Yoga helps in alleviating depression and anxiety

Mayo · Silver Member Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 330

Practicing yoga is not only good for the body, but as it turns out, it’s also good for the brain, especially when it comes to keeping depression and anxiety at bay.

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may not be just good for your body but also for the brain as it increases the levels of gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Such yoga effects were determined by using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging on 19 volunteers. The GABA levels of the eight volunteers who practiced yoga were compared to the levels of 18 volunteers who read for one hour instead of practicing yoga.

There was a 27% increase in GABA levels in those people who practiced yoga while no change in the GABA levels in the reading group.

The study results suggest that yoga may be used in improving symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and epilepsy. In regular yoga practitioners, the levels of GABA neurotransmitters increase after one yoga session.

The researchers now suggest that the practice of yoga should be considered as a possible inexpensive and widely available treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels.

healthwise · Newbie Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2

hi

i have been doing yoga for quite awhile.. but there so many yoga styles sometimes I gets confuse... does it have any standards???

charlene

Yoga helps in alleviating depression and anxiety

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