Yoga and Mood Disorders: The Ancient Practice Might Help People with Anxiety or Depression

Yoga, with its combination of mind, body, and spirit, might provide an answer for people with mood disorders such as anxiety or depression. It appears that yoga helps increase the brain chemical GABA, which often is at low levels in people with mood disorders. Here is an excerpt of a news article about the link between yoga and depression:

The study involved 19 people who practiced Iyengar yoga, a type of Hatha yoga, and 15 people who walked at an average pace for one hour, three times a week, for 12 weeks.

Participants filled out standard mood questionnaires throughout the study. MRI images of their brains were taken at the start of the study and at the end of the 12 weeks. Then, participants did one more hour of yoga or walking, depending on which intervention they’d been assigned to, followed by one more scan.

The people who practiced yoga reported greater improvements in mood and greater decreases in anxiety than the walking group.

Also, GABA levels showed a trend toward an increase in the yoga group from the second to third scan, but not in the walking group.

Streeter tells WebMD that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly used to treat depression and other mood disorders also increase GABA levels.

Although the study only involved people without psychiatric problems, this suggests that yoga postures may be helpful in treating people who have depression or anxiety and have low GABA levels, she says.

Bikram Yoga - Portland, Maine for Hot Yoga

Bikram Yoga: Portland, Maine is one of the best locations for this highly effective workout.

Bikram Yoga, or hot yoga, helps restore health to the human body. Derived from the Yoga College of India, it is practiced in a warm, humid room.

(Source)

An interesting article on Bikram Yoga in Portland, Maine:

The Golden Rules Of Bikram Yoga

Key section:
Developed by an undisputed All- India National Yoga Champion, Bikram Choudhury, bikram yoga is performed right inside a room that is heated to a temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius. Keep reading to learn the golden rules of bikram yoga.

People of different demographic, be it young or old, thin or fat, short or tall, are grouped all together with an instructor that will guide the class for a period running for one hour and thirty minutes.

Of the many of types of yoga, the most well-known is the Hatha Yoga. This is the most popular simply for the reason that most people often associate this type with the general yoga practice. Also, hatha is one of the best types of yoga that provide the basics to the practice. It involves the basic yoga poses and movements, as well as the fundamental breathing techniques. The movements are slow paced and gentle, making this type really perfect for the beginners.

There is also the …

Reference: The Golden Rules Of Bikram Yoga

One more interesting item on Bikram Yoga in Portland, Maine:

Bikram Yoga – The Benefits of Bikram Yoga

Synopsis:
Bikram Yoga – Insights about Bikram Yoga and answers to frequently asked questions like why they use heat in the practice

Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90-minutes. People of all levels, ages and body types practice together as this is a beginning yoga class.

Bikram yoga is a specific style of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram yoga is often referred to as hot yoga as it is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 50%.

The origin of this type of yoga is spiritually …

Excerpted from: Bikram Yoga – The Benefits of Bikram Yoga

Map of Bikram Yoga, Portland, Maine (click on View Larger Map to see Bikram Yoga locations):

Plus see the video below about Bikram Yoga in Portland, Maine:

Michael on Practicing

The Benefits of Yoga for Breast Cancer Survivors

A Pilot Study of Yoga for Breast Cancer Survivors: Physical and Psychological Benefits

A recent scholarly journal article in the publication Psycho-Oncology examined whether yoga and other physical activities have positive effects on people who have had cancer. The authors, who were from the University of Calgary in Canada, concluded that yoga appears to have many benefits for cancer survivors. See the full article here: Yoga for Breast Cancer Survivors

An excerpt from the journal article:

“Overall, the results indicate that the yoga practice had a positive impact on mood, quality of life and stress within the intervention group compared to the control group. Global quality of life … was higher for yoga participants than control at post-intervention…. [E]motional function and diarrhea were also lower in the yoga participants. Other results, while not statistically significant … are reported as trends in the direction hypothesized…. Specifically, total mood disturbance, although not significant, was lower in the yoga vs control group. This was reflected in improvements in tension, depression, and confusion…. [R]esults indicated a trend towards improvement in … less emotional irritability, gastrointestinal symptoms and cognitive disorganization.”

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