What is Schizophrenia?
Having schizophrenia is like listening to a car radio. The only problem is that you’re driving through a hilly area with a bad connection, and sometimes you just hear static instead of songs. The difference is that the songs are reality, but the distortions or static aren’t technically accurate. That’s the life of a schizophrenia patient: not knowing what’s real and what’s their imagination.
And you know the crazier part? WHO says that 1 out of every 300 people on a global scale have schizophrenia–that means about 24 million globally face this condition. But really, it’s not a disorder as much as a glitch in the functioning of the mind. You might wonder what that could mean; the glitch could be positive and elevating (like thinking you have superpowers) or depressing and concerning (like irrational paranoia).
Either way, schizophrenia essentially involves hallucinations or delusions of all organs–seeing invisible things and believing in stuff that seems unrealistic. But most of all, it doesn’t mean having different personalities! It’s having a side dish of restlessness with an overactive imagination that you can’t eliminate.
Schizophrenia is definitely not three voices in your head with different accents or two “real” people bickering around you all day… that still doesn’t mean that you’re alone in this! Let’s see some yoga exercises for schizophrenia.
Yoga for Schizophrenia
When you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t, life can become challenging, and your mental health is sure to plummet. Yoga is a great way to release the stress and anxiety that your condition puts you through. It might not cure you, but it’ll help you accept the condition and improve yourself despite it.
Note that meditation might worsen the situation for some patients and shouldn’t be practised without consulting your doctor. Yoga for schizophrenia is all about movement and breathing. You can do all this with our 14-day free Online Yoga Classes, so roll out your mat and get ready to breathe properly with asanas and pranayama!
It is also a valuable tool for relaxation and grounding the self during hallucinations. Do you think your restlessness is taking over? Try yoga exercises for schizophrenia, and watch as you regain your focus! Think that the cloth-laden chair in your room is someone, and it’s 2 AM? Don’t worry; yoga can help improve cognitive function and your processing speed (but, I mean, you can worry a little).
Yoga Asanas for Schizophrenia
1. Vrikshasana (Tree Pose):
One of the stretchiest poses, it can help you focus and bring balance into your life. It will also create a mind-body bond and improve your self-awareness. But you should avoid this asana if you face arthritis.
How to do it:
- Stand tall and shift your weight onto your left leg.
- Bring up your right leg and rest it comfortably on your left upper thigh or below the knee. Avoid resting it on your knee.
- Stretch your hands above your head and bring them together in a namaste pose.
- Focus on a point in front of you for balance.
- Breathe deeply and hold the asana for 30 seconds before switching the legs.
2. Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nose Breathing):
In this article, we’ve talked a lot about mental balance and peace. But this pranayama exercise balances your brain, i.e., your brain’s left and right hemispheres. It’s also perfect to calm down your mind and relax you.
How to do it:
- Sit cross-legged on your mat with your back straight and close your eyes.
- Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through the left nostril.
- Close your left nostril with the right ring finger and inhale through your right nostril.
- Inhale through your right nostril while the left is closed.
- Close your right nostril and inhale from the left.
- Repeat for 5-7 minutes.
3. Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall):
Sometimes, everyone just wants to sit back and do nothing. This pose is like a full-body massage for your nervous system.
How to do it:
- Sit facing a wall.
- Lie back and scooch closer to the wall until you can easily rest your legs on it.
- Raise your legs and rest them on the wall.
- Keep your arms by your side.
- Close your eyes and breathe deeply while holding for 5 minutes.
4. Tadasana (Mountain Pose):
Stretch, stretch! This pose helps you instil balance and gives you mental clarity.
How to do it:
- Stand straight on your mat with your feet touching and heels a little apart, with your arms at your sides.
- Lift the centres of your feet while pressing the outer edges into the mat.
- Keep your knees slightly bent.
- Engage your core and slowly elongate your spine.
- Broaden your chest with deep breaths.
- Interlock your fingers in front of you and slowly take them above your head.
- Take slow and deep breaths.
- Hold for as long as comfortable.
5. Shavasana (Corpse Pose):
It’s the perfect way to unwind and calm down after a particularly distorted day. Plus, it can reduce insomnia and bring in emotional stability.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on your back on the mat with your palms facing up.
- Relax your legs and keep them comfortably apart.
- Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
- Relax each part of your body by consciously releasing tension.
- Hold for 5-10 minutes, and when you’re done, wiggle your fingers and flex your toes.
- Roll to your side and gently sit up.
Final Thoughts
Yoga asanas for schizophrenia are more than movement—they’re stepping stones to strength, clarity, and inner peace. Schizophrenia may bring challenges, but with every breath, you reclaim control, calm your mind, and reconnect with yourself. Keep going—healing is a journey, and you are stronger than you know. But make sure that your practice is approved by a mental health specialist who understands your condition and can guide you appropriately.
The exercises can ease any mental or emotional disturbances you might feel regularly. Plus, continued practice will create a routine for you, keeping you grounded and making reality feel a little more stable. The best way to bring this into a routine is by joining Habuild’s 14-day Free Yoga Classes Online, so don’t wait any longer and join us now!
