As a yoga teacher of over 17 years, I have seen many yoga students and teachers overcome depression and mental health problems with the support of a yoga practice. It is an evidence-based, affordable and accessible lifestyle decision that’s endorsed by numerous health organizations.
Amy Weintraub of Tucson, Arizona, attributes her recovery from depression in large part to yoga. While her therapist once told her that she would always struggle with mental health, Weintraub, now 74, is a published author who has also trained hundreds of yoga teachers how to teach yoga for depression.
At age 19, Weintraub struggled severely with depression. After nine years of medication, she felt that nothing was working. Her medication caused anxiety and made it difficult for her to function at work. But once Weintraub switched therapists and started practicing yoga, she made a breakthrough with her depression.
Yoga is not a cure for depression, but it is a complementary practice that can provide profound benefits for your mental health. Professional mental health support should be the first place to look for help.
[See: Beginner’s Guide to Yoga]
How Is Depression Typically Treated?
Clinical depression, or major depressive disorder, is defined as experiencing persistent symptoms of depression for at least two weeks, or if your symptoms are severe, says Dr. Ken Duckworth, chief medical officer at the National Alliance of Mental Illness and author of the book “You Are Not Alone.”
According to a 2023 national Gallup survey, three in 10 adults (29%) have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, the highest recorded by Gallup since 2015.
The standard of care of treating depression includes:
— Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). While medication is important and life-saving for some with depression, the National Institutes of Health reports that only 50% of people who take an antidepressant notice an improvement in their symptoms.
— Psychotherapy. However, therapy can be cost prohibitive and challenging to schedule and requires finding a therapist that is a good fit.
“My first psychiatrist said, ‘You’re one of those people who will always have empty pockets,'” Weintraub says. “That was a blanket statement that made me feel like I’d always be on medication. I’d always have some kind of yearning that was never fulfilled.”
Hearing this encouraged Weintraub to explore other options for managing her depression.
[SEE: Top Medications for Depression.]
An Empowering, Personalized Approach to Yoga for Depression
When Weintraub first tried meditation to help her with depression, she was asked to sit still with her eyes closed, which made her symptoms worse.
“I really needed more movement because I had an anxiety-based depression,” Weintraub said. “Sitting can create a spiral downward, and that was happening to me.”
She sought out other yoga classes, and found that a yoga practice that incorporates poses along with breathwork, sound and meditation that targeted her specific depression symptoms to be a breakthrough in her mental health. Under the close supervision of a new therapist, she was able to slowly come off of medication.
“When I started a daily practice, I immediately thought of that image of empty pockets, and felt abundance,” Weintraub says. “That’s what sent me on a whole new trajectory of getting off medication. It was not hard. Life got easier.”
[See: Yoga for Arthritis]
The Best Types of Yoga for Depression
Different approaches to yoga can be helpful for different types of depression, explains Patricia Kinser, dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing and Judith B. Collins and Joseph M. Teefey Distinguished Professor. She researches yoga- and mindfulness-based interventions for mental health.
Kinser suggests every individual should find the practice that best meets your needs and yoga can be adjusted to fit your specific mental health needs.
For example, “power” yoga might help some, whereas hatha yoga, which includes slower movements and deep relaxation, might be helpful for others. Someone with lots of anxiety might wish to start with a more physical practice and then slowly bring themselves to a calmer place, whereas someone who is feeling sluggish might need to start with a gentler practice and then slowly build up their energy and movements.
“I see yoga and other mindfulness-based interventions as a way to get over the hump,” Kinser says. “For example, if they are using medication, but they know it’s not going to work for a while, they can go ahead and start helping themselves earlier. And it can be an important complement to psychotherapy: It’s another tool in their toolbox.”
[READ: Types of Mental Health Professionals.]
Why Yoga Is a Powerful Complement to Depression Treatment
Mind-body connection
The combination of mental and physical components along with individual adaptability likely makes yoga beneficial for depression, says Kinser.
“The benefit of yoga is that it has both the top-down and bottom-up mechanism,” Kinser says. “Top-down meaning the psychological, in the case of yoga, the psychological resilience has input on the rest of the body. And vice-versa, the physical movement has that bottom-up benefit on the brain and that becomes a positive loop.”
Deep relaxation and mindfulness
Built into nearly every yoga class is a pause at the beginning of class to ground yourself and bring attention to your breath, and at the end in order to decompress. This is a characteristic that is unique to yoga and often overlooked in typical workouts.
Another key component to a yoga class is to attune to your breath, learn to move slowly and pause before you move forward with a movement or decision. Staying present helps you recognize negative thoughts, which builds resilience and emotional clarity.
Community and social support
Weintraub found a supportive community with yoga, which in itself helped her with her depression.
“You can be part of a community,” Duckworth says. “You don’t have to be alone. Depression is isolating. You begin to think ‘I’m the only person living with this. Why is the world picking on me in this way?’ When in fact, depression is ordinary, it’s common, anxiety is common, it’s just part of the human condition.”
Biological changes: DNA methylation
Kinser explains that yoga may help with depression and anxiety by actually changing our biology. She studies whether yoga practice and social support could impact DNA methylation in our bodies.
Think of DNA methylation as a “dimmer switch” for your genes. It controls how your body reacts to physical or psychological stress by turning certain genes up or down. Her research explores whether changing our psychological environment through things like yoga and social support can adjust that dimmer switch in a healthy way.
Additionally, she says she’s excited to explore how these benefits may extend beyond an individual: When you improve your mental health through yoga, medication or therapy, it may create a positive ripple effect that can benefit your family, children and even future generations.
[READ: How Yoga Helps Reduce Acute and Chronic Pain]
Yoga: The Ideal Low-Energy Alternative to Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is known to reduce depressive symptoms, but if you are struggling with depression, low energy levels can make it challenging to find the motivation to work out vigorously.
“It’s pretty well established that aerobic exercise is good for people who have mild anxiety, maybe moderate anxiety, mild depression or moderate depression,” Duckworth says. “But of course one of the core features of depression is people don’t have the energy to do things. So you don’t tell your patient to go for a five-mile run. You look at your patient and figure out what they can do.”
Similar to exercise, yoga produces endorphins and elevates levels of GABA, your brain’s natural mood boosting chemicals.
Most yoga routines offer a way to ease into movement and receive the same benefits as exercise, just more gradually. Over time, yoga helps you develop awareness and the ability to self-regulate your effort skillfully.
7 Best Yoga Positions for Depression
There are many ways to practice yoga for depression, and what matters most is that you do not rush, you notice how you feel and personalize your practice so that it works for you. Here are the seven best yoga poses for depression, which are based on Weintraub’s collaboration with researchers.
[LIST]
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How to Start a Yoga Practice for Depression, According to Experts originally appeared on usnews.com
