Yoga: A Solution for Depression - Grab Your Yoga Mat & Do Inverted Yoga Poses

Yoga helps alleviate depression by increasing brain chemicals that contribute to a natural physical high. Through the release of these chemicals, a depressed person can be lifted out of despair to feel more energized and cheerful. The most beneficial yoga postures for depression are inverted poses.

bridge pose	shoulder stand

The reason is that inverted yoga poses increase the flow of blood, oxygen and glucose to the brain. This facilitates the production of dopamine (associated with pleasure and reward), serotonin (regulates emotion, sleep and appetite) and noradrenaline (linked to arousal and alertness). People with depression are known to have lower levels of these chemicals in their brain. Through yoga these neurotransmitters are boosted, easing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In addition, inverted poses can help eliminate underlying causes of depression. If practiced regularly, the shoulder stand, for example, helps regulate the thyroid. Correcting under-activity or over-activity of the thyroid helps maintain calmness and weight. The shoulder stand is also known to eliminate congestion in the lower abdomen, reduce varicose veins, shrink hemorrhoids and aid constipation (which can cause depression).

It is important for people who suffer from depression to concentrate on the breath, especially while practicing yoga. The Clairvision school of meditation teaches an effective breathing technique called the fourfold rhythm of the breath. The cycle is comprised of 4 phases:

1. Inhalation

2. Full retention - the phase that comes after inhaling and before exhaling. This phase doesn't even last a second

3. Exhalation

4. Dead time - also known as empty retention - comes after the exhalation and before the following inhalation

The fourfold rhythm of the breath is both calming and energizing. It helps take in more oxygen and remove more carbon monoxide, thus improving brain activity and the release of natural feel good brain chemicals.

It is recommended for those who suffer from depression to spend more than twenty minutes a day exercising. Practicing yoga postures is a gentle form of exercise that helps people proactively manage depression and other chronic problems.