The Free Spirit Centre about yoga is a community center devoted to personal growth, self help, self improvement and personal development

Many of us need time to "find ourselves," and some of us never do. How can Yoga help a "lost soul?" Can Yoga really be a guide to better mental health? Where do you start to "pick up the pieces" and practice Yoga for self-reconciliation?

Judging by the number of social workers, school teachers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors, who take Yoga teacher certification courses, the public at large is dealing with the mental healing aspects of Yoga already. Yoga offers a chemical free form of relief for mental anguish and is a reliable alternative therapy.

This is not to claim that Yoga is going to be a miracle cure for depression, but Yoga practice has no harmful side effects when practiced safely. This is why you should choose a Yoga teacher carefully.

Your Yoga teacher is a knowledgeable guide to many avenues of health. A Yoga teacher is not just another exercise instructor, but someone who has in depth knowledge of holistic health.

What about mental and spiritual health? How can you learn about this aspect of Yoga? Many Yoga studios do not have classes for this need. This is why you have to shop around, and you may only be able to get private sessions for this type of Yoga training or Yoga therapy.

Why is this type of Yoga so hard to find? Yoga has been introduced on a massive scale to cultures who measure everything for results, pounds, inches, and calories. This mind-set has made Power Yoga and Hot Yoga popular, even when middle-aged and inactive students should be more cautious.

How do you calculate mental or spiritual health? The truth is - these two aspects of heath are just as important as physical health. It is easy to spot a person who has a severe mental illness, but you would be "hard pressed" to notice milder forms. Yoga can be an aid to many of the mild forms of mental illness and attention disorders that affect our society today.

At some point in life, we may all feel a little down, but severe depression is a serious condition and can lead to many other mental and physical problems. Depression can also lead to premature death.

Therefore, if you are feeling chronic depression, seek out a professional counselor, doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Friends and family will help, but only you know how much pain you really feel. One last thought: Pain cannot be calculated by using a measuring tape.