As the COVID-19 second wave takes a toll on our wellbeing, exercise is one way to not only boost immunity levels but also take care of our mental health. And the same was corroborated by Mandira Bedi recently.
Taking to Instagram, the 49-year-old mother shared how a particular exercise gave her “shanti” or peace and reduced anxiety. Alongside a video, in which she is seen doing a headstand, Mandira wrote, “All inverted poses help keep my anxiety at bay. Be it the headstand (which I needed today after a long time) or the 10 wall-assisted handstands I practice every day.”
Headstand or Sirsasana is known to benefit both physical and mental health, research has shown. It is known to have a positive effect on mood. One of the therapeutic effects of an inverted posture is that it supports our standing posture, making the spine more straight while keeping the head aligned with it, according to yogafordrepression.com. Our posture is a reflection of our mood. The increased extensor tone in the spine has a positive effect on the limbic cortex or emotional centres and frontal cortical functioning in the brain.
Experts advise exercising for at least 30 minutes a day to ensure physical and mental fitness, which has become extremely important in this time of crisis.
