Pranayama is a yogic tool that can function beyond treatment of depression to improve a person's overall wellbeing. People practicing pranayama learn to connect their mind and body by regulating their breath, which also serves as a foundation for meditation. Learning to manage the breath through pranayama leads to relaxation and better quality of life, which can reduce or eventually eliminate the persistent symptoms of depression.
Never discontinue medication for depression without consulting a physician first.
Basic Pranayama Guidelines
Pranayama begins with observing your breath without judgment as you breathe normally. Become aware of the three stages of breath in pranayama: inhalation, retention and exhalation. Notice how your breath changes as you naturally become more relaxed. Practice pranayama in a seated position or lying down. Seated pranayama requires more effort to stay upright which may initially distract you from the practice, but supine pranayama can constrict the breath. If practicing supine pranayama, support your spine and head with blankets or pillows. Complete your pranayama practice with a few minutes in corpse pose, during which you lie completely still, allowing your body to fully relax.
Types
Yoga teachers prescribe a different pranayama practice, depending on the type of depression. The Department of Yoga Research in Bangalore, India states that yogic philosophy conceptualizes human behavior into an equilibrium of three energy states: sattva, or a controlled state, tamas, an inert state and rajas, the energetic state. People who suffer from tamasic depression are inactive, glum and lethargic whereas people experiencing rajasic depression are characterized as restless, stressed, anxious and agitated. Yoga teachers emphasize deep inhalation for tamasic depression and deep exhalation for rajasic depression. Deep inhalation energizes the practitioner by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, which increases heart rate and blood pressure. Conversely, deep exhalation stimulates the autonomic nervous system, which decreases heart rate and blood pressure.
Benefits
Dr. Nandini Vallath of the Bangalore Institute of Oncology asserts that changing your breathing pattern can cause a feedback process that produces physiological changes in your body, including decreased blood pressure, decreased heart rate and decreased muscle tension. Vallath further contends that learning self-awareness through pranayama can also generate mental changes, such as increased self-acceptance, increased control over your life and a renewed outlook on pain. These physiological and mental changes can holistically improve your health and reduce symptoms of depression.
Considerations
As an alternative to medication, yogic exercises are an individualized and non-invasive way for you to manage depression. Dr. Timothy McCall, the Medical Editor of "Yoga Journal," recommends personalizing your yogic practice because your experience with depression can change from day to day. He notes that you may cycle between pranayama exercises for tamasic and rajasic depression, or include chanting and meditation in your practice, depending on your mood and energy. Always do what feels right for you. Work with a certified yoga teacher who has ideally gone through similar experiences. If you feel pain or tension during any breathing technique, start from the beginning by returning to normal breathing and observing your breath.
References
- YogaJournal.com: Yoga for Depression, Part I
- YogaJournal.com: Yoga for Depression, Part II
- "Indian Journal of Palliative Care"; Perspectives on Yoga Inputs in the Management of Chronic Pain; Nandini Vallath; January 2010
- YogaJournal.com: Blissful Breath
- YogaJournal.com: Beat the Blues
- YogaJournal.com: The Energetic Effects of Pranayama
