Are you aware of how important Yoga is for students? Well, this article will give light on how Yoga for students can help with improving concentration and memory along with multiple health benefits. Make sure you stick to this article till the end to get all the essential details about Yoga for students.
As we move towards the month of February and March, it comes with a wave of anxiety attacks for the students of classes 10th and 12th across the country. After all, it is the season of board exams (CBSE, CISCE and all state boards) in India. And during these times, the most common problems that students face include: not being able to remember what they have studied, lack of concentration, loss of sleep and energy, and frightening nightmares related to the dreaded exams.
At this stage, if you ask students to keep calm, that is not enough, and it might sound cliche too. So, how about an easy way to deal with exam anxiety? Here, the answer is Yoga for students.
A study conducted by researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, USA, found that a single session of healthy Yoga significantly improves a person’s speed and accuracy when tested on their working memory and concentration. In fact, those who did Yoga performed better than people who had been for a 20-minute jog.
The experts in the field also stated, “If you do yoga for 20 minutes every day, the students can keep the exam pressure and anxiety at bay and achieve the results they want and deserve.” And some yoga postures can significantly help you get the much-needed focus and energy during the board exams session that we will discuss further in the article.
Before we start the guide, let us first understand the meaning of Yoga and its importance.
Meaning of Yoga
The word Yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word, “Yuj”. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that allows the body and mind to be in conjunction. Yoga is just not about performing asanas for your health. Yoga not only works towards physical well-being but also towards elevating one’s emotions spiritually, which further helps lead to an enhanced ability to tackle the problems in general daily life.
In Indian culture, it has been an old-age practice to teach yoga asanas by gurus to their disciples to bring out the best in them in all walks of life. Yoga incorporates meditations, stretches, and breathing exercises that help reduce stress, relaxation and rejuvenation.
And when we talk about Yoga for students, it is essential for their physical and mental health. With the help of Yoga, students can be healthy in both body and mind, along with excelling in their academics.
Health Benefits Of Yoga For Students
Here, below is the list of benefits of Yoga for students. Let’s check out.
Academic Enhancement
Research and studies over the years have shown that yoga exercises, yoga postures, and yoga asanas hold stress-relieving powers for students and help in studies with the regular practice of breathing exercises, yoga asanas, and meditation.
Memory Boost
Yoga Asanas and Yoga Postures tend to bring positive thoughts that help you to focus on your studies. Some yoga exercises, such as Kundalini Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga for 20 minutes a day, along with chanting, can help boost your memory.
Longer Attention Span
When you perform yoga exercise sessions 20 minutes a day regularly for four weeks, it can help you increase your attention span by encouraging your mind to focus and build concentration. Additionally, it can help you gently set aside distractions.
Improved Posture
Yoga exercises help you to be more aware of your body and train your muscles to align correctly. Therefore, it improves your posture and stamina.
Better Concentration
Yoga for 20 minutes per day before studies can help you enhance your concentration. Intense Yoga encourages better blood circulation from our body to the brain. It enables active cell growth for learning and cognition.
Reduced Stress
Research also reveals that Yoga for students positively impacts the brain and nervous system. Yoga helps to stabilise blood pressure and keep the heart rate in control during pressure times.
Reduced Eye Strain And Headaches
Yoga allows you to take your eyes off the books or laptops, relaxing the eyes for some time. Studying continuously for a long duration also causes headaches. Thus Yoga for students can also help in reducing headaches.
Increased Motivation And Productivity
Yoga for students as a study break is beneficial in enhancing motivation and productivity levels.
Better Sleep Quality
Lack of sleep quality can lead to various problems, such as low academic performance, hypertension, depression, and obesity, among other health conditions. Yoga helps to increase the discharge of melatonin, a hormone that manages sleep and alertness. Thus, Yoga leads to better sleep quality.
More Energy And Brighter Moods
By performing Yoga regularly, one can experience enhanced mental and physical energy, fewer negative feelings, and improvement in enthusiasm and alertness.
