It's Official: Yoga Helps Depression

Evidence keeps stacking up that yoga is a boon for both physical and mental health conditions. Now, a small new study from Boston University finds that taking yoga classes twice a week may help ease depression, thanks in part to deep breathing.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, included 30 people from ages 18 to 64 with clinical depression, who either were not taking antidepressants or had been on a steady dose for at least three months. Half of the participants were assigned to take a 90-minute Iyengar yoga class three times per week, as well as four 30-minute sessions at home each week. People in the other group took two group classes and three at-home sessions every week.

Iyengar yoga classes emphasize alignment, precise postures and controlled breathing. The classes taught in the study also included 20 minutes of slow, gentle breathing, at a rate of five inhales exhales through the nose per minute.

After about three months, most of the people in both groups had lowered their scores on a depression-screening questionnaire by at least 50%. Not surprisingly, more yoga was better; those who took three classes per week had lower depression scores than those who took two per week.

But since many participants mentioned that the larger time commitment was challenging, the researchers actually recommend two classes per week, saying that the regimen still comes with meaningful benefits.

That yoga seems to be effective is good news for people struggling with depression. Lead author Dr. Chris Streeter, associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, says that the practice has far fewer side effects and potential drug interactions than mood-altering medications. The most common complaint reported in the study was a small one—temporary muscle soreness—and one participant experienced distressing thoughts while practicing breathing exercises at home.

Some people who haven’t responded to traditional treatments might do well with yoga, because unlike antidepressant drugs, yoga and deep breathing target the autonomic nervous system, Streeter says. “If your autonomic nervous system is balanced out, then the rest of the brain works better,” she says. Research shows that 40% of people on antidepressants do not recover fully from depression, says Streeter, which puts them at increased risk for a relapse. “Getting that 40% all the way better is a really important goal. Instead of adding another drug, I would argue that yoga is another thing you can add to the treatment regimen that might help.”

More research is needed to determine how yoga stacks up against other treatments. (A larger trial comparing yoga to walking is underway, the study notes.)

While Iyengar yoga is generally considered to be a safe practice for people of all levels, it’s not the only type with health benefits, Streeter adds. “It depends on who the person is and what they’re looking for,” she says. For now, what’s clear is that the type with the most health benefits will be whichever kind you stick with.

This article originally appeared on time.com and was written by AMANDA MACMILLAN.

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What is Stress? How Does It Affect Us?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless, deadlines are fast approaching and you find yourself saying ‘Eek! I feel stressed!’? But what is stress really, and how does it affect us?

Firstly, let’s debunk one myth: stress is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing. Without this brilliant ability to feel stress, humankind wouldn’t have survived. Our cavemen ancestors, for example, used the onset of stress to alert them to a potential danger, such as a sabre-toothed tiger.

Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action. This causes a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion.

Through the release of hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine, the caveman gained a rush of energy, which prepared him to either fight the tiger or run away. That heart pounding, fast breathing sensation is the adrenaline; as well as a boost of energy, it enables us to focus our attention so we can quickly respond to the situation.

In the modern world, the ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous situations, such as reacting swiftly to a person running in front of our car by slamming on the brakes.

The challenge is when our body goes into a state of stress in inappropriate situations. When blood flow is going only to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee, brain function is minimised. This can lead to an inability to ‘think straight’; a state that is a great hindrance in both our work and home lives. If we are kept in a state of stress for long periods, it can be detrimental to our health.  The results of having elevated cortisol levels can be an increase in sugar and blood pressure levels, and a decrease in libido.

Fight

When your body goes into a state of stress, we may feel agitated and aggressive towards others; this can be due to our bodies’ natural reaction being “fight”. This can be a helpful reaction to ward off predators, but in unnecessary situations, it can negatively affect relationships and ruin reputations.

Flight

Some of us avoid our stressors, removing ourselves from the situation instead of tackling it. This can be a sign of the “flight” survival instinct; a function that can save our lives if we find ourselves in dangerous surroundings. However, in everyday life, this natural instinct can lead to a stressful situation escalating, and increase our stress levels when we realize that the stressor isn’t going away and we need to face it.

Freeze

Unknown by many, there is a third mode that stress can cause; freeze. For some people, becoming stressed sets the stage for ‘dysregulation’. The energy mobilized by the perceived threat gets “locked” into the nervous system and we ‘freeze’. This  response sometimes reveals itself when we breathe. Holding our breath and shallow breathing are both forms of freeze. The occasional deep sigh is the nervous system catching up on its oxygen intake.

Understanding Stress

Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that:

“Demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilise.”

Here at The Stress Management Society we use a bridge analogy to approach the topic of stress.

When a bridge is carrying too much weight, it will eventually collapse. It is possible to see the warning signs before this happens, the bridge would bow, buckle and creak.

The same principle can be applied to human beings, with excessive demands and challenges placed on our bridges. There may be early warning signs. However stress can creep up on some of us, resulting in an unexpected breakdown.

That ‘bridge collapse’ in a human being could take many forms:

• Mental and Emotional Breakdown
• Taking one’s own life
• Serious health issues including:
   
  • Cardiovascular disease: The heart is the first organ in the body to experience stress. The No. 1 killer on the planet today is heart disease and it’s no coincidence that as we find ourselves living under higher and higher levels of stress the instance of heart disease is increasing.
  • Stress has a profound impact on how your body’s systems function, Health experts are still sorting out whether stress actually causes cancer. Yet there’s little doubt that it promotes the growth and spread of some forms of the disease. Put simply, stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer.
  • Stress can cause a rise in blood pressure – the main cause of haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure, which can weaken the arteries in the brain and make them prone to split or rupture.

