Studies into the effects of stress reduction techniques on depression have been going on since the 1970s, with yoga receiving considerably less exposure in medical journals than meditation and other relaxation techniques. Nevertheless, a 2004 analysis published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology indicated several randomized controlled trials that found yoga alleviates symptoms of stress and reduces depression and anxiety. Yoga is not meant, however, to replace proper medical care.
Eases the Stress Response
Research shows that yoga seems to mitigate the stress response, reducing the physiological symptoms of stress by lowering heart rate and blood pressure and easing respiration. In many other studies, these physiological relaxation responses are associated with a calmer and less traumatic mental and emotional response to stress. By also increasing the variability in heart rate, yoga appears to promote greater flexibility in the presence of stress.
Improves Mood
A 2005 study in Germany of 24 women who reported emotional distress found a 50 percent improvement in perceived depression levels, a 30 percent improvement in perceived anxiety levels and a 65 percent improvement in the subjects' perceptions of their overall well-being. Another 2005 study, this of inpatients in a psychiatric hospital, found a yoga class to reduce degrees of depression and anxiety as well as tension, hostility, anger and fatigue. Other controlled trials demonstrated mood and quality of life improvements in the elderly, breast cancer survivors, patients with epilepsy and caretakers of patients with dementia.
Yogic Breathing
In his audio recording, "Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing," Dr. Andrew Weil associates yogic breathing exercises with relief from depression, among a number of other health benefits. A study on a type of yoga called Sudarshan Kriya that includes several cyclical breathing techniques found it nearly as effective in reducing symptoms in patients hospitalized for depression as certain traditional medical treatments.
Neurochemical and Hormone Levels
Science has long-known the amino acid GABA to be essential to proper brain and central nervous system functioning. Low GABA counts might indicate depression or a number of other anxiety disorders, and many antidepressant medications are designed to boost GABA activity in the brain. A 2007 study at Boston University School of Medicine found that GABA levels increased in participants practicing yoga. Another study found the stress hormones cortisol and corticotropin were reduced in patients practicing yoga as part of their alcoholism recovery program.
Precautions
While the research supporting yoga as an aid for alleviating depression is evident, yoga is not meant to substitute for proper medical intervention. If you believe you are suffering from depression, anxiety or another mood disorder, speak with your doctor, both to find out whether yoga might be right for you and to receive the proper medical treatment you need. Also, to minimize the chances of causing yourself injury, ensure that whenever practicing yoga you do so under proper supervision by a trained professional.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Yoga For Anxiety And Depression
- "The Telegraph"; Yoga Protects The Brain From Depression
- Medical News Today: Yoga Possible Treatment For Depression
- "Research Council for Complementary Medicine"; Yoga For Depression -- The Research Evidence; Pilkington K, Kirkwood G, Rampes H, Richardson J; 2005
- YogaTherapy Web: New Study -- Yoga May Offer Greater Relief From Depression Than Other Forms Of Exercise
