Interesting article!

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Better than Prozac, etc.?

Yoga and meditation offer some of the same benefits as antidepressants—without

the side effects.

By Amy Weintraub

Each year more than 25 million Americans are treated with antidepressants.

Effective? Yes, but the added stress of side effects, such as weight gain,

lethargy, and sexual dysfunction, have brought into question whether medication

is the only solution. It may not be. Recent studies have shown evidence that the

practice of yoga—postures, breathing techniques, meditation—has beneficial

effects on the emotional well-being and mental acuity of depression sufferers.

And, best of all, without the side effects.

A recent, yet small, Scandinavian study conducted by Hoffman, Ph.D., that

measured brain waves before and after a two-hour Kriya Yoga class found that

alpha waves (relaxation) and theta waves (unconscious memory, dreams, emotions)

increased by 40 percent. This means the brain is more deeply relaxed after yoga

and the subjects have better contact with their subconscious and emotions. The

Scandinavian study is significant for depression sufferers because after the

yoga session, alpha waves increased in the right temporal lobe.

Previous research has shown that depressed, introverted people typically have

more alpha activity in the left frontal-temporal region, while optimistic,

extroverted people have more alpha activity on the right. That theta waves also

increased supports the notion that yoga works to alleviate depression not only

by increasing brain chemicals that contribute to a feel-good response—such as

endorphins, enkephalins, and serotonin—but also by providing greater access to

feelings.

Another study, conducted jointly by the Philadelphia-based Jefferson Medical

College and Yoga Research Society, found that practitioners experienced a

significant drop in cortisol levels after a single yoga class. High cortisol

levels are characteristics of stress and serious depression. A marked decrease

in cortisol and increase in the hormone prolactin—which is believed by many

professionals to be the key in producing the anti-depressant effect of

electroshock therapy—was also demonstrated in tests conducted by the National

Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India, using the breathing

technique Sudharshan Kriya (SKY). In several major controlled studies involving

adults with major depressive disorder, SKY produced dramatic relief from

depression accompanied by beneficial changes in brain and hormone function.

But what about long-term effects? So far, most of the longer studies have been

done in the area of mindfulness-based training; the most recent one was

published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (vol. 68, 2000).

Here, mindfulness-based stress reduction was combined with group cognitive

therapy as an eight-week treatment in the prevention of recurrence of major

depression. In follow-up testing a year later, the treatment group had a

significantly lower relapse rate than did the control group.

More long-term, well-funded studies may be needed before doctors are ready to

prescribe yoga for depressed patients. Until then sufferers might do well to mix

yoga with their medication and embrace chicken soup ideology: It definitely

won't hurt and could possibly even help.