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October 2007
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Yoga: Prescription for wellness
Learn techniques for relieving anxiety and lifting mood

 

Summary


Yoga can relax and revive you, lift your mood and strengthen your body. It's convenient, costs little or nothing and has no side effects. Research has found yoga's postures and controlled breathing to be beneficial in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders and sleeping problems.

You can find yoga classes in the telephone directory under "Yoga Instruction," at health clubs, and recreation and community centers. You can also practice using tapes, books and videos.

How to do yoga


Have you read these?

 

 

What can relax and revive you, lift your mood and strengthen your body and is convenient, costs little or nothing and has no side effects? Yoga can.

The postures and controlled breathing exercises of yoga can ease stress and tension, and provide a respite from depression and anxiety.

Yoga is defined by the union of mind and body. A 6,000 year-old practice that originated in India, it has grown increasingly popular in the West. And, the mainstream medical community is beginning to recognize yoga as an effective way to maintain good physical and mental health.

"It is a way of remembering the health and wholeness that is our natural state of being," says Beth Shaw, founder and president of Yogafit Training Systems Worldwide, Inc. "Yoga, when broken down to its simplest form, is breathing and feeling, through which we learn to control our reactions to events and people. It is not the events and people in our lives that give us stress, but the way we react to them."

How can yoga improve my mental health?
Research has shown yoga to be beneficial in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and sleeping problems. Recent studies found that yoga may elevate levels of an important brain chemical, gamma-aminobutyric (GABA), improving symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.

"Our perception of life has been conditioned by our experiences and sometimes we close ourselves off from feelings and emotions," says Shaw. "Through yoga we learn to bring awareness to all parts of ourselves with the understanding that, through integration, we come to a natural place of balance ……Yoga teaches a whole set of patterns which are helpful in reducing stress."

Psychological benefits of a regular yoga practice include:

  • decreased anxiety and depression
  • greater self-control of body and mind
  • increased calmness and relaxation
  • Increased self-confidence
  • Improved sleep
  • Improved concentration
  • Increased energy

"When someone is depressed," says Karen J. Greene, a clinical psychologist who practices yoga, "they have negative thoughts, low self-esteem, poor concentration. They feel as if they're walking through mud. Yoga gets us involved in the here and now, focusing only on awareness of our bodies and the sound of our breathing.

"Someone who's depressed feels that things will never be different. But, for that hour, they see that things have been different - they have been different. As they stretch a little more each time, they gain a sense of accomplishment and control. And, practicing yoga in a class, with a caring teacher, can alleviate the social isolation that often accompanies depression."

How does it benefit my body too?
Benefits of regular yoga practice include:

  • improved flexibility
  • increased strength
  • weight loss, in combination with healthy lifestyle changes
  • better posture
  • physical relaxation
  • improved heart health

How does yoga work?
In a typical yoga class, you may practice a dozen or more poses. Some poses are easier, such as the Mountain pose, in which you stand with feet about hip width apart, hands at your side as you take several deep breaths. More advanced poses use more stretching and twisting. Many poses you can use to relax, revive and lift your mood are easy to learn.

 

 

 

Woman ain yoga poseYoga postures can relieve your tension, which then relaxes your muscles. Some postures increase blood flow to the brain, increasing oxygen and glucose, boosting neurotransmitters that enhance your mood and sense of well-being. You may do only poses which are comfortable for you and only for as long as you are comfortable.

Breathing in deeply to fill your lungs and breathing out through your nose calms you. As you concentrate on your breathing, you learn to gain control over your body and mind.

How do I get started?
The best way to learn yoga is in a class with a qualified instructor, but you can also practice using tapes, books and videos. You can find classes in the telephone directory under "Yoga Instruction," at health clubs, and recreation and community centers. When you find a class, be sure to ask about the instructor's qualifications and whether the class is right for your level of experience. YogaFit's web site lists more than 5,000 specially trained instructors across the United States.

Click for yoga postures you can begin to practice now.


What else do I need to know?
Talk with your doctor before you begin to practice yoga if you have any of these conditions:

  • high blood pressure
  • a risk of blood clots
  • eye conditions, including glaucoma
  • problems with back or joints (you may need to avoid postures that strain these areas)

Yoga by itself is not adequate treatment for severe depression or anxiety, but is therapeutic if used in combination with medication and/or psychotherapy.

Laughter Yoga is a unique type of yoga that combines laughter and Yogic breathing exercises. When we laugh, say teachers of the international Kataria School of Laughter Yoga, our bodies release a cocktail of chemicals that reduce stress, lower blood pressure, lift depression and boost your immune system.
To learn more about Laughter Yoga, visit LaughterYoga.org

Related articles
Alternative mental health treatments
Anxiety or anxiety disorder?
How to relax
Symptoms of depression
Take time out from depression


Sources
Aetna Health
Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital
Karen Greene, Ph.D.
Journal of affective disorders 2005 Dec; 89(1-3):13-24.
Mayo Clinic
Beth Shaw, YogaFit
University of California, Santa Cruz, Counseling & Psychological Services

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