By Janet Mizzi

One of my biggest concerns is how people of all ages could be suffering anxiety and depression. Anxiety disorders clock on as the most common mental illness with 40 million of adults in the United States. Depression touches over 14 million adults every year. To say this is a problem would be an understatement. The best solution to this problem I believe is yoga.

First let’s understand that anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry. Anxiety is a generalized mood condition that can often occur without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an observed threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats that are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable.

Anxiety can lead to depression. Symptoms of depression include feeling sad, hopeless, worthless, or pessimistic. In addition, people with major depression often have behavior changes, such as new eating and sleeping patterns.

Depression can appear as anger and discouragement, rather than as feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. If depression is very severe, there may also be psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms may focus on themes of guilt, inadequacy, or disease.

Is yoga a simple solution to anxiety and depression when it has received less attention in the medical literature; however, it has become increasingly popular? Yes, through postures (asanas), meditation, relaxation and socialization are self soothing techniques can help stabilize oneself. The alternative would be a vast amount of medication that is available for these problems.

When a person is stressed his/her heart rate exceeds the norm, but through focus and breathing; we are able to reduce the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and increases respiration. Yoga practitioners are also able to have a higher pain tolerance. This tolerance will help them to regulate their stress.

Yoga improves mood and functioning. I believe most people are depressed when they feel they have no control over their lives. Yoga gives them back control, at least over their minds and their bodies. Holding a posture takes concentration and when you are concentration on asanas, there is little time to think about other concerns in the everyday world.

The proof that I offer to the statements above come from several studies done in the last few years. However, I will just offer four, three for and one against.

An article in the Harvard Health Publication gave me great incite to one of their many studies on depression and yoga. The article simply commented on a test that was given to participants in a yoga class that had bipolar, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility and fatigue. After the class, the average levels of tension dropped significantly.

Another study in Germany in 2005, twenty four (24) women who described themselves as “emotionally distressed” took two 90 minute yoga classes for three months. They were compared to women that continue their every day routine. At the end of this three month period this group of woman reported improvements in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue, and well-being. Results showed depression scores improved by 50 percent and anxiety scores by 30 percent.

One uncontrolled, descriptive 2005 study examined the effects of a single yoga class for inpatients at a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital. The 113 participants included patients with bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia. After the class, average levels of tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue dropped significantly, as measured by the Profile of Mood States, a standard 65-item questionnaire.

At the University Of Westminster between March and June 2004, a systematic review was carried out of the research evidence on the effectiveness of yoga for the treatment of anxiety an anxiety disorders. Eight studies were reviewed. They reported positive results, although there were many methodological inadequacies. Owing the diversity of conditions treated and poor quality of most of the studies, it is not possible to say that yoga is effective in treating anxiety or anxiety disorders in general. However, there are encouraging results particularly with obsessive compulsive disorder. Further well conducted research is necessary which may be most productive if focused on specific anxiety disorders.

Although the University of Westminster did not have a conclusive result, the result they did manage to observe that yoga did help with compulsive disorder. Compulsive disorder can definitely lead to anxiety and we know anxiety can lead to depression. So we can conclude that breathing, posture holding and meditation are a crystal-clear plus in this category.

Let’s continue with using the results of the test above to discuss the benefits of yoga and which poses can help.

A great benefit in yoga is the controlled breathing. In addition to the study listed above there was a study on controlled breathing in providing a relief for depression. This study was done six days a week for thirty minutes. The results, “67% of those using the breathing technique had achieved depression remission”.

The best poses for anxiety and depression to reduce stress are bridge pose, easy pose two, staff pose, bound angle pose, and child’s pose. These poses when practices ten-to-fifteen minutes in

the beginning add awareness to your body. This alone is a great benefit. These poses are not discouraging and can actually add courage to continue into a more strenuous routine.

Meditation is another great way to relieve anxiety and depression. Anxiety can challenge your ability to concentrate and drain your willpower. Nourishment from words of wisdom is always a fine way to begin a meditation, another grand benefit. Affirmations can help you to gain some control over your life.

To become more aware of yourself during meditation, stop breathing, and ask, “What’s going on now?” Tune into your emotions and release all that does not serve you.

As I mentioned in my first paragraph anxiety and depression are not only subjected to adults. Children of several age groups also suffer from anxiety, especially teenagers. They live in a world of perfection and self doubt. They are going through emotional as well as psychical changes.

Yoga can enhance their mind-body connection, which can improve your mood and physical health – and even lighten various psychological disorders. It can improve their depression, body image struggles, eating disorders, and even physical problems. They can focus on their inner peace and self worth. A teenager which focuses is purely an immense concept.

Just think if yoga was part of a school curriculum, you would not see studies like the ones I have listed below.

This is an article from the American Journal of Psychiatric: Over the past 30 years the incidence of suicide in older adolescents in the United States has shown marked gender and ethnic variations. The rate has remained largely stable among females of all ethnic groups. Among white males it reached a peak in 1988 but has since stabilized. The rate for black and other minority males, however, has increased markedly since 1986. Increases have been more rapid in regions where the incidence was historically low. One effect of these changes has been to reduce the discrepancy between white and black teen suicide rates. The perception that young blacks are at much lower risk for suicide than whites requires revision.

Depression Screening in Adolescents with Somatic Complaints Presenting to the Emergency Department presented this article:

Study objective: To determine the frequency of documented depression screening for adolescents presenting with somatic chief complaints to a pediatric emergency department. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 408 consecutive patients aged 11 to 17 years who presented to the ED with a chief complaint of chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, weakness/fatigue, dizziness/fainting, or hyperventilation. Results: Documentation of depression screening was noted in 4.2% of cases (17 of 408).

In my conclusion to all of the studies presented today, I believe facts offer stability on people and their train of thoughts. Anxiety and depression does not know gender and does not know

age. Yoga also does not know gender or age. Anyone can learn yoga, yoga breathing techniques, and meditation.

Yoga knows no time boundaries. You can do as little as ten minutes a day to over extending yourself, as long as your realize your limitations. And if you end every session with a positive affirmation or the lion pose to bring a little laughter into your life, the positive energy will win out.

Sources: Yoga for Anxiety by Mary NurrieStearns

Yoga for Depression by Amy Weintraub

Healing Depression the Mind – Body Way by Nancy Liebler and Sandra Moss

Internet Sources: Yoga Journal

University of Westminster

Harvard University

American Journal of Psychiatric

Janet Mizzi is a certified Yoga teacher. Janet teaches Yoga classes in Farmingdale, New York.