Top 8 And Most Practised Asanas In Yoga For Students To Improve Concentration
SURYA NAMASKAR
The most common issue students face in exams is that they feel physically and mentally drained. In this case, if Surya Namaskar is practised, it is very helpful in reviving the lost energy by increasing the blood flow in the entire body.
The Surya Namaskar is composed of 12 different postures. These postures work on other body parts, making them energetic, and in addition, it develops strength and stability mentally as well as physically. It works wonders if practised during the morning every day.
MATSYASANA
Long hours of studying lead to constant neck and back pain due to physical and mental stress in students. Another yogasana on the list of Yoga for students is matsyasana, which is also extremely helpful for students in exams. As the name says (‘matsya’ meaning ‘fish’), this asana is also known as the fish pose. This asana helps increase the blood flow in the head and relieves neck and back pain.
NADI-SHODHAN
Negative thoughts are what haunt students the most during exam pressure!!
Nadi-shodhan is what helps to maintain an emotional balance and get rid of all such thoughts. It is just a 5-minute exercise that’ll make you emotionally, mentally, and physically strong. In this asana, the breath through alternate nostrils is manipulated using right-hand fingers and thumb. Practising this Yoga for students can be very beneficial in the long run.
KAPALBHATI
Managing time is the key to student life. Whether going to classes regularly or preparing for exams, Kapalbhati helps in time management by enhancing the ability to be in the present altogether.
This asana is a type of pranayama and a part of Hatha Yoga. It helps in the cleansing of the body by enhancing vitality levels in the body. Kapalbhati results in rapid abdominal movements due to forceful exhalations and inhalation of breath.
PADMASANA
Extreme tension and stress are part and parcel of a student’s life, and keeping calm in such situations is very necessary. Padmasana is a technique that helps to relax your conscious mind and enhances the working of the subconscious mind.
This asana helps relax your mind and body and improves your concentration levels if practised regularly. Also, if you practise pranayama while sitting in the padmasana position, it helps release any muscle tension which can be caused due to sitting in a single place for longer durations, especially while studying.
Now that we’ve discussed relaxing physical stress and increasing concentration levels, let’s discuss how to sharpen your memory and build overall fitness.
Below mentioned are some asanas that would help you in achieving these goals.
VRIKSHASANA
Vrikshasana, also known as the ‘tree pose’, is very helpful in strengthening your knees. Also, this asana plays a significant role in improving your concentration levels to a considerable extent. So, including vrikshasana in your daily routine is a fantastic idea.
VAJRASANA
For students facing issues in memorising stuff, Vajrasana can be a compelling way to improve. Depending on your choice, this asana can last from a few minutes to even half an hour. It helps to calm your mind and increases your ability to concentrate while studying. Also, it helps to increase blood flow in your body and resolves digestive issues if practised regularly.
PADAHASTASANA
This asana is one of the most basic ones but can get intense at the initial stage. Padahastasana has many physical benefits, including improving blood circulation in the brain, strengthening the spine and leg muscles, and improving flexibility.
Conclusion
Yoga for students offers multiple benefits, and the asanas mentioned above would be beneficial if practised by students and everyone in general. If you practise Yoga every day for an hour with yoga postures, yoga exercises, and yoga asanas, it doesn’t only boost concentration levels but also helps in studies by making the mind relaxed and more focused.
Whether you are preparing for boards examination, competitive exams, or career or Olympiads examinations, practising Yoga helps you keep your mind calm and be more focused to prepare for your desired educational and career choices.
If you want to get in-depth knowledge regarding yoga asanas and Yoga for students to overcome mental and physical issues, or other health issues, feel free to contact our experts at Vedamrita. We have a team of experts that can help you with all kinds of health problems with complete ayurvedic and natural treatment inspired by Yoga.
We hope that the blog has been helpful and valuable to you. Please let us know in the comment section if you have any queries or suggestions regarding the article. We will be more than happy to help you with your questions.
