essay on yoga and mental health

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• Spring 2024 | VOL. 22, NO. 2 Autism Across the Lifespan CURRENT ISSUE pp.147-262
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Yoga for Depression and Anxiety: A Review of Published Research and Implications for Healthcare Providers

• Lisa A. Uebelacker , Ph.D. , and
• Monica K. Broughton , B.A.

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There is increasing interest in the use of yoga as way to manage or treat depression and anxiety. Yoga is affordable, appealing, and accessible for many people, and there are plausible cognitive/affective and biologic mechanisms by which yoga could have a positive impact on depression and anxiety. There is indeed preliminary evidence that yoga may be helpful for these problems, and there are several ongoing larger-scale randomized clinical trials. The current evidence base is strongest for yoga as efficacious in reducing symptoms of unipolar depression. However, there may be risks to engaging in yoga as well. Healthcare providers can help patients evaluate whether a particular community-based yoga class is helpful and safe for them.

(Reprinted with permission from Rhode Island Medical Journal , 20–22, 2016)

Introduction

Over the past few years, patients, clinicians, researchers, and yoga practitioners have shown increasing interest in the use of yoga as a way to manage or treat depression and anxiety. Yoga is a discipline and practice with origins in India. In the united States, most people practice hatha yoga, which includes physical postures ( asanas ) and can include breath control and practices ( pranayama ) and meditation ( dhyana ) . There are many different styles of hatha yoga – for example, Vinyasa or Iyengar. Hatha yoga classes can vary in numerous ways: some classes may involve flowing from one posture to another; others may be more focused on alignment and holding postures. Classes can range from very vigorous and aerobic in nature to very gentle. In some classes, teachers may focus on teaching mindfulness. That is, teachers may instruct yoga students to focus on breathing and bodily sensations in a non-judgmental way as the students move or hold postures.

Yoga might be appealing to people who struggle with depression and anxiety for many reasons. It is affordable and readily accessible in many areas. In addition to the fact there are many yoga classes in the community, yoga students can also use instructional DVDs and books to practice at home. There are modified classes for people with special concerns, such as pregnant women. Yoga may also alleviate physical pain, 1 a common comorbidity among people with depression or anxiety. Yoga can easily be used in combination with traditional mental health treatments. Finally, some people may like the fact that yoga focuses on promoting good mental and physical health, and is not focused on correcting a deficit or treating poor health.

Mechanisms by Which Yoga may Improve Depression and Anxiety

There are many possible mechanisms by which yoga might have an impact on depression or anxiety. We highlight two types of mechanisms here: cognitive/affective and biologic.

First, in a yoga class, a student may be directed to direct his/her attention to present-moment thoughts, feelings, and body sensations in a non-judgmental way. This practice of mindfulness, when extended into everyday life, may help one to focus on current experience, rather than ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Further, the emphasis on a non-judgmental approach may help to decrease self-criticism. Learning to attend to current experience, including current thoughts and feelings, can also teach one that thoughts and feelings are transient mental events, and that negative (and positive) feelings will fluctuate and change. Mindfulness-based therapies have a demonstrated impact on depression and anxiety symptoms. 2

Yoga-based practices may serve to regulate the autonomic nervous system. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction is associated with depression 3 and anxiety. 4 Yoga practices may modify underactivity of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and GABA systems in part through stimulation of the vagus nerves, which are the primary peripheral pathway of the PNS. There is some research to suggest that yoga does indeed increase PNS activity and increase GABA levels in the thalamus, and that these increases are correlated with improved mood. 5 Researchers have also hypothesized yoga may have a positive impact on related biologic pathways. Yoga may reduce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, although evidence to date is inconsistent. 6 Finally, there is some evidence yoga may serve to decrease inflammation (e.g., 7 ). Change in these biologic pathways may affect the underlying pathophysiology of depression and anxiety.

Review of Clinical Trials of Yoga for Depression and Anxiety

Unipolar depression..

A recent meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of yoga for clinical depression reported yoga was significantly better than usual care, relaxation exercises, or aerobic exercise in decreasing depressive symptoms. 8 Studies have also shown that hatha yoga can improve mood symptoms occurring in the context of medical problems. Meta-analyses of RCTs have reported that yoga is associated with large reductions in depression and anxiety in cancer patients, 9 and has a significant impact on depression (and pain) associated with fibromyalgia. 10 Yoga may also be useful for prenatal depression. 11

Bipolar disorder.

We were unable to find any randomized clinical trials of yoga for bipolar disorder. We have published anecdotal evidence that yoga can be helpful for some symptoms of bipolar disorder. 12

Anxiety and anxiety disorders.

There are very few studies of yoga for specific anxiety disorders. Two separate single-arm trials of yoga interventions as adjunctive treatments for people with generalized anxiety disorder showed improvements in anxiety symptoms over time. 13 , 14 Among a small group of people with “anxiety complaints,” yoga, relative to a wait-list control, was associated with lower anxiety after 1 month of practice. 15 There is a larger-scale randomized clinical trial of yoga vs. cognitive behavioral therapy vs. an educational control group currently underway (see clinicaltrials.gov ).

Promising data on the effects of yoga on anxiety also comes from studies of yoga versus a control group in healthy individuals (without psychiatric disorders) or in individuals with a particular medical problem. These data are encouraging. For example, as mentioned above, a meta-analysis showed that yoga was superior to control groups in reducing anxiety for people with cancer. 9 Yoga was also shown to be superior to a health education control group in reducing anxiety (and increasing quit rates) for women trying to quit smoking. 16

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

There is significant interest in yoga for PTSD, although relatively few RCTs have been published. In a recently published RCT, 64 women with PTSD were randomly assigned to yoga or a health education class. At study endpoint, significantly fewer women assigned to the yoga group met criteria for PTSD. 17 A small RCT with 21 male military veterans showed that that a breathing-based yoga intervention was associated with larger decreases in PTSD symptoms than a wait-list control group. 18 In contrast, another RCT included 38 women with PTSD who were randomized to Kripalu yoga vs. an assessment control, and both groups showed decreases in PTSD symptoms. However, the study was likely underpowered to detect statistically significant differences. 19 Finally, in a non-randomized study, Descilo and colleagues 20 compared tsunami survivors with elevated PTSD symptoms who received a yoga breathing intervention vs. a wait-list control, and found significant decreases in PTSD symptoms for the yoga group relative to the control group. There are also several trials of yoga for PTSD in veterans currently underway (see clinicaltrials.gov ). Thus, the existing literature on yoga for PTSD is encouraging, but not definitive.

Limitations of Existing Research

As can be seen by this literature review, with the possible exception of unipolar depression, there are relatively few scientific studies evaluating the impact that yoga may have on symptoms of mood, anxiety disorders, and PTSD. Further adding to the difficulty of making conclusions from this literature, there are important differences between studies, and many studies suffer from methodologic limitations. We highlight a few key issues here. First, the style of yoga varies significantly between study interventions – with different emphasis placed on how gentle vs. vigorous the practice is and the degree to which pranayama, meditation, and mindfulness are emphasized. Some of the yoga interventions described above were not hatha yoga – i.e., they were primarily focused on pranayama and not at all focused on asana practice. Second, yoga interventions also differ in “dosage”: i.e., the length of classes, the number of classes per week, and the degree to which home practice is encouraged. Third, trials employ a variety of control groups, ranging from a relatively weak control groups (i.e., no treatment) to stronger control groups (i.e., physical activity or another type of class that controls for time and attention). Fourth, many studies do not include an assessment of the key outcome measure (e.g., depression or anxiety symptoms) performed by an evaluator who is blind to treatment assignment.

Implications for Healthcare Providers

We provide recommendations for healthcare providers in light of the current level of evidence of yoga for depression and anxiety. It is possible that an individual with a mood or anxiety disorder will be interested in trying yoga. A healthcare provider might advise his/her patient that there are many different styles of yoga in the community, and that the patient may want to try a class for a few weeks, evaluate whether the class seems to be comfortable and helpful, and, if not, consider trying a different class. If the patient is not physically fit, it is wise to start with a “gentle” or “beginner's” yoga class. Classes that emphasize mindfulness practices may be particularly helpful for people with depression or anxiety. Although there is no formal licensure for yoga teachers, yoga teachers who are Registered Yoga Teachers (RYTs) with the Yoga Alliance have gone through a formal training program approved by the Yoga Alliance. Thus, the patient may want to choose a class taught by a RYT.

Although yoga may be beneficial, the patient and healthcare provider should be aware of possible risks of engaging in yoga. In studies described above, investigators often did not report on a systematic assessment of adverse events, and thus there is very little data available on possible risks of yoga participation. However, in a survey study of people with bipolar disorder who practiced yoga, potential risks cited included: practices such as rapid breathing or extended meditation possibly leading to symptom exacerbation (mania or depression), physical injury, and negative comparison to other students. 12 Other possible risks include dehydration resulting from the combination of a heated room and psychotropic medications, or strong negative psychological reactions (such as panic attacks, flashbacks, or hallucinations) to extended meditation sessions. When choosing a class, a patient will want to be mindful of his/ her own vulnerabilities and risks, including risks associated with psychotropic medications.

In sum, there is preliminary evidence that yoga may be helpful for depression, anxiety, or PTSD. The evidence is strongest for unipolar depression. Healthcare providers can help patients evaluate whether a given community-based yoga class is helpful and safe for them.

For further reading and suggestions for practice, see Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga by Amy Weintraub (Harmony Books, 2003).

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• The Effect of a Combined Mindfulness and Yoga Intervention on Soldier Mental Health in Basic Combat Training: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Depression and Anxiety, Vol. 2023
• Yoga for Mental Health Disorders
• A reformulated contextual model of psychotherapy for treating anxiety and depression Clinical Psychology Review, Vol. 80

60+ Benefits of Yoga for Mental & Physical Health

For most people these days, the answer you get to that question is “yes.”

Yoga is one of the most popular physical activities and group classes in the United States, although it wasn’t always that way.