The key message is that if we are able to recognize when we have too much demand on our bridge then we can take action to prevent ourselves from getting anywhere near the bridge collapsing which thankfully most of us will never experience or see.

How It Affects Us

One of the difficulties with stress is that people experience stress in different ways. This contributes to stress manifesting itself differently. So it would be wrong to over generalise when giving advice on how to identify stress in others. However, what we can say is that because stress has negative effects, it will usually manifest itself one way or another.

Stress targets the weakest part of our physiology or character; if you are prone to headaches or eczema, this will flare up.  If you have low levels of patience or tolerance for others, this will be the first area to present under times of stress.

Stress isn’t avoidable but it is manageable. A key action in order to minimise risk is to identify stress-related problems as early as possible, so that action can be taken before serious stress-related illness occurs.

There will be changes in the stressed person.

These changes may be emotional, physical or behavioural, or a combination of all three. So, the key thing is to look out for negative changes of any kind. Bear in mind that the negative changes are also likely to have knock-on effects e.g. reduced performance at work.

Of course, we all experience ‘bad days’, so we are really talking about situations where people display these negative changes for a period of time (e.g. 5 days in a row).

Prolonged stress undoubtedly makes people ill. It is now known to contribute to heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure, it affects the immune system, is linked to strokes, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, miscarriage, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss.

Cognitive

• Memory Problems
• Poor Judgement
• Inability to Concentrate
• ‘Brain Fog’
• Indecision
• Starting many tasks but achieving little
• Self doubt

Emotional

• Depression
• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Fatalistic Thinking
• Panic
• Cynicism
• Anxiety
• Feeling Overwhelmed
• Frustration

Physical

• Chest Pain
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Aches and Pains
• Frequent Colds
• Skin Complaints
• Indigestion
• High Blood Pressure

Behavioral

• Increase Intake in Alcohol, Cigarettes and Caffeine to Relax
• Isolating Yourself from Others
• Sleeping too Little or too Much
• Demotivated
• Loss of sense of humour

10 Step Stress Solution

• Prioritise Your Health
• Get a Good Nights Sleep
• Practice Deep Breathing
• Stay Hydrated
• Eat for Wellbeing
• Get Moving to Combat Stress
• Adopt a Positive Mind Set
• Master Your Time
• Don’t be a Slave to Tech
• Learn to Say No

This article originally appeared on stress.org.uk

How Float Therapy Benefits Mental Health

Credited for helping with anxiety, depression, chronic pain and other health problems, float therapy has been evolving as a wellness treatment since the 1950s. Similar to meditation, floating in a salt tank or pod may hold an advantage over other methods of mindfulness because of how it affects the human brain.

What is Float Therapy?

It’s simple. Strip down. Hop into a float tank or “pod.” The high concentration of salt in the float tank has impressive buoyancy. You will peacefully float on soothing, body-temperature water.

There is no light in the float tank, so you get a sensory deprivation experience as well. It’s like you’re in the womb. How can this not be healing?

The evidence is mounting that float therapy does have healing properties.

In an ongoing study, doctors used fMRI technology to scan the brains of 40 healthy, non-depressed people. Half the group floated in salt water for 90 minutes, the other half spent the time in another type of restricted stimulation experience, such as meditation.

When all participants received a second fMRI brain scan afterward, they also completed tasks to assess attention span, reward processing, and emotional reactions. One key takeaway from the second scan was a higher level of “interoceptivity,” or awareness of internal sensations such as heartbeat and breath, among the float group.

Float therapy candidates should know:

Multiple sessions are usually required to gain a benefit. With commitment, mental health professionals and patients may find that regular floatation sessions can open up new roads to recovery for the following conditions:

Eating Disorders

Float therapy can help patients with eating disorders, including overeating, because deep mental relaxation may calm triggers, past traumas, and clarify habits affecting food habits. Research on float therapy will soon specifically study those suffering with anorexia, some of whom have documented that consistent visits to the flotation pod have aided recovery.

Insomnia

Float therapy can not only help anxious people sleep, but also understand how an absence of environmental stimuli such as light and sound can improve sleep at home. Many sleep-challenged floaters use recorded guided meditations, visualizations, counting and other sleep-inducing techniques while in the pod.

Anxiety

Panic attacks, self-mutilation, and other stress-related conditions may be aided by float sessions that soothe the patient and invite him or her to gently consider actions and events leading to episodes. The solitary experience of floating alone in darkness inevitably leads to curiosity and — in some cases — epiphanies about how to solve personal problems.

ADHD

The inability to concentrate or focus can also be addressed by float therapy. By committing to an hour or more in the pod, a patient with ADHD may benefit from the lack of distractions and enjoy a purer level of concentration and thought than normally possible. Ideally, an improved ability to concentrate will slowly begin to emerge in daily life.

Curious? Go to a float therapy center and sink into a pod of warm, briny water for an hour or more of REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy) and decide for yourself.

This article originally appeared on blogs.psychcentral.com and was written by Mike Bundrant