Because of the pandemic, people are experiencing elevated stress levels. Studies have shown that yoga and meditation can be used as a way to cope with this increased stress and anxiety. It has been proven useful for people with a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression because it functions as a self-soothing technique. In addition, it has physical benefits like reducing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and slowing breathing. However, it is important to remember that although yoga has been popularized in the United States as a form of physical fitness, it has much deeper roots in Hindu tradition and Indian cultural history. Most people tend to focus on the physical poses (asanas), but if you intend to use yoga to improve your physical, mental, or spiritual health, it is just as important to learn about its roots and history.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression
https://www.kzoo.edu/praxis/yoga/#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20yoga%20can,also%20tied%20up%20with%20colonialism.
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