Yoga’s reputation started out in the West as something that hippies did for spiritual enlightenment after consuming one of several mind-altering drugs; however, today it is a much more mainstream and respected practice that centers on the physical and mental wellbeing of practitioners.

If you’ve given yoga a try, you know that it has the potential to be very effective in treating and soothing a wide range of illnesses, issues, diagnoses, and stressful situations. You also probably know that it’s much, much more than a simple exercise or stretching routine; it requires your brain as well as your body.

In fact, it’s one of the few physical activities that do a pretty thorough job of connecting your brain to your body.

If that sounds fascinating to you, read on to explore the relationship between yoga and psychology and look at the many benefits of yoga on the mental and physical health of men, women, and children.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free . These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

The relationship between yoga and psychology, yoga and positive psychology, what does the research say about yoga and mental health, the benefits of yoga, benefits of doing yoga every day, is yoga in the morning more beneficial, what is nidra meditation, 20 quotes on the benefits of yoga, a take-home message.

Although you may be familiar with the physical practice we call yoga, yoga is actually much more than stretching and holding poses; yoga is a more comprehensive practice—indeed, a lifestyle—that encompasses several life principles, like:

• Yama (moral code)
• Niyama (self-discipline)
• Asanas (postures or poses)
• Pranayama ( mindfulness of breathing)
• Pratyahara (detachment from senses)
• Dharana (concentration)
• Dhyanna ( meditation or positive, mindful focus on the present)
• Savasana (state of rest)
• Samadhi (ecstasy; Ivtzan & Papantoniou, 2014)

You’ll notice that only asanas and savasana are focused on physical experiences. The rest concern mental, emotional, and spiritual experiences.

This is because yoga is much more focused on the practitioner’s “inner” experience than their “outer” experience (i.e., worrying about the body). An authentic yoga practice demands introspection , reflection, and earnest consideration of the self. It is a way to connect with our own thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and core values, opening the window into our deeper and truer selves.

Viewed in this light, it’s hard to see yoga and psychology as separate subjects! However, as close as the connection is between yoga and psychology, it’s even more intimately related to the subfield of positive psychology .

The link between yoga and positive psychology is a strong one; although yoga started with a slightly different focus, it is now commonly practiced in the West as an attempt to enhance wellbeing (Ivtzan & Papantoniou, 2014). Of course, wellbeing is a core topic in positive psychology, which explains the frequent use of yoga in intervention and exercises.

Further, yoga offers an excellent opportunity to enter flow, the state of being fully engaged and present in the moment with no attention paid to the time passing. Practicing yoga can help people cultivate mindfulness , develop greater awareness, and improve their ability to focus on what is at hand.

If you are interested in learning more about the connection between yoga and positive psychology, click here to read about a course on the link between the two subjects. You will learn:

• The history, core contributors, and traits researched and highlighted in positive psychology
• The inherent similarities between yoga and positive psychology explored through the Yoga Sutras and the Paths of Yoga
• How the Yamas and the Niyamas compare to concepts of positive psychology
• Practical interventions you can use in your yoga practice and your life
• The use and natural connection of the YogaFit Essence and Transformational Language
• Specialized cueing and pose selection

If you’re ready to move on to a slightly different tack and learn about yoga and mental health activities , go on to the section.

Tons of work has been conducted on the impacts of yoga on mental health.

The overall consensus is that yoga has many positive effects on mental health that go beyond the effects of other low- to-medium-impact physical activity and these effects are likely due to chemical changes in the brain (Grazioplene, 2012).

It turns out that practicing yoga actually facilitates a greater release of gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) from the thalamus; GABA acts as a sort of “grand inhibitor” of the brain, suppressing neural activity.

This can mimic the effects of anti-anxiety drugs and alcohol—yep, doing yoga can make you feel like you just had a nice, relaxing cocktail! This finding indicates that yoga can actually work to help to “reset” your brain to a calmer, more collected state, giving you the baseline mood you need to deal with the stress you encounter every day (Grazioplene, 2012).

Yoga makes an excellent alternative or complementary treatment for issues that require medication and/or therapy, as it is natural, accessible for all, and relatively easy to engage in. In addition, it is a good choice because it is one of the few treatment activities that connect the mind to the body.

In therapy, you generally don’t use your body in any significant way; when taking medication, you generally don’t emphasize the mind-body connection , or even think about it much—after all, you just hope it works, and you may not care much how it works!

The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind.

Practicing yoga emphasizes the connection between our minds and our bodies, and encourages you to use both at the same time. A yoga session requires precise and mindful movement, but it also calls for mindful thought and enhanced awareness.

Unlike when you go for a run or lift weights, yoga is only in “full effect” when both mind and body are completely engaged. This marriage of your mental state and your physical state offers a unique opportunity to make a powerful impact on your mental health.

How strong is the potential impact of a “yoga treatment?” So strong that some therapists and doctors have begun to prescribe it as a complementary treatment on top of medication, talk therapy, or both; sometimes, it is even pursued as the only method of treatment, although that is generally not advised for more severe diagnoses.

Yoga has a sly, clever way of short circuiting the mental patterns that cause anxiety.

Support for yoga as a supplement to other types of treatment comes from a groundbreaking 2007 study of depressed patients who were taking antidepressant medication but were only in partial remission.

The researchers observed that participants who engaged in regular yoga practice (at least three times a week for eight weeks) experienced significantly fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. Some participants even achieved remission from their mental illness, and many participants reported better mood overall (Novotney, 2009).

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You’ve likely heard about the many benefits of yoga that go beyond alleviating or buffering against mental illness; benefits like:

• It builds confidence
• It helps you learn to breathe, both literally and metaphorically
• It makes you more aware of your posture at all times
• It makes you more mindful
• It boosts your strength and endurance
• It helps relieve stress (Rues, n.d.)

Aside from the anecdotal stories about the wonders of regular yoga practice, there is also peer-reviewed evidence to support the benefits of yoga.

For example, reviews of the literature suggest that yoga is at least somewhat effective in lessening symptoms of depression, reducing fatigue, relieving anxiety, and reducing or acting as a buffer against stress, and often boosts participants’ feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem (Büssing, Michalsen, Khalsa, Telles, & Sherman, 2012).

Yoga can be especially helpful for those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several studies on yoga applied to PTSD treatment show that yoga can have outcomes similar to those of talk therapy (Novotney, 2009). The results of yoga on PTSD symptoms highlights this link between the body and the brain, and the potential of yoga to facilitate that connection and skip right over the barrier.

Many PTSD symptoms are physical, such as the increased heart rate and perspiration that sometimes accompany “flashbacks” or vivid memories of trauma. Yoga may be especially helpful in addressing symptoms such as these, as it can target the physical symptoms of stress, anxiety, fear, and depression.

The Physical Benefits of Yoga

The beauty is that people often come here for the stretch, and leave with a lot more.

Overall, although yoga may seem like a relatively mild form of exercise, regular yoga practice can result in the same health benefits as many other types of exercise but with less of an impact on joints and more relaxation!

In addition to having the same impacts on general health as other types of exercise, there is some evidence that yoga is even more beneficial than most types of exercise when it comes to:

• Increasing balance
• Improving baroreflex sensitivity
• Reducing fatigue
• Enhancing flexibility
• Healthy heart rate
• Healthy heart rate variability
• Improved kidney function
• Lessened or buffered menopausal symptoms
• Relieving pain
• Relieving or inhibiting psychotic symptoms
• Improving quality of life
• Reducing sleep disturbances
• Improving social and occupational functioning
• Increasing strength
• Lowering obesity
• Reducing stress
• Reducing cholesterol (Ross & Thomas, 2009; Ross, Friedmann, Bevans, & Thomas, 2013)

Yoga can also help you beat the symptoms of insomnia and depression and boost your energy, happiness, and encourage a healthy weight.

In one study, participants who engaged in a daily 45-minute yoga practice right before going to bed for eight weeks experienced tremendous decreases in the severity of their insomnia (Novotney, 2009).

In another study, participants who practiced yoga more regularly were also more likely to report higher energy, better moods, greater happiness, more fulfilling relationships with others, and more satisfying lives in general (Ross et al., 2013).

Finally, an overview on the general benefits of yoga found that those who engage in the practice regularly often experience increases in self-efficacy and self-confidence, along with enhancements in balance, flexibility, strength, and weight loss (Büssing et al., 2012).

The same study found that yoga has been reported to boost cardiovascular endurance, reduce hypertension, enhance pulmonary function, and more. However, these results are still fairly preliminary, so take these findings with a grain of salt!

The Benefits of Yoga for Men

Besides the physical and mental benefits listed above that are great outcomes for anyone who engages in yoga, there are also many benefits that men often specifically appreciate about practicing yoga.

For example, yoga can help men:

• Enhance their athletic performance through improved flexibility, internal awareness, better respiratory capacity, better circulation and motion efficiency, and greater energy.
• Prevent injury and speed up recovery through the healing of inflamed muscles, tissue, joints, and fascia, as well as the restoring of connective tissue and increased body awareness, leading to more caution and less injury.
• Boost their sex life, by enhancing desire, sexual satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, control, and even better orgasms!
• Optimize their muscle tone via increased delivery of oxygen to the muscles.
• Lower their stress level through movement.
• Increase their mental agility through the sharpening of the mind and improved cognitive function that comes with the meditative exercise of yoga (Ross, 2018).

This list provides some pretty good reasons for curious men to give yoga a try! Don’t get jealous yet, ladies—there are also some benefits of yoga that speak to women in particular.

The Benefits of Yoga for Women

The benefits of yoga that are often specifically appreciated by women include:

• Helping you to deal with hormonal changes during your cycle and during menopause.
• Soothing worry and anxiety caused by a health crisis or serious diagnosis.
• Lessening stress and reducing the severity and frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms.
• Improving your posture.
• Improving your appearance through standing taller, feeling more confident, and more effective weight management (Cespedes, 2018).

In addition, although we noted some of the impacts of yoga on PTSD earlier, it’s worth emphasizing that it may be particularly helpful for women who have suffered some kind of trauma.

The Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts recruited a group of women who had been diagnosed with PTSD to engage in an experimental yoga treatment. The women attended eight 75-minute Hatha yoga sessions over the course of a few weeks.

Those who participated reported significantly reduced PTSD symptoms compared with women in a talk therapy group (Novotney, 2009). This might not represent the average results of yoga for PTSD, but there are at least some cases where it’s as effective as seeing a licensed professional therapist! At that price (free or very cheap), yoga is definitely worth a try.

Yoga in the Classroom: The Benefits for Kids

If at any point in this piece so far you’ve thought to yourself, “These benefits are great, but those who could really benefit from more relaxation, awareness, better focus, and enhanced self-esteem are children and young people,” you’re on to something!

There has been a lot of interest in yoga for kids for these very reasons; kids have to deal with many of the same stressors and triggers that adults do, but without all of the decades of experiences to teach them what is most effective and the social awareness to know what is appropriate.

In addition, the rise of constant social media has made it even more difficult to simply sit quietly and think, or even sit quietly and just exist for a few moments. Children are also dealing with as much pressure as ever to succeed in school, and perhaps even more pressure from the added competition that our increasingly globalized world introduces to them (Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

Given these truths, it seems that yoga can perhaps help to fill a vital gap in children’s social, emotional, and physical development. Research shows that it contributes to enhanced physical and mental wellbeing, and may improve resilience , mood, and self-regulation skills (Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

For example, an evaluation of yoga for adolescents in secondary school showed that students who participated in the program experienced significant improvements in ability to control their anger and reduction in fatigue and/or inertia (Khalsa, Hickey-Schultz, Cohen, Steiner, & Cope, 2011).

Further, research has found that regularly practicing yoga can have a positive impact on the following aspects of a student’s or child’s life:

• Their wellbeing
• Their academic performance
• Their emotional balance
• Average heart rate
• Experience of anxiety (i.e., yoga reduces anxiety)
• Promoting mental health
• Increasing resilience and self-regulation (Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

Yoga in Long-Term Care: The Benefits for the Elderly

Yoga is the fountain of youth. You’re only as young as your spine is flexible.

Although yoga can have some fabulous benefits for children, it can also be extremely effective for improving both the physical and mental health of the elderly. Of course, some of the moves and poses are modified to suit more fragile bodies, but they still provide a challenging and invigorating experience for the elderly.

In Taiwan, researchers sought out elderly residents in a long-term care facility who were diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia and invited them to join a gentle yoga program. The program lasted for 12 weeks, with three 55-minute sessions per week. The experimental group participated in the yoga classes while the control group maintained their usual daily activities.

The results of this study showed that older adults who engaged in regular yoga practice enjoyed several health benefits, including:

• Lowered blood pressure
• Reduced respiration rate
• Strengthened cardiopulmonary fitness
• Enhanced body flexibility
• Improved muscle strength and endurance
• Improved balance
• Increased joints motion
• Reduced depressive states
• Reduced problem behaviors (Fan & Chen, 2011)

All of these are positive outcomes for anybody who practices yoga, but they are especially exciting to see in older adults who are struggling with cognitive decline .

Any time you take advantage of an opportunity to do yoga, you’re choosing to spend time and energy investing in yourself. No matter how often you do it, it’s always a good decision!

However, as you have likely been told by a yoga teacher, doctor, or other individuals knowledgeable about this practice, you can only fully harness the power of yoga when you do it on a regular and frequent basis.

What are the benefits of practicing yoga every day? It depends on who you ask, but you’ll probably get answers like:

• Yoga just makes you feel better!
• Yoga increases your flexibility.
• Yoga helps you be more productive with your time.
• Yoga gives you more energy.
• Yoga boosts your metabolism.
• Yoga helps you focus and become more mindful.
• Yoga helps you sleep better.
• Yoga can improve the health of your skin.
• Yoga strengthens your joints.
• Yoga lubricates and strengthens your spine.
• Yoga can improve your posture, both in and out of yoga class.
• Yoga can reduce your anxiety.
• Yoga enhances your sense of gratitude .
• Yoga may inhibit or combat inflammation in the body.
• Yoga increases your strength.
• Yoga improves your balance (Newlyn, 2016B; Russo, 2017)

You may get some of these benefits by practicing yoga once in a while, but to maintain these benefits you will need to commit to a more regular yoga routine.

As yoga-centric Murdock Movement founder Amanda Murdock states,

“a single yoga class per month will essentially have you starting from scratch each time you walk on the mat… it can be difficult to listen to your body when you are trying to figure out what you are doing in the class”

(Kelly, 2017).

Instead, Murdock notes that practicing several times a week will net you more long-lasting benefits like those listed above.

You don’t necessarily need to practice every single day to reap these long-term benefits, but aiming for at least twice a week is a good goal to get all the benefits that yoga has to offer!

Basically, it comes down to personal preference; do you enjoy doing yoga in the morning? Do you find it invigorating and energizing? Or do you feel relaxed and restful after yoga, and ready to head straight to bed?

If you think you might enjoy doing yoga in the morning, it’s certainly a good idea to give it a try! Here are a few reasons why morning yoga is worth a shot:

• The movement and stretching help you get rid of the “fuzz” that built up around your muscles during the night.
• Practicing yoga as soon as you get up can help lower your cortisol levels and resist unnecessary stress.
• Morning yoga can be just as efficient as coffee in waking you up and energizing you for your day.
• Doing yoga first thing boosts your mood for the rest of the day.
• It helps you avoid procrastinating since you can cross it off your to-do list right away.
• A morning yoga session can put you in a mindful and aware state of mind as you continue with your day.
• Yoga early in the day can set you up for regular and relaxing breathing from that moment until your head hits the pillow at night.
• It can bias your mind towards the positive right from the start of your day.
• Morning yoga may also bias you to continue making healthy choices all day.
• It may actually turn you into a morning person (Newlyn, 2016A).

If none of these reasons sound good enough to pull you out of bed earlier than you have your current alarm set, don’t worry! Practicing whenever you can is still better than not practicing at all.

And speaking of doing “nothing at all,” have you heard of yoga nidra, or Nidra meditation?

If a more traditional vinyasa flow seems too difficult for you or if you are nursing an illness or an injury, Nidra meditation is one of the ways you can keep up your yoga practice without putting your body through unnecessary and unhelpful added stress.

Nidra meditation is a form of meditation that you engage in while lying on the floor (or sitting, if lying on the floor is not feasible). The good news about Nidra meditation is that there is no way to “do it wrong”!

The even better news is that falling asleep is a-okay in Nidra meditation! If that doesn’t convince you to give meditation a try, I’m not sure what will—after all, you either get the benefits of meditation or the benefits of a quick nap. It’s a win either way!

On a more serious note, Nidra meditation is a guided experience that can generally range from 5 minutes to 60 minutes, and all you need to do is listen and follow along to the voice guiding you. It provides participants with a relaxing and peaceful way to engage in meditation, improve breath awareness, and decrease stress.

In addition, it offers practitioners a chance to learn more about their deeper selves, bringing them “face to face” with their challenges and obstacles (Jeraci, n.d.).

Not only has Nidra meditation been anecdotally effective, there have also large-scale studies on its benefits. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense tested yoga Nidra with active-duty soldiers who were returning from the Middle East with symptoms of PTSD and found that those who participated in yoga Nidra reported decreases in many PTSD-related symptoms, including insomnia, depression, fear, and anxiety.

They also often experienced better interpersonal relationships and a heightened sense of control over their own lives (Novotney, 2009).

It’s easy to see how such a calming and centering practice can have such positive impacts on those suffering from PTSD, but the benefits are truly available for anyone who is interested in giving it a shot.

Top 17 Exercises for Mindfulness & Meditation

Use these 17 Mindfulness & Meditation Exercises [PDF] to help others build life-changing habits and enhance their wellbeing with the physical and psychological benefits of mindfulness.

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Not convinced on yoga yet? Or perhaps you’re trying to convince someone else of how worthwhile an endeavor yoga is? Or, maybe you’re just looking for some quotes to post on your mirror as inspiration to practice when you’re feeling lazy.

Whatever your reasons, below are some of the best quotes on the benefits of practicing yoga. Write them down or bookmark this page and come back to them whenever you need a shot of motivation!

Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.

Jason Crandell

Yoga means addition – addition of energy, strength, and beauty to body, mind, and soul.

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.

The Bhagavad Gita

Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self-control. Energy within and energy without.

Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.

B. K. S. Iyengar

Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life.

Yoga teaches you how to listen to your body.

Mariel Hemingway

Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable, to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.

The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.

Sakyong Mipham

Yoga does not change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.

Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted—in body, mind, and heart—and how gradually to open these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow—or we begin to flor more in our lives.

Cybele Tomlinson

Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are.

Erich Schiffmann

The reward for doing yoga well is simple—you get to do a better job at living a fulfilling life.

Randal Williams

When you do yoga—the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your body—you initiate a process that turns the fight or flight system off and the relaxation response on. That has a dramatic effect on the body. The heartbeat slows, respiration decreases, blood pressure decreases. The body seizes this chance to turn on the healing mechanisms.

Richard Faulds

Yoga is not a religion. It is a science, science of wellbeing, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind, and soul.

In truth, yoga doesn’t take time—it gives time.

Ganga White

Yoga encourages you to focus on your breathing, and the sensations in your body.

Jamie Zimmerman, MD

While most exercise gives you a choice to either zone in or zone out, yoga encourages you to return to the present and pay attention.

Yoga can reduce high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and stress, all risk factors for heart disease.

Larry Phillips, MD

Yoga is an important life skill tool for children and young people to cope with stress and self-regulation in a life-long perspective.

Ingunn Hagen & Usha S. Nayar

I hope this piece has given you a solid understanding of the many, many benefits of practicing yoga. Clearly, yoga is about much more than just “getting strong” or “getting flexible;” it’s about increasing our mind’s strength and flexibility as well.

It’s about opening ourselves up to new opportunities and new perspectives and identifying some of our innermost thoughts, feelings, and goals to ensure we are living authentically and in harmony with our values.

