Question:
Yoga a self help treatment for depression?
Answer:
Depression is a mental ailment affecting several people in spite of the
side effects of most depression medications. Consequently, it may be
best to seek alternative methods of depression treatment. One stand-out
is Yoga and it has gotten my vote. Friends, research has shown that some form of depression treatment
medication is offered to over 20 million Americans annually.
Nonetheless, effective as they may be for a while, it's been noted
that these depression drugs have several side effects which may include
nausea, fatigue, insomnia and some sexual dysfunctions.
That stated, it is no wonder that several drug-free fraternities seek
out alternate methods of healing for the plethora of human ailment and
for depression specifically, Yoga is often recommended.
Why is this so? Well, first of all, with Yoga and its gentle movements
and poses,
Alpha waves (relaxation) and Theta waves (unconscious memory, dreams
and emotions) tend to increase significantly after its execution.
Moreover, after its use, alpha waves increases in the right temporal
region of the brain as other studies have shown that people with
depression tend to have more alpha activity in the left
frontal-temporal region, while optimistic, extroverted people have more
alpha activity on the right.
Perhaps a simpler illustration of how Yoga works effectively for
depression treatment may be that it exercises the motor centers of the
brain, making the blood flow away from the emotional activity center;
consequently one becomes more receptive to positive thoughts.
Although this can be accomplished by the use of several Yoga poses,
there are some specific standouts.
1. The Sun Salutations:
The sun exercises stimulates and balances all systems of the body
including the endocrine and nervous systems that have marked effects on
our emotions, furthermore they induce deep breathing, which has been
known over the ages to help alleviate many a stressful situation.
Although they are usually a warm up to other Yoga poses, they can stand
on their own as a Yoga session so you may not have to spend too much
time to reap Yoga's benefits as an alternative treatment for
depression.
2. The Shoulder- Stand:
In spite of what its name may suggest, this pose is indeed very easy to
execute and is the one pose that both old and new Yoga Instructors and
writers view as near panacea for most human ailments including
depression.
3. The Relaxation Pose:
As the name suggests; it involves lying motionless on one's back with
emphasis on deep, even breathing and meditation. It is usually
performed for several minutes to alleviate stress and mental tension
and positive affirmations such as helpful verses from religious books
could be mentally repeated during its execution.
It must be noted that poses alone DO NOT constitute Yoga. Breathing
exercises (known as pranayama), Meditation, (which could be rooted in
your religious or spiritual beliefs) and a proper diet-all being
important limbs of Yoga, should be used in your use of Yoga for
depression treatment.
So remember dear friend for Depression Treatment, there is a Helping
Hand in Yoga and You Are Not Alone.
The bottom line is, if you have some kind of occupation that lets you
"be", then things feel better. This is not that world.
i wish i could do yoga. it helped me as a kid, but i'm not
supposed to do it now. it did seem to help my depression by
enhancing a feeling of well-being. I have had extensive experience and practice in yoga, yoga breathing,
and TM. I have experienced first hand the benefits, the alpha wave
effect, the lowered blood pressure. I did a mix of Hatha and Kundalini
yoga, which also would get rid of colds for me. I also did some
beginning Tai Chi. I only learned one thing, the basic movement
sequence, but it was quite effective to do that one every day.
Sadly, related to my depression, anxiety,and PTSD and OC stuff that
came over me, I guess as a result of some very stressful experiences, I
don't do any of that. I have let things pile up in my house, and
basically I don't have the space to do anything except maybe meditate.
I would love to be doing that stuff again, as well as getting out and
walking, but I am kind of agoraphobic also.
That's why medication usually has to be started first, cause if you're
depressed, you just can't pull yourself out of the bottom of the barrel
even if you know how, and you don't reach out to others and say will
you help me. It's even hard to get to a doc or counselor the first
time.
Nevertheless, I liked what you had to say, and feel inspired to try and
get started with my routines. Maybe its just what I needed.
