By Amanda Ciccoritti

Practicing Yoga has the capacity to bring a level of peace and tranquility into a person’s life with its ability to bring attention to living in the moment and living to your full potential. For numerous reasons – most of which will be discussed shortly – Yoga repairs sensitive wounds and trains a person’s mind to focus on what’s important to live a life that can be described as fulfilling and worthy. In the case of Yoga treating depression, this is a subject that needs to be focused on considering how individuals in a depressive state often question their significance, the meaning of life and what they can offer to this world and the people around them. The practice of Yoga enables us to slow down and more calmly respond to our thoughts, rather than impulsively react to them.

Before determining what it is that Yoga can do to help, it is important to discern the state that Depressed people want to suppress, and what state they want to aim to be in. Depression is defined as a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity.[1] Depression is being diagnosed on an epidemic scale and can lead to suicide, particularly in young people. The term depression in other contexts implies a state of being “low”, and it is in this low state that people put other, less important issues above their own personal needs and wants that will bring them to a state of happiness or contentment. Since the opposite of Depression if often labelled as happiness, let’s define what that means. Happiness, as defined by Hinduism, is often termed ananda which is translated more literally to bliss. “When there is no distinction between the knower and knowing, the object and the subject, one becomes immersed in immense bliss.”[2]

An important reference is that of the Eight-Limbed Path set down by Patanjali in The Yoga Sutras. It was outlined by Pantanjali as a kind of treatment path for issues of mental and emotional distress. Described in them are nine-distractions or obstacles to inner awareness: disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, addiction, false perception, failure to reach firm ground, and instability. More than this, he describes four pathological states that accompany these obstacles: depression, anxiety, trembling in the limbs and unsteady breath. His suggestion on how to alleviate these burdens is this eight-part series: yama (restraint), niyama (observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawl of the senses), dharma (concentration), dhyana (absorption) and samadhi (cosmic consciousness). Yoga is structured to provide practitioners access to these exercises and mental states.

Pranayama breathing exercises are often named as the most efficient technique at relieving depressive symptoms. In order to treat someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, psychiatrist Roy King (currently on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stanford University) offered his client a breathing technique and a visualization technique to block the visual flashbacks of her abuse.

“Just learning how to breathe can transform the nature of someone’s thoughts about the trauma to which they were subjected”, he said. Janis Carter, a psychiatrist in Brisbane, Australia, prescribes Yoga exercises to her patients and has found that they have a diminished need for medication. (Weintraub, 31)

There have been studies done on the long term and short term effects of yoga. Some of the discoveries regarding short term effects are evidence of an almost immediate effect that yoga has on the body and on the psyche. A small Scandinavian study measured brain waves before and after a two hour yoga class and found that alpha waves (relaxation) and theta waves (unconscious memory, dreams and emotions) increased by 40 percent. This increase means that the brain is deeply relaxed after Yoga and that the subjects had a better chance of making contact with their subconscious and their emotions. Researchers at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, in cooperation with the Yoga Research Society, found that practitioners experienced a significant drop in cortisol levels (sometimes referred to as the stress hormone) after a single Yoga class. In one study in France, when daily Yoga sessions were offered to hospitalized psychiatric patients, it was recorded that “following the Yoga session, patients feel a sense of relaxation and mild euphoria, lasting for several hours. After eight to ten days of daily practice, certain physical symptoms may start to disappear. After a period of one to two months, psychiatric symptoms may start to diminish.” (Weintraub, 58)

With regards to long term studies, the following observations are great motivation for people to continue practicing yoga for many years. In a recent long-term study the Stress Reduction & Relaxation Program at the University of Massachusetts, combined with group cognitive therapy, set up an eight-week treatment in the prevention of recurrence of major depression. The follow-up testing, one year later, the treatment group had a significantly lower relapse rate than did the control group. The study’s authors say that the treatment encourages participants to “intentionally face and move into difficulties and discomfort, and to develop a decentered perspective on thoughts and feelings, in which these are viewed as events in the mind.” (Weintraub, 63) The decentered perspective is referred to, in Yoga, as the growth and development of the Witness Consciousness. Pantajali often writes about the “Seer” in the Yoga Sutras. He states that as you (the Seer) develop and maintains your Yoga practice, you “witness the circumstances of your lives and the thoughts and feelings those circumstances engender with a calm, equanimous mind.” (Weintraub, 63)

Another recent study in Bombay compared the effects of Yoga practice done without meditation with the effects of Yoga practice done with mediation and conscious breathing. The “psychoneurotic patients” (who had not responded to treatment before the study) were measured before and after six weeks of practicing Yoga five days a week.

The group that practiced only Yoga showed a significant improvement of 42 percent (using standard assessment tools such as the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale) and the group that practiced Yoga and meditation showed a 73 percent improvement. In addition to the effect of relaxation documented in studies throughout the world, studies done in India show improvement in memory, cognitive functioning, perceptual-motor skills, muscle power, and visual perception. (Weintraub, 65) One author theorizes that Yoga may be particularly helpful in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Yogic practices that focus the energy on the crown of the head, through inverted postures, special breathing exercises, visualizations, or by sounding certain tones, can directly stimulate the pineal gland (otherwise stimulated by the sun). Although more studies and evidence is required in order for doctors to formally prescribe Yoga practice as a treatment, it is often advised or suggested with nothing but positive repercussions.