Although yoga can certainly be enjoyed as simply a method of working up a sweat, improving your posture and flexibility, and toning up your muscles, it has the potential to be so much more if you allow it to. Yoga can help you avoid unnecessary stress and act as a buffer between you and that stress which you cannot avoid in life.

It can help you deal with a mental illness or a health crisis,

The yoga pose that you avoid the most you need the most.

However, these benefits are only available to those who are willing to reach for them.

Taking the easy way—going to yoga class only once every few weeks, spending most of your session in child’s pose, or quitting every time a pose gets tough to hold—won’t bring you the amazing results you read about in this piece. Only sustained effort and commitment can do that.

It might be a little scary (and a lot difficult) to make such a commitment, but you can do it! Believe in yourself, work towards your goals, and forgive yourself when you slip up; these are the keys to success in just about any endeavor, and a healthy and satisfying yoga practice is no different.

What is your experience with yoga? Do you find it helps improve your mood or makes you feel great physically? Are there any other benefits you experience that we didn’t touch on here? We want to hear from you, so let us know in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading, all!

And of course, no post on yoga would be complete if ended without the traditional closure to class:

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free .

• Büssing, A., Michalsen, A., Khalsa, S. B. S., Telles, S., & Sherman, K. J. (2012). Effects of yoga on mental and physical health: A short summary of reviews. Evidence-Based Contemporary and Alternative Medicine, 2012.
• Cespedes, A. (2018). What are the health benefits of yoga for women? Live Strong. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/50160-ramdev-yoga-hair-growth/
• Fan, J., & Chen, K. (2011). Using silver yoga exercises to promote physical and mental health of elders with dementia in long-term care facilities. International Psychogeriatrics, 23 , 1222-1230.
• Grazioplene, R. (2012). This is your brain on yoga: How regular yoga practice changes brain chemistry and influences well-being. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/quilted-science/201209/is-your-brain-yoga
• Hagen, I., & Nayar, U. (2014). Yoga for children and young people’s mental health and well-being: Research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 5, 35.
• Ivtzan, I., & Papantoniou, A. (2014). Yoga meets positive psychology: Examining the integration of hedonic (gratitude) and eudaimonic (meaning) wellbeing in relation to the extent of yoga practice. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 18 , 183-189.
• Jeraci, A. R. (n.d.). 5 benefits of yoga nidra. Yoga International. Retrieved from https://yogainternational.com/article/view/5-benefits-of-yoga-nidra
• Kelly, E. (2017). Here’s how much yoga it takes to truly see results. Greatist. Retrieved from https://greatist.com/move/how-much-yoga-to-see-results
• Khalsa, S. B. S., Hickey-Schultz, L., Cohen, D., Steiner, N., & Cope, S. (2011). Evaluation of the mental health benefits of yoga in a secondary school: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39 , 80-90.
• Newlyn, E. (2016A). 21 reasons to practice yoga in the morning. Ekhart Yoga. Retrieved from https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/21-reasons-to-practise-yoga-in-the-morning
• Newlyn, E. (2016B). 30 benefits of a daily yoga practice. Ekhart Yoga. Retrieved from https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/30-benefits-of-a-daily-yoga-practice
• Novotney, A. (2009). Yoga as a practice tool. Monitor on Psychology, 40. [Online publication]. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/yoga.aspx
• Ross, R. (2018). Yoga benefits for men. Live Strong. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/350470-yoga-benefits-for-men/
• Ross, A., Friedmann, E., Bevans, M., & Thomas, S. (2013). National survey of yoga practitioners: Mental and physical health benefits. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 21, 313-323.
• Ross, A., & Thomas, S. (2009). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: A review of comparison studies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16.
• Rues, T. (n.d.). 8 amazing benefits I realized after doing yoga every day. Lifehack. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/437677/8-benefits-of-doing-yoga-every-day
• Russo, L. (2017). 25 reasons to do yoga every single day. Mind Body Green. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-29985/25-reasons-to-do-yoga-every-single-day.html

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Essay: Yoga and the healthy mind in a healthy body

On the international day of yoga, a look at the yogic arts of ancient india and their modern applications.

While yoga has become immensely popular across the globe, most of us – whether in India or abroad – think of it in terms of a series of asanas designed primarily to make us more flexible. We think of it as a practice that confers dexterity and physical well-being. However, Patanjali, the compiler of the foundational text on yoga, the Yoga Sutra , was at least as interested in mental wellness as in physical health. In fact, King Bhoja, who wrote a commentary on the Yoga Sutra , thanks Patanjali for using yoga to “remove the impurities of the mind”.

Patanjali defined yoga as suppressing the tendency of the mind to wander, when one wants instead to concentrate ( yogah chitta-vritti-nirodhah ). In the types of mental distraction he discusses, he mentions getting lost in past memories, or daydreaming about the future, instead of focusing on the task at hand. Current day psychologists and counsellors and countless TED talks advocate living in the present moment, not in the past or the future. Apparently, Patanjali had the same idea a very long time ago (scholars disagree on his actual date, estimates range from the 5th century BC to a few hundred years later). In fact, Patanjali even lays down mindfulness as one of the ways to train the mind for intense concentration. This involved fully savouring a sensory experience of one’s choice – without letting any other thoughts or acts detract from the experience. Mindful meditation is, of course, a buzzword now, but most of us have no idea of it being initially discussed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra . Interestingly, Patanjali mentions several other meditation techniques that are popular in modern times, including visualization and focusing on the breath. He also advocated training the mind to remember dreams. Dream analysis is a crucial tool used by modern day psychoanalysts as well.

For Patanjali, the ultimate goal was being able to concentrate so intensely that one immerses oneself fully in the subject, losing all sense of being separate from the topic of one’s focus. He recommends a sequence of steps for getting to this goal, one of which entails cultivating contentment. Patanjali advocates achieving contentment in two ways. The first involves consciously feeling gratitude for the gift of being alive, while the second involves acceptance of oneself and one’s circumstances. Both these methods – gratitude and self-acceptance – are emphasized repeatedly by modern day psychologists. For instance, Robert Emmons, regarded as the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, has authored books detailing the benefits of expressing gratitude, especially in the form of a sense of awe and wonder at the miracle of simply being alive. (Empirical studies on this mainly focused on the positive effects of gratitude on health and productivity). Self-acceptance is also commonly seen by modern psychologists as being a key component of happiness and mental health. In Patanjali’s opinion, feeling grateful and accepting oneself would make one contented, and a contented person has a relatively untroubled mind, making concentration easier for such a person.

Coming to yet another remarkable similarity between Patanjali’s way of thinking and current day psychological thought requires us to talk about Patanjali’s prohibition against murder. This was one of the chief prohibitions that, according to Patanjali, needed to be observed if one wanted to develop powers of intense concentration; a murderer could not become a yogi. Interestingly, Patanjali was completely non-judgmental of the fact that a person might feel like killing someone else. He even explains what one can do in such a situation to avoid actually acting on the impulse. In this, Patanjali was very like modern psychologists, for whom censoring thoughts is completely unnecessary (they only restrict actions, which ought not to hurt oneself or others). This is also in sharp contrast with a lot of philosophies which condemn “sinful thoughts”.

Yoga was actually much older even than Patanjali, who simply compiled existing theories on yoga into a high-quality text. For instance, the physician Charaka mentions quite another form of yoga in his ancient medical text the Charaka-samhita , thought to be even older than Patanjali. Perhaps to help aspiring medical students, Charaka’s yoga simply aimed at making people better at memorising facts! It, too, emphasised mindfulness.

Even more intriguingly, as described by archaeologist Rita Wright in her 2010 book on the Indus valley civilization (IVC), many seals found in IVC sites depict figures in what seem to be yogic postures. One shows a seated figure immersed in a yogic trance, paying no attention at all to the wild animals surrounding him, or to the fact that a man next to him is spearing a water buffalo! The yogi remains in his inner world, tranquil and undisturbed. In another seal, two kneeling people present an offering to a figure seated in a yogic stance. The best known of the Mohenjodaro seals is the “Pashupati” seal, which shows a three-faced figure seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by Indus animals such as lions, elephants, and buffaloes. Pashupati is associated with Rudra, an early version of Shiva, the ultimate yogi.

The figures in the seals show utmost concentration, of the sort described much later by Patanjali. They are not distracted by all the hunting going on around them, or by the various humans or animals approaching them. So, it is unlikely that the people who made the seals were beginners exploring and experimenting with yoga – yogic practitioners seem to .have already attained a very high degree of proficiency by the time of the Indus valley civilization (which itself was at its height in the third millennium BC). They evidently commanded reverence and were known for their powers of deep concentration. While Mesopotamian and Persian seals from the time of the IVC exist, that also show narrative imagery, they lack figures in yogic poses, suggesting the unlikeliness of foreign influences. Archaeological evidence suggests that yoga was most likely even older than the seals in the IVC.

The regard in which yoga was held is evident in ancient Sanskrit literature. For example, in Bharavi’s sixth century epic poem, the Kiratarjuniya , Arjuna is a hero not because of his prowess in battle, but because of his yogic abilities. He was able to still all contemplation and meditate. (The sixth canto of the poem describes how Arjuna’s meditation made even wild beasts in the forests on the hill feel more tranquil, by the power of influence).

