The Use of Yoga in Treating Anxiety and Depression Disorders
The use of Yoga as a way of treating and managing anxiety and depression disorders and related disorders has become over the past few decades. Hatha yoga is the most common type of yoga used as it combines controlled breathing, physical pose, and a short period of deep relaxation. Notably, Uebelacker & Broughton (2016) argue that Yoga appeals to the many depressed because it is accessible and affordable. In addition, yoga students can rely on DVDs, Youtube, and books for their home based practices. However, those with special needs like the pregnant women and those suffering from other special problems are advised to seek advice before they practice yoga to avoid related risks. Consequently, a wide range of yoga practices can reduce the impact of exaggerated stress that is responsible for anxiety and depression. In this regard, yoga acts like other self-soothing technique including relaxation, meditation, exercising, and socializing with friends.
Promoting Relaxation through Yoga
Yoga promotes relaxation by lowering tension and modulating stress response systems. Chettiar 2014) argues that in times of depression and stress, the body tends to constrict and people start to hold tension in their bodies in areas such as the neck, jaws, shoulders and other parts. Consequently, the relaxation experience from yoga can lower physical tension, thus releasing the grip that of anxiety (Chettiar 2014). It is important to note that Hatha yoga focuses on three aspects of human being the body, the soul and the mind. Through yoga practices, an individual can release unwanted stress. Yoga provides a self-soothing experience that can prevent the onset of anxiety. In addition, it can also reduce anxiety immediately by modulating the stress response system especially the deep breath.
Enhancing Focus and Mindfulness through Yoga
Yogic breathing and meditation can help an individual stay focused. In addition, the mindfulness taught at yoga when incorporated into one's life can help an individual forget about the experiences and focus on current events and realities of their lives. Uebelacker & Broughton (2016) argue that when an individual learns to attend to their current feelings, thoughts, and experiences, they are able to learn that thoughts and feelings keep fluctuating and that they should stay positive despite their past encounters. Consequently, the mindfulness-based therapy reduces anxiety and depression as the individual will focus on the current experiences. In this regard, Franklin, Butler, & Bentley (2018) argue that yoga interrupts the worry cycles. Yoga allows an individual to practice letting go of their worries as they come back to their bodies and breathe.
Regulating the Autonomic Nervous System through Yoga
Yoga-based practices are helpful in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system whose failure can cause depression and anxiety (Uebelacker & Broughton, 2016). Consequently, yoga activities modify the underactivity of the parasympathetic nervous system that leads to improved mood. In addition, yoga sessions increase bodily awareness. Awareness of an individual's body can lower the physical tension and stress, thus relieving them of anxiety and depression. People carry a lot of tension in their bodies and through yoga, they get to better understand their bodies and what causes body tension (Franklin, Butler, & Bentley, 2018). People can learn to recognize the tension as it builds up and let it go before it grows into depression.
Reducing Chronic Stress through Yoga
Stretching muscles and aligning postures, which are practiced in yoga, lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, thus reducing chronic stress. In this regard, yoga reduces stress, improves physical fitness, and overcomes mental related concerns. Consequently, yoga has the ability to control unwanted wanderings of the mind, thus enabling an individual to deal with their anxiety and depression. Alternate nostril breathing, which is a classical yoga breathing practice, helps individuals heal from stressful events and experiences (Franklin, Butler, & Bentley, 2018). In addition, yoga teaches individuals to breathe with awareness and employs the use of the breath as we face various challenges that life poses. It is important to note that yoga instructors demonstrate various breathing techniques that can help an individual suffering from depression and anxiety overcome her challenges. Franklin, Butler, & Bentley (2018) also argue that yoga increases balance, strength, and flexibility that help the yogis manage their stress, calm their nerves, thus relieving depression.
