Yoga benefits mental health, physical health; International Yoga Day celebrated June 21

Since 2015, International Yoga Day has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Originating in ancient India, yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that can help improve overall well-being.

The theme of International Yoga Day 2023 is “Humanity.” Yoga Day celebrations aim to create awareness about the holistic nature of yoga and encourage people to incorporate it into their daily lives for enhanced well-being.

But yoga is more than a physical activity. In the words of one of its most famous practitioners, the late B.K.S. Iyengar, “Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”

Benefits of yoga on an individual’s mental well-being are numerous, including these offered by Choosing Therapy:

• Decreasing symptoms of depression
• Improving mood
• Improving sleep
• Reducing PTSD symptoms
• Reducing stress

Lindsay Bloom, health coach at Purdue Fort Wayne, agrees yoga has a positive effect on behavioral health. 

“Yoga helps to encourage the relaxation response in our bodies — the antidote to fight or flight (stress),” Bloom says. “The increased feelings of relaxation in the body also relax our mind, which helps focus our attention. Practicing yoga increases the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones) that improve mood and self-confidence. The breath work included in yoga can help reduce anxiety and stress as well.” 

SupportLinc, provider of behavioral health services for the West Lafayette campus, has informational resources regarding yoga available on the SupportLinc website. They include:

• lyengar Yoga
• Power Yoga
• Yoga and Pain Relief

To get started utilizing SupportLinc, call 888-881-5462, or log in to the SupportLinc website or eConnect mobile app (available in the App Store and on Google Play) with username purdue. 

Yoga classes

Yoga helps individuals de-stress and provides the opportunity to breathe deeply while also increasing flexibility, balance and muscle tone. There are a variety of in-person and virtual yoga classes available, along with apps specific to yoga. For instance, those who prefer a virtual experience can check out At Home Yoga, led by Erin Brocka, assistant director of strength & conditioning, Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Administration, and can be done whenever and wherever is most convenient. These sessions were introduced to the Purdue community during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for individuals to stay active and moving during the lockdown. The sessions available are outlined below:

• Yoga Flow: Each video in the series is approximately 20 minutes and designed to be done as a break in the day or as part of a morning routine.
• Journey Into Power: Building Sequence: These five sessions available are part of the 11-series Journey Into Power Sequence, which consists of 53 poses. More information on the Journey Into Power Sequence is available here.   

Other virtual options are available, including those on verywellmind’s Best Yoga Apps list.

Those interested in in-person yoga classes can contact the A.H. Ismail Center for Preventive and Lifestyle Management and the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center (Co-Rec) on the West Lafayette campus to see if when/if they have yoga classes available.

Additionally, a Google search for “yoga classes” will provide an ample amount of options.

Yoga supports the physical health and behavioral health pillars of the Healthy Boiler Program.

ADDITONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

To assist faculty and staff

Review the Mental Health Resources webpage for a variety of available resources for faculty and staff, including behavioral health resources for all Purdue campuses and information on Purdue’s health plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse. 

To assist students

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct them to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) — medical plan provider for students and graduate students — offers 292 unique mental health providers serving at various locations that are in-network with UHCSR within Tippecanoe County. The list is available here. Additionally, students have access to HealthiestYou, which provides virtual access to mental health care as part of UHCSR’s plan. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan. 

Office of the Dean of Students:

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and Information
• Presentations & Trainings
• Student of Concern Reporting Link

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS):

• Therapy Services at CAPS
• Self-Help Resources
• Group Therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• NAMI On Campus – a free, virtual support group on campus
• Thriving Campus – service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers in many areas, locally and across the country
• WellTrack – interactive, self-help therapy app for students