A key component in achieving concentration in Patanjali’s system was the state of dhyana = which became known as zen in East Asian Buddhism, where it was taken by a fifth century South Indian prince, Bodhidharma. Documentary evidence about Bodhidharma comes not from India, but from other countries – primarily China, but also Indonesia, Tibet and Japan. The oldest Chinese source about him dates from the early sixth century. He is first mentioned by Tanlin (506-574), followed by other Chinese sources like Jingjue‘s(683-750) The Chronicles of the Lankavatara masters , Daoxuan’s seventh century Further biographies of Eminent Monks , and the tenth century Record of the Patriarchal Hall . Japanese and Indonesian sources also mention him (according to the modern Japanese scholar Tsutomu Kambe, who studied the manuscripts about him, Bodhidharma was from a Brahmin royal dynasty (a rarity) and was probably from Kanchipuram.) All these sources recount how Bodhidharma, a practitioner of yoga, travelled to China via a harrowing voyage by sea, had a spectacularly unsuccessful interview with the Chinese emperor, whom he managed to offend, and then made his way to the Shaolin monastery. His reputation as an eccentric having probably preceded him, Bodhidharma was refused admittance into the monastery by the Shaolin monks, but remained completely unperturbed. He literally settled down next to the monastery and spent the next nine years gazing at a wall. There were plenty of wild animals in the area surrounding the Shaolin temple, but they did not attack Bodhidharma. One is reminded of the Indus valley yogis meditating undisturbed by dangerous animals nearby, or of Arjuna’s calming influence on the animals of the forest during his penance in the Kiratarjuniya .

Gradually, the Shaolin monks, who had started bringing Bodhidharma food and water, grew curious and in awe of his mental discipline, his perseverance and physical hardiness. After nine years, Bodhidharma was finally given a room in the monastery, and taught the monks – at their behest – dhyana or Zen meditation. With its emphasis on meditation, quieting the mind and focusing on the breath, the popularity of Zen subsequently spread from East and South-East Asia to the West and is finally making its presence felt in the homeland of Buddhism, India.

From the intrepid yogis of the Indus valley civilization, to scholars like Patanjali, who sought to harness its powers for mental concentration and contentment, to Buddhists like Bodhidharma who spread it worldwide, yoga has gone through many avatars. On International Yoga Day, aficionados can rejoice in the enduring legacy of yoga across the globe, and in its holistic approach to both mental health and physical endurance.

Brishti Guha has a PhD in economics from Princeton and is currently an associate professor at the School of International Studies, JNU

The views expressed are personal

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• Essay On Yoga

Essay on Yoga

500+ words essay on yoga.

Yoga is an Art and Science of healthy living. It is a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. The holistic approach of Yoga brings harmony to all walks of life. Yoga is also known for disease prevention, promotion of health and management of many lifestyle-related disorders. Through this Essay on Yoga, students will get to know the importance and benefits of performing yoga. By going through this essay , students will get different ideas on how to write an effective Essay on Yoga in English to score full marks in the writing section.

Meaning of Yoga

The word yoga literally means “to yoke” or “union”. More than just a practice of physical exercises, Yoga is the coming together of the individual self or consciousness, with the infinite universal consciousness or spirit. Yoga is a method of inquiry into the nature of the mind, which emphasises practice and direct experience. Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonising system for development of the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga signifies the ‘integration of personality at the highest level. It includes various practices and techniques mentioned in the yogic literature and is collectively referred to as ‘Yoga’.

Importance of Yoga

Yoga encourages a positive and healthy lifestyle for the physical, mental and emotional health of children. Yoga helps in the development of strength, stamina, endurance and high energy at the physical level. It also empowers oneself with increased concentration, calm, peace and contentment at a mental level leading to inner and outer harmony. With the help of yoga, you can manage daily stress and its consequences.

Yoga brings stability to the body and the wavering mind. It increases the lubrication of joints, ligaments, and tendons of the body. Studies in the field of medicine suggest that Yoga is the only form of physical activity that provides complete conditioning to the body because it massages all the internal organs and glands. It reduces the risk of many diseases. Yoga can create a permanently positive difference in the lifestyle of anybody practising it on a regular basis.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is a perfect way to ensure overall health and physical fitness. The physical building blocks of yoga are posture (asana) and breath. Through meditation, and breathing exercises (called pranayama), you can banish all your stress and lead a healthy life. In fact, it is one of the best remedies known to humankind, for curing chronic ailments that are otherwise difficult to be cured by other medications. People suffering from backaches and arthritis are often suggested to do asanas that concentrate on the exercise of the muscles at strategic locations. Pranayamas are the best breathing exercises to increase the capacity of the lungs.

A series of poses held in time with breathing, helps every part of the body. Yoga increases strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. It increases the ability to perform activities, provides more energy and gives a restful sleep. Performing yoga daily helps in building muscular strength. The different asanas make the body more flexible. Moreover, yoga prevents cartilage and joint breakdown, increases blood flow, and lowers blood sugar. The most important benefit of yoga are its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality. Yoga works as an immunity booster and gives peace of mind.

The amazing thing about Yoga is that its positive effects on the health and mind are visible over time. Another speciality about Yoga is its wide choice of asanas. Depending upon your stamina and overall health, you can choose from mild pranayamas and asanas to high-intensity asanas. It is a medication without the actual use of medicines. Moreover, no visible side effects are associated with the practice of Yoga on a regular basis. All you need to know is the most appropriate asanas according to the ability and structure of your body. Also, you need to learn the right way of performing the asanas because any wrong attempt can cause sprains and injuries.

Yoga practice is safe and can bring many health benefits to practitioners. The beauty of Yoga is that it can be practised by anyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what shape you are in. Yoga increases an individual’s physical coordination and promotes better posture. It helps stimulate the circulatory system, the digestive process as well as the nervous and endocrine systems. Yoga is dynamite to make you feel younger, refreshed and energetic.

Yoga is the perfect example of holistic health because of its combination of mind and body. It has become more popular than ever, with celebrities, politicians, business people, and people from every walk of life currently practising. Yoga is a multidisciplinary tool extremely useful to purify the mind and body and gain control over our minds and emotions. It is the most popular means for self-transformation and physical well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions on Essay on Yoga

Why is yoga important.

Regular Yoga practice can help in body relaxation and flexibility. Relieves chronic stress and releases mental distress.

What are the benefits of Yoga?

Yoga makes the body flexible and improves breathing patterns. It can help build muscle strength and regulate blood flow. Practising yoga regularly thus helps keep diseases away and improves immunity

Mention a few easy Yoga poses.

Padmasana (sitting pose), tadasana (mountain pose), and balasana (Child’s pose) are three examples of yoga poses.

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One in four individuals is said to have a mental health condition, so chances are you know someone who is struggling. Most of us want to know how to support someone who may be dealing with a mental health issue, but it’s hard to know how to help.

This workshop, based on the principles of Mental Health First Aid, will provide the opportunity to learn about common mental health conditions and how you as a co-worker, friend or family member can support someone who may be struggling.

During this 90 minute workshop participants will develop the skills to Assess for risk, Listen non-judgmentally, Give reassurance and information, Encourage appropriate professional help, and Encourage self-help.

Audience: Staff, faculty, post docs

Pre-Requisites: None

Late Drop/Cancel Fee: None

The Office of Employee Development and Wellness welcomes participants to our programs and activities. For questions, or to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected]

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We develop an economic theory of mental health. The theory is grounded in classic and modern psychiatric literature, is disciplined with micro data, and is formalized in a life-cycle heterogeneous agent framework. In our model, individuals experiencing mental illness have pessimistic expectations and lose time due to rumination. As a result, they work less, consume less, invest less in risky assets, and forego treatment which in turn reinforces mental illness. We quantify the societal burden of mental illness and evaluate the efficacy of prominent policy proposals. We show that expanding the availability of treatment services and improving treatment of mental illness in late adolescence substantially improve mental health and welfare.

We thank Adam Blandin, Quentin Huys, Ellen McGrattan, Kim Peijnenburg, and Martin Schneider for useful discussions. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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Role of Yoga and Mindfulness in Severe Mental Illnesses: A Narrative Review

Gopinath sathyanarayanan.

Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India

Ashvini Vengadavaradan

Balaji bharadwaj, background:.

Yoga has its origin from the ancient times. It is an integration of mind, body, and soul. Besides, mindfulness emphasizes focused awareness and accepting the internal experiences without being judgemental. These techniques offer a trending new dimension of treatment in various psychiatric disorders.

We aimed to review the studies on the efficacy of yoga and mindfulness as a treatment modality in severe mental illnesses (SMIs). SMI includes schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD).

We conducted a literature search using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library with the search terms “yoga,” “meditation,” “breathing exercises,” “mindfulness,” “schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders,” “depressive disorder,” and “bipolar disorder” for the last 10-year period. We also included relevant articles from the cross-references.

We found that asanas and pranayama are the most commonly studied forms of yoga for schizophrenia. These studies found a reduction in general psychopathology ratings and an improvement in cognition and functioning. Some studies also found modest benefits in negative and positive symptoms. Mindfulness has not been extensively tried, but the available evidence has shown benefits in improving psychotic symptoms, improving level of functioning, and affect regulation. In MDD, both yoga and mindfulness have demonstrated significant benefit in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms. There is very sparse data with respect to BD.

Conclusion:

Both yoga and mindfulness interventions appear to be useful as an adjunct in the treatment of SMI. Studies have shown improvement in the psychopathology, anxiety, cognition, and functioning of patients with schizophrenia. Similarly, both the techniques have been established as an effective adjuvant in MDD. However, more rigorously designed and larger trials may be necessary, specifically for BD.

Introduction

The term “yoga” stands for “union.” It is a philosophical science seeking unity of an individual's soul with absolute reality. Yoga is gaining importance across the world. While the western world views yoga as a form of physical exercise (PE), the eastern world recognizes yoga more holistically as a means of integration of the body and the mind.[ 1 ]

Yoga has been demonstrated to have several positive effects on the cardiorespiratory performance,[ 2 ] glucose tolerance,[ 3 ] and musculoskeletal system.[ 4 ] Similarly, recent evidence has shown promising results of yoga in various psychiatric disorders.

Basically, three forms of yogic practices, namely asana-based (bodily), breathing-based (breath), and meditation-based (mental), are inherent to any form of yoga. An asana-based practice involves various bodily postures coordinated with breathing. Meditation-based yoga involves dissociating oneself from the disturbing thoughts and focusing on breathing. Thirdly breathing-based yoga, which is referred to as “ pranayama ,” involves slow and focused breathing providing designated time for inhalation and exhalation.

