, but has helped normalize them.
It is a series that reminds us that compassion, humor, and connection are essential parts of healing.
We hope you enjoyed today’s reflection.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions with us.
We would love to hear from you.
We will get back to you shortly, Yogis.
Xoxo
Treelance Yoga
