Finding happiness after a traumatic incident that largely impacts your life can be overwhelming. It’s so very common for people to fall into depression or episodes of prolonged sadness and grief after traumatic brain injuries, chronic illnesses, or pain.

But it is essential not to lose hope.

There are so many ways that you can find happiness once again, and one of the most effective methods out there is yoga therapy.

Yoga therapy is proven to increase happiness, especially for those who have faced life-debilitating illnesses or are still in the battle. Here are five ways that this is possible…

It encourages movement

People often lay in bed for hours after a traumatic incident and this behavior has been linked to sadness and depression. Yoga is an easy way to get you moving your body once again. Movement helps you regain that happiness that you think you’ve lost.

It prevents isolation

When in emotional pain, a lot of people tend to isolate themselves. Although it is common, recovery becomes difficult if you decide to alienate yourself and it becomes difficult to communicate with the outside world. If you perform yoga therapy in a group, you surround yourself with people, but even as a one-on-one therapy, you can trust that your yoga therapist is in your corner.

It allows meditation

Meditation is a crucial element of yoga therapy and is highly encouraged. Meditation helps calm the mind, strengthens the nervous system and improves our ability to use the prefrontal cortex of the brain (the area of the brain responsible for joy and positive solutions). The soothing feeling that comes from meditation enables you to release all the tension and worries that have built up inside you because of your illness. Research is proving over and over again that as little as two minutes of mindfulness meditation can greatly increase happiness.

It helps with your balance

Yoga therapy helps balance both your mind and body. All poses — from the basic Easy Sitting Pose to postures like Dancer’s Pose or Crow’s Pose — require balance. To stay in a pose and stay mindful takes practice, which develops our ability to create a one-pointed focus or concentration. You can only achieve this concentration with a clear mind, which is created through our connection to the breath. So, in an effort to accomplish the pose, you end up cleansing your mind by using the breath and, with time, the pain begins to fade away until you feel like (and are) a brand new person.

It provides the feeling of achievement

Every time you perfect a complex pose or complete a session of yoga therapy, you will have a feeling of accomplishment. When you feel like you’ve achieved something, this shifts the internal landscape. This slowly eliminates those feelings of hopelessness and allows you to recreate your state of mind so that you find your happiness once again. 

It can be tough after experiencing physical trauma, but know you are not alone. When you feel like giving up and as if you’ve lost all happiness for good, know that there are tools to help you be your happiest, healthiest self.

I am here to help empower you to be that person you want to be. Schedule your free 15 minute consultation today and start on the journey of a happier, healthier you.