Similar to yoga, another age-old technique that is gaining special attention in the recent years is mindfulness. Mindfulness is an ancient practice from the Buddhist culture, and it emphasizes on the focused attention of present moment, acceptance of internal experiences, and being nonjudgemental.[ 5 ] Evidence is favoring positive effects of mindfulness on mental health such as improvement in coping and self-compassion and reduction of stress, anxiety,[ 6 ] depression,[ 7 ] and obsessions.[ 8 ]

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with heterogeneous cluster of symptoms. It is a challenge to attain complete remission in most patients with the current pharmacological agents. The drawback of side effects and minimal effect on cognitive deficits with medications have necessitated the use of yoga and mindfulness in schizophrenia. Similarly, the persistence of depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has led to the trials of complementary therapies, including yoga and mindfulness.[ 9 ]

These complementary therapies are finding importance in bipolar disorder (BD) which is one among the severe mental disorders due to similar difficulties.

Here, we aimed at reviewing the available literature for the role of yoga and mindfulness interventions in severe mental illnesses (SMIs) such as schizophrenia, MDD, and BD.

We conducted an independent search on MEDLINE through PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library. The keywords are specific medical subject heading terms, namely “yoga” or “breathing exercises” or “meditation” or “mindfulness.” A time limit of 10 years has been specified, and we restricted the search to English-language articles. We also used the Boolean operator with these terms to combine with “schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders” yielding 106 results and combining with “bipolar disorder” yielded 22 results. We also used the search term “depressive disorder” and obtained 827 articles. Few studies ( n = 6) has been included for the review from the cross-references of these articles.

We screened these results based on title and abstract for suitability to be included in the review. We included all types of human studies such as clinical trials, randomized trials, and nonrandomized trials, as well as open-label studies, case–control studies, and case reports. We excluded opinions expressed on the subject in the form of correspondence and review papers. We specifically excluded the studies on depression that included only depressive symptoms and done in special population with comorbid medical conditions as the feasibility and fidelity of the intervention were doubtful. We also excluded studies that reported mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (MBCT) as we believed that these studies were more in the domain of psychotherapies and CBT, which imbibed only some principles from yoga and mindfulness.

We got a total of 49 studies based on the above steps as demonstrated in the flow diagram of Figure 1 . The full text of these studies was obtained, and two authors independently extracted the available data using a common format. We assessed the available information and presented under various themes.

Flow chart of the study-selection process

Forty-nine eligible studies were reviewed for studying the role of yoga and mindfulness in SMI.

Sample characteristics

Sample size in the yoga therapy (YT) studies ranged from 19[ 10 ] to 286[ 11 ] and in the mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) studies ranged from 5[ 12 ] to 340.[ 13 ] The above-mentioned sample size range is not inclusive of case report or case series type of studies. Sample size calculation has been mentioned only in a few studies.[ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ] The mean age ranged from 21.50 ± 3.21[ 21 ] to 65.5 ± 4.8[ 20 ] years in the YT studies and from 23.8 ± 6.8[ 13 ] to 53.2 ± 6.1[ 12 ] years in the MBI studies. YT and MBI studies included both genders, but few YT studies included either men[ 18 , 22 ] or women,[ 17 , 23 ] and one MBI study included only men.[ 6 ] Number of women in MBI studies ranged from 1[ 12 ] to 66.[ 13 ] The patient group comprised mostly individuals with a diagnosis of either schizophrenia, MDD, or BD as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, except for a few studies which used the ICD-10 criteria.[ 18 , 22 , 24 , 25 ] Apart from individuals with schizophrenia, a few studies included certain other disorders such as schizoaffective disorder,[ 6 , 12 , 17 , 26 , 27 ] unspecified psychosis,[ 7 , 17 , 21 , 28 ] schizophreniform, brief psychotic and delusional disorders,[ 17 ] and psychotic depression.[ 14 , 29 ] In YT studies, baseline mean total positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) score varied from 47.5 ± 15.4[ 17 ] to 85.10 ± 19.82[ 10 ] and positive subscale score ranged from 10.2 ± 3.7[ 17 ] to 21.60 ± 5.99.[ 10 ] Vancampfort et al . have included schizophrenia individuals with a clinical global impression-severity (CGI-S) score ≥4.[ 30 ] Few of the YT studies included participants with the mean baseline total scale for the assessment of positive symptoms and scale for the assessment of negative symptoms scores ranging from 6.6 ± 2.3 and 10 ± 4.7[ 31 ] to 12.44 ± 11.50 and 23.58 ± 18.09,[ 11 ] respectively. In the MBI studies, baseline mean total PANSS score ranged from 77.2 ± 13.7[ 12 ] to 88.5 ± 15.8[ 13 ] and the positive subscale score ranged from 17.4 ± 2.8[ 12 ] to 26.9 ± 8.3.[ 13 ] Few studies on MBIs used the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) to assess the severity of the illness and the range varied from 30.6 ± 7.5[ 16 ] to 41.83 ± 13.59.[ 7 ] YT and MBI studies on depression that used standardized scales are described in Table ​ Table1a 1a and ​ andb, b , respectively. Baseline depression severity ranged from 12.5[ 32 ] to 26.20 ± 6.60[ 35 ] in YT studies and from 7.62 ± 3.92[ 34 ] to 30 ± 9.1[ 35 ] in MBI studies. Murray et al . have recruited individuals with a baseline mean total young mania rating scale of 2.45 ± 3.00 and Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score of 8.03 ± 9.02.[ 15 ]

Details of the studies of yoga in major depressive disorder

Details of the studies of mindfulness in major depressive disorder

Intervention paradigm

Details of the YT are described in Table 2 . MBI paradigm are included in Tables ​ Tables3a 3a and ​ and1b. 1b . In majority of the studies, the training for the intervention groups has been offered by experts. The duration of sessions ranged from 40 to 90 min and 60 to 120 min in the YT and MBI groups, respectively. Training sessions were either completed during the 1 st week or conducted at the frequency of one/two sessions per week. During other days, participants were encouraged to practice the intervention in their homes.

Details of the yoga postures and duration of the intervention including the training period

Details of the studies of mindfulness in schizophrenia/psychotic spectrum disorder

Effects of yoga in schizophrenia and other psychotic spectrum disorders

The results of various studies on YT in schizophrenia are described in Table 4a . Evidence has clearly demonstrated that YT has benefited individuals with schizophrenia.

Details of the studies of yoga in schizophrenia/psychotic spectrum disorder

Yoga and psychopathology

YT demonstrated a significant improvement in PANSS total score,[ 26 , 28 , 36 ] positive subscale,[ 10 , 31 , 37 ] negative subscale,[ 10 , 17 , 18 , 31 , 36 , 37 ] and general psychopathologic subscale.[ 10 , 18 , 28 ] A few of the aforementioned studies have identified a significant improvement in specific domains of PANSS negative subscales such as blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, passive social withdrawal, and difficulty in abstract thinking with relatively better improvement in poor rapport and lack of spontaneity.[ 18 ] Similarly, in the general psychopathologic subscale, somatic concerns, guilt feelings, motor retardation, depression, unusual thought content, disorientation, preoccupation, and active social avoidance domains showed a significant improvement.[ 18 ] Manjunath et al . have reported significant improvement in CGI-S and HDRS of YT group as compared to the PE group.[ 28 ]

Yoga and functional outcome

YT has shown promising results in improving functional outcome of schizophrenia individuals, which includes better social and occupational functioning,[ 26 , 31 , 36 ] quality of life,[ 26 ] achieving functional remission,[ 19 ] subjective well-being, personal hygiene, life skills, interpersonal activities, and communication.[ 22 ] Individuals on YT demonstrated better scores in Tool for Recognition of Emotions in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TRENDS) accuracy score[ 31 , 37 ] and TRENDS over identification score.[ 31 ]

Yoga and cognition

In schizophrenia individuals, YT has demonstrated significant improvement in speed index of attention and emotion domains and accuracy index of abstract thinking and mental flexibility domains.[ 11 , 38 ] Both YT and PE have enhanced memory and attention over the follow-ups, specifically the speed index.[ 11 ] YT enhances plasma oxytocin levels, which has been implicated in social cognition.[ 31 ]

Yoga, brain imaging, and other markers

Findings of functional magnetic resonance imaging and serum and salivary markers in YT studies are reported in Table 4a .[ 23 , 27 ]

Yoga and physical exercise

Combination of yoga and aerobic exercises in moderately ill individuals with schizophrenia produced a significant reduction in the state anxiety and stress with significant improvement in the positive sense of well-being.[ 30 ]

The details of case reports of yoga-induced psychosis are described in Table 4b .

Details of the case studies of yoga and schizophrenia/psychotic spectrum disorder

Effects of mindfulness technique in schizophrenia and other psychotic spectrum disorders

The results of various studies and case reports on mindfulness interventions in schizophrenia are described in Table ​ Table3a 3a and ​ andb, b , respectively.

Details of the case studies of mindfulness and schizophrenia/psychotic spectrum disorder

Mindfulness and illness-related variables

MBI has demonstrated significant reduction of stress, anxiety,[ 6 , 12 ] depression, obsession,[ 8 ] anger, impulsivity, lack of concentration,[ 12 ] and agoraphobic symptoms.[ 29 ] It also improves the awareness of the psychotic experiences and helps individuals to articulate their distress.[ 14 ]

Mindfulness-based psychoeducation program (MBPP) has significantly reduced the PANSS score with faster recovery. Further, the number of rehospitalizations[ 13 ] and the duration of readmissions[ 16 ] decreased over time with MBPP.

