The practice of yoga is thousands of years old. Many who practice it report improvements in both physical conditions such as fibromyalgia and back pain and mental conditions such as depression. Researchers in several fields have begun to conduct studies examining whether yoga actually works and if it does, how it works. While depression often requires multipronged treatment, studies indicate yoga might serve as a useful tool.
General Benefit
A practice such as yoga focuses on the link between the body and the mind and bringing both into balance. It can help you live in the moment, which takes the focus off thinking about the past and the future, common triggers for mental upset. It can increase your mental clarity, which can help change your perspective and face the challenges of your life.
Brain Scan Research
A study published in the May 2007 Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga appears to increase the production of a chemical -- when present in low amounts -- that has been linked to depression and anxiety. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine did brain scans of experienced yoga practitioners before and after a one-hour yoga session. The study also had a control group who simply read. The second set of scans showed the yoga practitioners experienced a 27 percent increase in the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric while the control group's levels remained the same. Lead researcher Dr. Chris Streeter says that the practitioners did all different types of yoga which suggests they all offer a similar benefit.
Research on Easing Feelings of Depression
Harvard Health Publications, in a report on the possible benefits of yoga for anxiety and depression, notes two studies looking at the effects of this practice in participants suffering from mental distress. In one German study, women who reported feelings of depression, though not officially diagnosed with clinical depression, took part in two 90-minute yoga sessions for three months or served as a control group that did not participate in any sort of stress reduction program. After the study completed, the women doing yoga reported a 50 percent improvement in feelings of depression, 30 percent in anxiety and 65 percent in overall well-being. Harvard notes another study -- uncontrolled -- that looked at the effects of yoga on patients in a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital, which found participants reported significantly reduced feelings of depression and other negative emotions after the class.
Yoga Breathing
Many forms of yoga focus primarily on breathing techniques. One such type, Kriya yoga, has shown positive results for alleviating depression in studies, reports Harvard. One study looked at the effects of practicing this breathing technique 30 minutes a day for six days a week compared to electroconvulsive therapy or the use of a tricyclic antidepressant on 45 patients hospitalized for depression. After one month, 67 percent using the breathing technique achieved complete remission. Though the other techniques had higher success rates -- 93 percent with shock therapy and 73 percent with medication -- this study indicates a nonmedical treatment can achieve a similar result. If you have an interest in using a more natural method, yogic breathing might be worth a shot.
