Can Yoga Help with Anxiety and Depression?
According to the Harvard Mental Health Letter, recent studies suggest that Yoga, an ancient physical exercise that involves different body poses, breathing techniques, and meditation can:
- Reduce the impact of stress
- Help with anxiety and depression
- Be a self-soothing technique similar to meditation, relaxation, and exercise
- Improve energy
As the exercise focuses on deep, controlled breathing, encouraging a greater mind-body awareness, after years of doing yoga, some people find that the practice transforms their lives to an even greater degree.
They have a different perspective on the meaning and purpose of their life, and their goals become less materialistic and more spiritual and charitable.
Dr. Khalsa
Yoga, with its gentle, calming, and fluid nature, allows for flexibility in its poses, so people of all levels can practice. Emphasizing breath, concentration, and smooth movement, you’ll be encouraged to focus on positive images to calm the body and mind.
As exercise, yoga is a natural way to increase serotonin production. According to the Journal of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceTrusted Source, serotonin production plays a role in the treatment of depression. Serotonin is believed to play a major role in happiness.
Yoga also increases your heart rate variability (HRV), or change in time between heart beats, by increasing the relaxation response over the stress response in the body. A high HRV means that your body is better at self-monitoring or adapting, particularly to stress.
Many people such as myself use yoga therapy to manage mental and emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. We would love to hear what has worked for you before, and if you would like to give Yoga a try, schedule a FREE Discovery Class, a 30-min session where I’ll introduce you to our science-based approach to wellness.
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