MBI has demonstrated significant improvement in certain domains of BPRS, such as anxiety, self-neglect, and somatic concerns, and improvement approached significance for depression, despite having mixed results for total BPRS score.[ 7 ]

There are a few case reports implicating the positive role of mindfulness meditation in improving social anxiety, flexibility of thinking, experiencing more positive emotions, and minimal effect on negative symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia.[ 39 ] In addition, another case series has demonstrated reduction of paranoid beliefs apart from depression and anxiety in individuals with delusional disorder.[ 40 ]

Mindfulness and individual related variables

MBI has demonstrated significant improvement in self-maintenance and community living skill[ 16 ] apart from better coping skills, self-compassion,[ 6 ] self-care,[ 7 ] and general well-being.[ 29 ] Further, there have been mixed reports for social functioning and insight.[ 7 , 16 ] A study has demonstrated an increase in stress levels in some patients immediately following the intervention.[ 41 ]

Mindfulness and regulation of emotions

In patients, mindfulness has been associated with significant improvement in regulating negative emotions such as self-blaming, rumination, and catastrophizing and developing more adaptive emotion regulation.[ 7 , 42 ]

Yoga and mindfulness in bipolar disorder

We could find only one study of YT and three studies that assessed the role of mindfulness in BD.

Uebelacker et al . conducted a qualitative study on yoga practice and the impact of yoga among 70 self-identified yoga practitioners with BD. Positive effects of yoga have been described under cognitive, emotional, and physical domains. Cognitive effects include better-focusing ability, ability to distract from negative thoughts, and a sense of accomplishment. Emotional effects include relaxation and reduction in both anxiety and depression. Moreover, physical effects are the improvement in circulation, heart rate, sleep, weight reduction, and increased energy. In addition, certain negative effects such as agitation with rapid breathing, transition from hypomania to mania with heated energetic yoga style, increased depression-like symptoms with meditation, and physical injury or increased pain have been suggested.[ 43 ]

Mindfulness

Chadwick et al . studied 12 stable individuals with BD diagnosed as per the ICD-10, and all the participants received treatment as usual (TAU). They all attended at least six weekly mindfulness sessions, each lasting for 90 min. The participants reported that it enables them to integrate it into all aspects of life and respond wisely. Furthermore, it has been reported to minimize the impact of mood change and prevent further relapse.[ 44 ]

Muray et al . studied the role of online MBI like online, recovery-focused, bipolar individual therapy (ORBIT) in 26 clinically stable individuals with late-stage BD with at least six or more episodes. ORBIT focused chiefly on emotion regulation, relationship to self, and improving sleep quality. Sixteen completers demonstrated significant improvement in the quality of life, but the improvement in anxiety did not reach significance ( P = 0.06). No significant negative effects have been reported.[ 45 ]

Self-management strategies

Murray et al . studied 33 clinically stable individuals with BD Type I or II adapting various self-management strategies. We focused mainly on the reflective and meditative practices among the various self-management strategies which included Tai Chi, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, inspirational reading, and praying. Individuals who practiced Tai Chi and yoga reported that it provided a ground of stability enabling them to manage symptoms of BD well. Moreover, those who engaged in mindfulness cited that it facilitated them in reframing negative thoughts.[ 15 ]

Yoga and mindfulness in major depressive disorder

Effects of yoga in major depressive disorder.

Results of YT studies in MDD are described in Table 1a . Yoga has demonstrated significant improvement in depression as an adjuvant to antidepressants in several trials.[ 24 , 32 , 33 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ] Other demonstrated advantages of yoga in depression are improvement in anxiety,[ 32 , 50 ] behavioral activation, and nonjudging facet of mindfulness.[ 47 ] Shahidi et al . have established significant improvement in depression and life satisfaction in elderly depressed women as compared to the TAU control group but not against the PE group.[ 20 ] A study by Descilo et al . have demonstrated significant improvement in depression among patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Breathing interventions alone and in combination with exposure therapy in real-life situations were both useful in the improvement of symptoms.[ 51 ] Sarubin et al . have demonstrated that in depressed individuals, YT neither demonstrated significant benefit in regulating hypothalamus–pituitary axis nor has any additional benefit over the control group.[ 52 ] Similarly, Butler et al . did not demonstrate a significant benefit of YT over group therapy with hypnosis.[ 46 ]

Effects of mindfulness in major depressive disorder

MBI other than mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has demonstrated significant improvement in depression.[ 25 , 34 ] An adaptation of MBI from mindfulness-based stress reduction/MBCT, namely compassion-mindfulness therapy, also demonstrated significant improvement in depression.[ 53 ] In the study by Costa and Barnhofer, depression improved significantly with both MBI and guided imagery groups. However, the maintenance of the effects required continued practice of mindfulness skills.[ 35 ] Although Sundquist et al .'s study demonstrated significant reduction in depressive symptoms from baseline with MBI, no significant advantage has been demonstrated over the TAU control group. In the mindfulness group, those who underwent at least 6–8 sessions have demonstrated significant reduction in depressive symptoms.[ 25 ] Another study has established that improvement in depressive symptoms appear to be directly related to the baseline magnitude of depression and may not be related to religious affiliation, spiritual experiences, sex, or age.[ 36 ]

Case report of mindfulness mood program (MMB), adapted from MBCT, was found to be cost-effective approach targeting residual depressive symptoms.[ 54 ]

Yogic practices, though ancient, are being rediscovered by modern medicine. As per the principles of evidence-based medicine, any method of treatment has to prove its efficacy in treating a disorder against a placebo or another preexisting effective treatment. Hence, several medical specialties are conducting studies on the effectiveness of yoga as an intervention so as to be able to recommend it to their patients. In accordance with this trend, yoga is being increasingly used in psychiatric disorders. Commonly, it is used for anxiety and other neurotic disorders; however, there have been several trials in recent times that have studied the efficacy of yoga in SMI.

The studies reviewed have shown that yoga as an add-on to antipsychotics was beneficial in reducing psychopathology and improving socio-occupational functioning. Most studies have included patients with mild-to-moderate levels of current psychopathology as evidenced by PANSS total scores.

Yoga has been shown to improve both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, thereby decreasing the illness severity.[ 10 , 17 , 18 , 26 , 28 , 38 , 39 ] This could possibly be explained by the psychobiological changes of yogasanas as evident by reduced amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the precuneus which correlated significantly with the PANSS – blunted affect subscore.[ 23 ] Further studies are required to replicate the findings on a larger scale to identify whether yoga is associated with similar psychobiological changes.

YT has also been found to significantly improve the facial emotion recognition deficits (FERDs) and socio-occupational functioning.[ 31 , 39 ] FERD can affect socio-occupational functioning by impairing the ability to interact in social situations.[ 55 , 56 ] The finding of increased oxytocin levels in the patients assigned to YT gives a biological basis to the observed behavioral improvements.[ 31 ] The use of oxytocin in improving social cognition deficits has been demonstrated in earlier studies.[ 57 ]

Both YT and PE interventions showed significant improvement in several cognitive domains including attention and working memory.[ 11 , 17 ] Yoga has a larger effect on verbal acquisition than PE.[ 17 ] Yoga can improve cognitive functions possibly by the emphasis on mental concentration and control of the body movements, which can lead to alterations in brain structures and immune functions enhancing cognitive abilities.[ 58 ] Cognitive improvement with a brief intervention sustained even after a duration of unsupervised period and certain cognitive domains have also demonstrated delayed improvement.[ 11 ] Hence, to have the maximum benefit, yoga must be practiced for certain period. Most of the studies described here have a maximum intervention period of 6 months.

It is still not clear how each of the various postures used in these studies has produced a therapeutic effect. Attention is an inherent component of yoga as it involves synchronizing of bodily postures and breathing pattern. Cognitive remediation techniques use attention-enhancing tasks, and its significance has been well established in schizophrenia.[ 59 ] This could be an additional benefit of yoga over PEs. Yogasanas could cause beneficial effects by stimulation of vagal afferents through the pressure receptors and diaphragmatic receptors. These vagal afferents through their projections to limbic system influence the mood and affect regulation.[ 60 ]

In MDD, YT has demonstrated to be an effective adjuvant to antidepressants, except for few studies. The lack of an advantage of yoga over group therapy with hypnosis in the study by Butler et al . could be due to poor motivation levels and poor adherence to treatment. Similarly, the study by Shahidi et al . failed to demonstrate benefit of yoga over PE. However, instead of conventional asanas, this study used laughter yoga as the intervention. Many of the other studies have methodological issues such as single-group outcome study without any placebo or control arm.[ 32 , 49 ]

Other studies like that of Schuver and Lewis used visual media for instruction rather than sessions by a therapist. This would have limited the participant learning and practice greatly. The lack of a waitlist control group[ 35 , 50 ] and the low frequency of yoga training (once or twice per week)[ 33 , 35 , 53 ] may have been responsible for failure of YT in few studies. Hence, it is difficult to comment on the number of sessions per week for effective yoga intervention in depression due to methodological issues in the aforementioned studies. However, the duration of the intervention in the included studies ranged from 5 weeks[ 52 ] to 9 months.[ 48 ]

A study with a waitlist control group and the yoga group receiving interventions by trained professionals with at least two supervised sessions per week and ensuring home-based continuation of the yoga sessions during rest of the days in a week has clearly demonstrated benefit of yoga as an add-on treatment for depression.[ 50 ] Therefore, future studies of yoga intervention could have two or more weekly sessions of personal instruction from a trained yoga therapist. There could also be instructions for regular practice of yoga at home with a method to measure adherence to the therapy during the period of intervention.