Yoga for Anxiety and Depressive Disorders
Notably, anxiety disorders cause threads of excessive fear and anxiety including depression and behavioral disturbances that can trigger the nervous system to respond through flight or fight. Yoga is effective in controlling and improving anxiety disorders and symptoms over time. Some of the most common anxiety disorders that yoga can improve include the generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Uebelacker & Broughton (2016) argue that yoga can help decrease the symptoms of these disorders by cultivating positive thinking in the mind of an individual to change the structure of the brain. Moreover, depressive disorders share the presence of emptiness, sad mood, irritable mood, cognitive, and somatic changes that could affect an individual's ability to function properly. Consequently, these changes come from the imbalance of the thyroid and hypothalamic adrenal (HPA) axis, which are crucial for a healthy individual. Yoga plays a critical role in the balance of the thyroid, thus reducing anxiety and depression. Moreover, yoga can improve the quality of sleep and reduce stress. Franklin, Butler, & Bentley (2018) argue that yoga has the ability to reduce depressive symptoms especially when there are an increase stressors faced by an individual.
Yoga for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Chronic stress can create a problem in the central response system, which can lead to mental related problems. Yoga aids in the management of the cardiac patterns of the stress hormones and ensuring that an individual gets quality sleep, which can help the brain function properly. Notably, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is one of the major health problems leading to mental illness, can be contained by yoga practices. PTSD is a result of earlier traumatic experiences commonly experienced by veterans, victims of violence, mostly experienced survivors of wars, and natural disasters. Consequently, such experiences have adverse effects on the life of an individual as they can affect the normal functioning of the brain. Yoga increases parasympathetic activity, thus reducing stress, and reducing amygdala activity (Uebelacker & Broughton, 2016).
Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation through Yoga
Notably, yoga teaches the aspect of mindfulness, which involves non-judgmental attention to one's current experience. In this regard, a patient suffering from mental health problems can learn to acknowledge even the most unpleasant memories and emotions that could affect their mental health. Yoga, thus, increases emotional regulation, which is closely linked to the brain. Uebelacker & Broughton (2016) argue that mindfulness creates an awareness of the passing nature of an individual's physical memory, emotional, and physical experiences. This practice during yoga reduces PTSD as an individual learns to change self-appraisal.
Yogic Breathing for Mental Health
Yogic breathing forms the main part of treating mental related problems. It is notable that anxiety is a very normal response to specific events or situations. However, excessive anxiety has a greater implication on the long-term health of an individual. Interestingly, yoga is practiced as a way of treating anxiety. Notably, yogic breathing eases stress in the body enabling an individual to maintain their focus. Chettiar (2014) argue that yogic breathing can help release the stress from the back, neck, and shoulders. Moreover, breathing deeply gives the lungs, the heart, and the brain more oxygen to function properly, thus helping people deal with mental related concerns. Consequently, increasing the oxygen supply in the brain, lungs, and the heart activates the body's response which can help in reducing anxiety and stress of past events.
Conclusion
In conclusion, over the past few decades, yoga has been used to reduce stress and improve physical fitness of people suffering from anxiety and related disorders. In addition, yogic breathing, which teaches people mindfulness, has been found to be an effective way of overcoming mental related illness. Notably, yoga exercises have been found to have the potential of controlling unwanted wanderings of the mind, thus enabling an individual to accept their present experience and events. Yoga also plays a critical role in the improvement of oxygen supply in vital human body parts, including the lungs, heart, and the brain, thus reducing the symptoms of stressors. The fact that yoga is readily available in almost all community facilities and its affordability has made it a preferred way of dealing with anxiety compared to other techniques. Of importance is that hatha yoga, which is the most common type of yoga practiced in the United States, involves mindfulness aspect which involves non-judgmental of past unpleasant events, emotions, and memories. Yoga increases emotional regulation leading to a change in self-appraisal, thus reducing anxiety, depression, and related disorders.
References
Chettiar, C. (2014). Yoga As An Intervention Method In The Reduction Of Anxiety In College Girls. Research Horizons, 4184-187.
Franklin, R. A., Butler, M. P., & Bentley, J. A. (2018). The physical postures of yoga practices may protect against depressive symptoms, even as life stressors increase a moderation analysis. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 23(7), 870-879. doi:10.1080/13548506.2017.1420206
Uebelacker, L. A., & Broughton, M. K. (2016). Yoga for Depression and Anxiety: A Review of Published Research and Implications for Healthcare Providers. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 99(3), 20-22.