An important comparison to make is between Yoga as a treatment for Depression (and related issues) and medical treatments that have been attempted. Antidepressant drugs may help some, but not all people. They also often have undesirable side effects such as dizziness, nausea, weight-gain, and a general lack of enthusiasm for day to day activities. About 30% of patients who had been given placebo drugs during a study in 1992 improved in the same amount of time as those who were given anti depressants, which indicates that not all patients suffering from depressions need medical aid. (Kalat, 319) Another study done in 1991 found that intensive relaxation, conducted in weekly session over two months with practice sessions at home with audio taped instructions, significantly reduced blood pressure immediately and noted a significantly decreased level of anger in hypertensive patients. (Davison, 244) No medications were prescribed. Although it was observed that these relaxation techniques were not effective in the long run like medications, it is believed that this is mainly because the patients were not properly trained in these relaxation techniques. This is an important observation in favour of Yoga Instructors and their significance as a guide for the healing process.

 A very simple, but effective practice has been put together by Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression, with justifications for each asana, but I will discuss the very thorough breathing exercises that she credits as being the most important aspect of an effective and healing Yoga session. “Just learning how to breathe can transform the nature of someone’s thought about the trauma to which they were subjected.” (Weintraub, 31) One must always breathe deeply and slowly through the nostrils, unless instructed otherwise.

There are three important aspects of effective Pranayama breathing to consider at all times. The first is that it’s important to have fresh air circulating in the room where you are practicing pranayama breathing exercises by opening a window or going outside. Secondly, it is best to wait a minimum of two hours after eating before practicing any pranayama. Thirdly, sit with the spine erect, just off the edge of a cushion, with legs crossed in Easy Pose or in Half-Lotus. Begin with palms open on the knees. (Weintraub, 138)

Ocean-Sounding Victory Breath (Ujjayi), once learned, can be practiced throughout ones posture sequence, bringing a fresh supply of oxygen to the cells. Purifying Breath – Alternate-Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhama) encourages a pattern of breathing that keeps as many nadis open as possible (nadis are tube-like channels throughout the body sometimes correlated with the nerves, sometimes thought of as a spiritual metaphor). Two other breathing practices are Retention (Kumbhaka) and the Bee Breath (Brahmari). All of these breathing exercises are considered fine for beginners, as long as they are instructed on the proper techniques by instructors. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is highlighted as an exercise that soothes and energizes, while lifting a depressive mood. There are more advanced breathing techniques such as Skull Shining (Kapalabhati), Skull Shining with Retention (Kapalabhati with Kumbhaka), Alternate-Nostril Skull Shining (Kapalabhati), Breath of Fire, Mountain Breath and more. (Weintraub, 142) A recent study observed the level of anxiety, fear, and reactive behaviour among juvenile offenders in Los Angeles before and after taking an eight-week long breathing program. Despite a change of warden during the eight-week period, high staff turnover, and and understaffing, there was a significant decrease in anxiety by the end of the eight weeks, as well as fights and temporary disciplinary removal. The release of anterior pituitary hormones – oxytocin, prolactin, and vasopression – during a Yoga practice with meditative and proper breathing exercises incorporated in it is said to significantly reduce violent thoughts and actions. This elevation of hormone levels is also thought to account for the dramatic change among imprisoned terrorists in India after taking the Art of Living Course. (Weintraub, 153)

A combination of meditative exercises, asanas, proper breathing, and consistent practice is a sure sign of being on the right path to overcoming a state of depression. To paraphrase Pantajali’s statement in The Yoga Sutras, “the highest spiritual practice is self-awareness without judgment”. (Weintraub, 48) In order to communicate with the divine, the nine-distractions/obstacles must be conquered in order to access the free flow of thought and feeling. Yoga, being a portal to self-awareness, physical health and spiritual exploration, will help us overcome the epidemic known as Depression and will improve the quality of life for so many, as has been done for thousands of years.

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[1] http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=3DX&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&defl=en&q=define:depression&sa=X&ei=CwIgTJOkFML38Abe_byFDA&ved=0CBgQkAE

[2] http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts/ananda.asp

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Works Cited 

Weintraub, Amy. Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga. New York: Random House Inc, 2004.

Kalat, James W. “Biological Psychology.” Ninth Ed. Belmont: Thompson Learning Inc., 2007.

Davison, George C., John M. Neale, Kirk R. Blankstein, Gordon L. Flett. “Abnormal Psychology.” Second Edition. Mississauga: John Wiley and Sons Canada, Ltd., 2005.

Amanda Ciccoritti is a certified Yoga teacher.  She teaches Yoga classes in the Woodbridge, Ontario area.