Possible mechanisms by which the yoga improves depression include positive self-talk and self-acceptance. It minimizes negative thinking bias, enhances self-confidence, and promotes more adaptive thinking.[ 9 ] Other possible mechanisms include increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter in the brain,[ 61 , 62 ] improving sleep,[ 63 ] decreasing ruminations,[ 64 ] and promoting behavioral activation.[ 49 ]

Similarly, in the recent times, mindfulness technique has been gaining importance as an integrated approach in schizophrenia, MDD, and BD. In schizophrenia individuals, mindfulness interventions are found to be effective in various symptom domains of the illness. However, methodologically, rigorous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were only few in number.[ 8 , 12 , 13 , 16 ] A study by Davis et al . demonstrated that MBI may work synergistically with vocational rehabilitation for improving work persistence and performance. They predominantly involved male samples, and they were employed in a basic-level job with low pay.[ 12 ] Hence, the generalizability is limited. Moritz et al . did not establish the superiority of mindfulness over progressive muscle relaxation technique for reducing depressive symptoms in individuals with psychosis possibly due to lack of proper training, lengthy manuals, and difficulty in ensuring adherence.[ 8 ] Findings of Jacobsen et al .'s study of increase in stress levels immediately following the intervention must be viewed with caution as the study involved only a small sample size.[ 43 ] Mindfulness techniques modulate the individual's relationship with psychotic experiences either by increasing patient's acceptance and awareness of the nature of symptoms, or by minimizing subjective distress. It also facilitates developing self-compassion, regulating negative emotions, and removing guilt feelings.[ 6 , 7 ]

In depression, while the effectiveness of MBCT is well established, other MBIs have also been showing promising results. It has been shown that mindfulness can lead to improvement in depression, anxiety, physical distress, positive affect, and daily functioning.[ 53 ]

Possible mechanisms for such improvement may include decentering from negative thinking and reducing the difficulties in emotion regulation. Mindfulness techniques are known to increase meta-cognitive awareness and facilitate decentering. Although such gains may be seen even with guided imagery, the gains are maintained in patients who are able to employ principles of mindfulness even during follow-up. Another mechanism could be the development of non-judgemental, observing stance to the ruminations, thereby facilitating the ruminators to disengage and mitigate the maintaining effect of ruminations in depression.[ 65 ]

Recent literature cautions the use of meditative practices in patients with psychosis as it might exacerbate the psychotic experiences.[ 66 ] While concerns are raised by the case reports of precipitation of acute psychotic states after certain yogic practices,[ 67 , 68 ] none of the controlled studies involving a larger number of patients have demonstrated such adverse effects with either yoga or MBI. Hence, it appears to be a feasible intervention for individuals with psychotic symptoms and it has been replicated in a few studies.[ 7 , 29 ]

However, we must note that the studies of YT and MBI in schizophrenia and MDD have included patients who had a low level of symptom severity.

One major limitation of RCTs is that double-blinding is not feasible. Compliance in the intervention group after training was not assessed rigorously, except a few studies which used log book, but this has its own limitations. Willingness and attitude toward such alternatives might also influence the outcome significantly. There is often criticism that the observed benefits of yoga may be due to the placebo effect. However, some of the studies have found that there are definite changes in biological markers such as oxytocin increase corresponding to improved social cognition. Such use of biomarkers in the trials of yoga is essential to demonstrate that the effects are specific, genuine, and not merely due to chance or placebo effects.

This review attempts to provide a comprehensive narrative review of two most commonly used complementary therapies in psychiatric disorders, yoga and mindfulness which enable the readers to have a complete understanding of both these interventions. Furthermore, all the included studies were independently reviewed by two authors to extract relevant data and concur on the findings. Limitations include lack of systemic analysis and heterogeneity in the studies. Thus, we have written a narrative review rather than attempt a meta-analysis.

We would like to highlight the importance of integrating yoga and mindfulness interventions as add-on therapy for major mental health disorders. The mental health professionals should work in close association with the therapists to cater the needs of the patients. It is interesting to note that hardly few patients in the included studies had few adverse effects and worsening of positive symptoms during the intervention. This probably suggests that yoga and mindfulness techniques can be practiced by patients with schizophrenia, MDD, and BD without much worsening of symptoms. Further systematic studies are needed to study the beneficial effects and potential neurobiological mechanisms of yoga and mindfulness intervention in patients with schizophrenia, MDD, and BD.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

‘The Age of Magical Overthinking’ tries to pinpoint our mental health crisis

Amanda montell casts a wide net in her new essay collection. maybe too wide..

Every generation has its own crisis, the linguist and podcaster Amanda Montell writes. In the 1960s and ’70s, young Americans organized against “physical tyrannies” such as voter suppression and workplace discrimination. But times have changed.

The 21st century brought a shift in our attention from external threats to internal ones, Montell says. Rates of anxiety and depression among U.S. teens and adults have spiked. Loneliness is a public health threat . We’re glued to our phones, alienated from loved ones and surrounded by misinformation.

People everywhere, Montell writes, are facing a crisis of the mind.

From this grim landscape emerges “ The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality ,” Montell’s third book and a sweeping look at mental health, behavioral science, misinformation and online culture in the 2020s. In it, she argues that the ills of the internet era are best explained by looking back on humanity’s history, when our minds developed shortcuts to improve our odds of survival. Those shortcuts are called cognitive biases, and they may lead us to do strange things like fall for a conspiracy theory or accept mental health advice from an untrained influencer .

Montell leads us through an engaging roundup of “21st century derangement,” from celebrity worship to tradwife discourse , examining how cognitive biases may contribute. But by positioning her work as a response to America’s broad struggle with mental health, Montell promises more than she delivers. Rather than focusing on a tour of our shared cognitive glitches, she juggles meta-commentary on such vast topics as the modern mind and the internet, dropping balls along the way.

The book opens with an account of Montell’s struggles with anxiety and overwhelm, as well as the steps she took to feel better. “My most cinematic attempt at mental rehab involved picking herbs on a farm in Sicily under a light-pollution-free sky,” she writes.

Eventually, she had an aha moment: The same cognitive biases she encountered while researching toxic social groups for her second book, “ Cultish ,” could explain why the internet age felt like a “mass head trip.” Glutted with more information in a day than we can ever hope to process, we fall back on mental habits developed when humans were simpler creatures, Montell writes. For example, social media celebrity worship could be fueled by the “halo effect,” where we assume a person with one good quality (writing hit pop songs) has other good qualities (a perfectly tuned moral compass). Or perhaps we spend hours comparing ourselves with other people on Instagram because the “zero-sum bias” has convinced us that life is a game of winners and losers.

Montell backs up her connections in many instances with nods to evolutionary biology. For early humans, it made sense to attach ourselves to the strongest and most powerful, so now we glom onto Taylor Swift or Charli XCX. Resources like mates and status were limited in ancient human communities, Montell notes, so it’s natural that we view hot people on Instagram as immediate threats to our survival.

Montell finds examples of cognitive bias in internet culture flash points, such as the millennial obsession with New Age therapy-speak. Faced with big problems, such as anxiety or depression, our minds seek big explanations, such as childhood trauma or a scarcity mind-set, rather than examining all the smaller problems at play.

In other spots, she shares stories from her own life. In her late 20s, she struggled to end an abusive relationship, terrified that giving up meant she’d wasted years of her life — a classic “sunk cost fallacy.” Humans are social creatures, Montell notes, afraid of inviting scrutiny by admitting mistakes.

“My hope is for these chapters to make some sense of the senseless,” Montell says early on. “To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in.” And indeed, in some moments, her sharp descriptions of behavioral foibles and her talent for cutting through doublespeak clear room for hope: Maybe noticing our warped thinking will make its effects less painful. Maybe our generational “crisis” is a story of not-enough-neurons encountering too-many-terabytes.

When confidence in Montell’s analysis wavers, it’s because the targets are too broad, the claims imprecise. For instance, we’re never quite sure of the shape of the national mental health crisis she repeatedly references. Early on, she draws a distinction between Americans’ current mental health struggles and 20th-century battles against bodily oppression. This neat separation doesn’t reflect reality — “The Age of Magical Overthinking” was published after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and during ongoing fights for voter access, health care and the right to protest. It also doesn’t reflect what science has shown about illnesses like depression, which are often tied up with a person’s physical and political well-being. Ultimately, we’re left with the sense that Montell’s crisis of the mind begins and ends with the vague feelings of anxiety and dread many people feel after scrolling on social media apps.

Montell implies that the breakdown of Americans’ mental health began after 2000, brought on by internet access and introspection. Conflating “the internet” with social media, she draws loose connections between online scrolling and mental turmoil, making no reference to the complicated science around how social media use affects our brains. Some studies have found bumps in anxiety and depression associated with social media use, but more recent meta-analyses call their methods and findings into question . To date, researchers have found no consistent causal link between spending time on social apps and experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Of course, future research may uncover new ways to measure how social media use or other online activities affect the mental health of different populations. Perhaps we should rely on a different measure altogether, like qualitative research into young people and their families. Rather than critique the existing science or offer an alternative lens, Montell picks two studies that support her thesis and hand-waves at the dire state of things.

Finally, although Montell says cognitive biases affect everyone, she aims her jabs at the safest of targets: “Disney adults,” “male girlbosses,” “Facebook-addicted Karens.” Readers hoping for fresh or counterintuitive takes on internet culture — and its heroes and villains — may walk away disappointed.

Montell says from the jump that her analysis of 2020s malaise is “not a system of thought,” likening her work instead to a Buddhist koan — meant to be pondered, not understood. That’s fine, and “The Age of Magical Overthinking” ultimately features interesting topics, fun research and vivid stories. But in Montell’s effort to critique the spirit of our times, she asks imprecise questions and offers unsatisfactory answers.

Tatum Hunter is a consumer technology reporter at The Washington Post based in San Francisco. Her work focuses on health, privacy and relationships in the internet era.

The Age of Magical Overthinking

Notes on Modern Irrationality

By Amanda Montell

Atria/One Signal. 272 pp. $28.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Metallurgicheskii Zavod Electrostal AO (Russia)

In 1993 "Elektrostal" was transformed into an open joint stock company. The factory occupies a leading position among the manufacturers of high quality steel. The plant is a producer of high-temperature nickel alloys in a wide variety. It has a unique set of metallurgical equipment: open induction and arc furnaces, furnace steel processing unit, vacuum induction, vacuum- arc furnaces and others. The factory has implemented and certified quality management system ISO 9000, received international certificates for all products. Elektrostal today is a major supplier in Russia starting blanks for the production of blades, discs and rolls for gas turbine engines. Among them are companies in the aerospace industry, defense plants, and energy complex, automotive, mechanical engineering and instrument-making plants.

Headquarters Ulitsa Zheleznodorozhnaya, 1 Elektrostal; Moscow Oblast; Postal Code: 144002

Contact Details: Purchase the Metallurgicheskii Zavod Electrostal AO report to view the information.

Website: http://elsteel.ru

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