{"id":117477,"date":"2019-12-05T11:00:20","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T11:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=117477"},"modified":"2023-03-13T08:20:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T08:20:00","slug":"yoga-for-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/yoga-for-depression.htm","title":{"rendered":"Yoga For Depression – Does it Help?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"yoga<\/a>

By: distelfliege<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Exercise<\/a> is now recommended for depression. <\/b>But suffering from depression<\/a> lowers energy levels. Yoga, a more gentle form of exercise, can seem attractive.<\/p>\n

But does yoga for depression actually work?<\/strong> And if so, how much yoga would you have to do?<\/p>\n

Writer Anne Freier<\/span> <\/a>takes a look.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Research supports yoga for depression<\/h3>\n

A recently released study<\/a> from Boston University\u2019s School of Medicine (BUSM) looked at the effect of different \u201cdosages\u201d of yoga and breathing exercises on improving symptoms of clinical depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is a ‘dosage’? Chris Streeter MD, associate professor of psychiatry at BUSM explains, <\/strong>“We give medications in different doses in order to enact their effects on the body to varying degrees. Here, we explored the same concept but used yoga. We call that a dosing study.”<\/p>\n

Thirty study participants, all clinically depressed<\/a>, were split into low and high \u201cdosage\u201d groups.<\/p>\n

Over a three-month period, the low-dosage group attended 87 hours of yoga. The high-dosage group took part in 123 hours of yoga.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Within the first month of the trial, both groups saw significant improvements in depression reduction<\/span><\/a> and overall mental wellbeing<\/span><\/a>. This positive effect then increased over the next two months.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What\u2019s fascinating about this experiment is that the dosage didn\u2019t appear to matter much<\/strong>. The measured improvements were only marginally different. <\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, <\/strong>a little bit of yoga goes a long way.<\/p>\n

Yoga and mindfulness – a recipe for better mental health?<\/h3>\n
\"yoga<\/a>

By: nasrul ekram<\/p><\/div>\n

Many yoga teachers talk about<\/strong> listening to your breath, keeping your attention on your body<\/a>, and ‘being present<\/a>‘, This is also called staying ‘mindful<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness<\/a> is a mental state of deliberate self-awareness. <\/strong>It focuses on your feelings and sensory experiences in the here and now. With focus and practise, mindfulness<\/a> can even be an everyday, informal type of meditation<\/a>. You can practice it while queuing for the bus, or brushing your teeth.<\/p>\n

In therapy, ‘mindfulness intervention’, <\/strong>refers to the practice of achieving a mindful state in order to treat anxiety, depression<\/a>, and other mental health conditions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So choosing a yoga class with a focus on staying present over just<\/strong> exercising<\/a> might increase your mood boost.<\/p>\n

How much mindfulness does research show you need?<\/h3>\n

Is mindfulness like yoga? Do you benefit no matter how much time you practise, and what ‘dose’ you use?<\/strong> Or do you need to start a committed mindfulness meditation practice<\/a> to really see results? Studies from this angle are still rare.<\/p>\n

But a 2017 study<\/a> from Spain\u2019s San Jorge University<\/strong> did <\/strong>examine the <\/strong>effects of different durations of mindfulness therapy. And it came to the conclusion that initial gains from mindfulness could be made relatively fast.<\/p>\n

In the study, one group of 45 people was put on an<\/strong> eight-week mindfulness program, while another group of 45 people received an abbreviated four-week version. Both groups were followed up with after six months.<\/p>\n

The positive effects of the longer program on depression<\/span><\/a>, anxiety<\/span><\/a> and other conditions were only slightly stronger than those of the shorter mindfulness intervention. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After an initial boost in mood and depression symptoms, the long-term effect<\/strong> continued to be cumulatively positive, but the upward slope appeared to become more gradual.<\/p>\n

As for the ‘dosing’ of mindfulness interventions? How many times a day and<\/strong> for how many minutes each time you ideally need to practice mindfulness?<\/p>\n

Experts have yet to find common ground. And<\/strong> different mindfulness teachers or therapists integrating mindfulness in their work with clients<\/a> will offer different guidelines, depending on your personal requirements.<\/p>\n

[Ready to jump in and benefit from mindfulness? Read our easy how-to Guide to Mindfulness<\/a> <\/span>to get started.]<\/span><\/p>\n

The Power of the First Step<\/h3>\n

Perhaps one key mechanism the above research shows is that the<\/strong> decision to take action<\/a> alone is enough to give you a morale lift.<\/p>\n

After the first few mindfulness therapy sessions or yoga classes there\u2019s also <\/strong>a sense of accomplishment. You proved to yourself that you can do it. This, in turn, will reinforce your commitment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness-based therapy<\/h3>\n

Not sure you have the motivation to try yoga for depression or mindfulness by yourself?<\/strong> You can work on the mindfulness side of things, at least, with a therapist.<\/p>\n

One tried and tested non-medication treatment to cope with clinical depression is<\/strong> mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)<\/a>. Research shows<\/a> that most patients, MBCT produces tangible results within the first month of treatment.<\/p>\n

Other therapies that often integrate mindfulness<\/strong> can include:<\/p>\n