Yogic exercises “significantly” reduce symptoms of chronic depression, researchers from Boston University Medical Centre discovered when they tested the approach on a group of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

Some had never taken antidepressants, but others were still taking the drugs, even though they weren’t helping!  It’s incredible the ‘hook’ Big Pharma advertising has on us, and it’s high time to break this trend.

The patients were taught Iyengar yoga, but any form of hatha or flow (Vinyasa) yoga will do. Some had two sessions a week, and others had three – both were also asked to continue doing yoga and breath control at home on the other days.

Both groups reported a major lifting of their symptoms, with those who attended three lessons faring slightly better. Just two sessions had a big effect, and may be more realistic for people with busy lives.

This is common sense anyway.  Starting off doing less at the beginning is better – the mind doesn’t suddenly feel overwhelmed!

Yoga is a ‘new’ way to treat depression, the researchers say, as it creates positive neural pathways.

(Source: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2017; doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0140)