Easing Anxiety And Depression Through Yoga
Battling mental problems like anxiety and depression often feel like an uphill battle - more so in these dark, challenging times. But did you know that certain practices could improve the mind, body, and spirit without medication?
Yoga may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about effective remedies for depression and mental disorders. But there are pieces of evidence that prove how effective yoga therapy is in easing various mental problems, including anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a practice consisting of poses, breathing, and meditation techniques to promote mind and body wellness. This practice is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries BCE in ancient India. Today, about 30 million Americans practice yoga on a regular basis. It’s often done to improve core and muscle strength, boost flexibility, and alleviate pain.
Because yoga is known for promoting better mental health, it’s not a coincidence that its popularity rose during soaring rates of depression, anxiety, and other common mood disorders. In fact, about 90% of people who practice yoga do so to manage stress.
How Yoga Ease
Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Stress is caused by a hormone called cortisol, one of the stress hormones that activate the brain’s fight or flight response. This response would’ve been useful in dangerous situations but if the body is producing too much cortisol, we get needlessly stressed out.
Alleviates Stress
Unfortunately, uncontrolled stress could lead to mental problems and chronic ailments. Stress robs you of your sleep and your peace of mind. You’re not yourself when you’re sleep-deprived, anxious, and distressed all at the time. And when you’re stressed out, you are more likely to make bad decisions, which may lead to problems in your personal and/or professional life!
Yoga alleviates stress and promotes a deeper kind of relaxation through meditation and breathing exercises. It also promotes mental relief by enhancing mindfulness. As you practice yoga, the body releases happy hormones called endorphins, which makes you feel calm and relaxed with improved feelings of well-being!
Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety is the inexplicable feeling of uneasiness and dread. While it's normal to feel anxious before an exam or a job interview, sustained feelings of dread so severe, you lose the ability to function at all, isn’t. Other symptoms of anxiety include:
Unfortunately, about 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety but not all are seeking treatments for it.
Sometimes all we need is an hour of yoga to quiet whatever negative thoughts or feelings we have. Yoga eases anxiety through meditation, positive affirmations, visualizations, and breathing exercises.
There are yoga postures that reduce the physical discomforts caused by anxiety. Called asanas, these postures stretch, strengthen, and restore muscle balance to improve feelings of well-being. Asanas are the best postures for releasing muscle tension and stiffness that cause minor yet persistent body pains.
Meditation, visualizations, positive affirmations, and breathing exercises, on the other hand, helps banish negative thoughts and feelings that trigger or worsen anxiety. These yoga practices promote mind and body relaxation, allowing you to gain a deeper sense of calm and ease.
One might think that yoga is just another stretching exercise but there's more to this practice than improving your flexibility, muscle tone, or posture. Practicing yoga is one of the best ways to reduce depression and other psychological disorders.
Minimizes
Depression
Traditionally, depression is treated with antidepressants and psychotherapy. But the thing is, not all people respond to these treatments positively. Antidepressants are also highly addictive and these only mask the symptoms, not solve the root cause of the problem.
Mind-body practices are effective in treating depression because it gives a deeper sense of calm and purpose. Research shows that yoga minimizes depression symptoms just as effectively as any antidepressant. What’s more, the relief is instantaneous and long-term. Studies show that yoga also increases treatment remission rates while decreasing the severity of depression symptoms.
Health experts also believe that yoga is an excellent complementary treatment for clinical depression and major depressive disorders. The study, which was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, noted that depressed participants saw marked improvement in sleep quality, tranquility, and positivity after practicing yoga for just a month. The clinical trial may be a small one but similar tests were conducted and produced the same results.
Yoga is also recommended for depressive women, expectant mothers on bed rest, and recovering addicts who suffer from depression.
3 Yoga Poses for
Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Butterfly Pose
(Baddha Konasana)
Baddha Konasana or the butterfly pose relieves anxiety and stress. Simple yet powerful, this posture helps ground you to the moment by banishing negative thoughts and encouraging positive reflections.
Bridge Pose
(Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is yet another simple yet powerful posture that "opens up the heart" and promote mental focus and clarity. This yoga pose alleviates anxiety by soothing the nervous system and boosting your brain supply of oxygenated blood.
Half Moon Pose
(Ardha Chandrasana)
Ardha Chandrasana is not as beginner-friendly as other poses but this cooling one promotes a deep sense of calm. It also releases nervous energy to help you relax.
3 Yoga Poses for Depression
Corpse Pose
(Savasana)
Savasana is a rejuvenating yoga pose that lowers the blood pressure and helps the body achieve a deeper sense of relaxation. It's one of the most recommended yoga poses for depressive individuals.
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Depression often leads to mild to moderate pain because of all that tension. The Uttanasana alleviates muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. It promotes better blood circulation, boosts the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain, which will keep you feeling energized.
Dolphin Pose
(Ardha Pincha Mayurasana)
The Ardha Pincha Mayurasana pose is often recommended for people who are dealing with mild to moderate depression. It helps promote mental concentration as well as boost memory and awareness. Also known as the Dolphin Pose, Ardha Pincha Mayurasana boosts the blood flow to the brain.