Pick Yoga Rather Than Medications for Depression Management
Studies have established that some type of anti-depression drugs are recommended to over 20 million individuals in America annually. However what should be the main reason for concern are the numerous side effects all too often suffered by those who use these antidepression drugs. Helpful as they may be for a time, it's been demonstrated that these depression medications cause a number of negative reactions that might include an unsettled stomach, low energy, insomnia and libido difficulties. Accordingly, a good number of folks are seeking a system of managing depression without medication.
If you'd like to take a crack at dealing with your depression issues in a more natural fashion to prevent these significant adverse reactions, you may want to consider doing yoga. Yoga and its soothing movements and poses tend to considerably increase the brain's alpha waves (associated with relaxation) and theta waves (your unconscious thoughts, emotions and dreams). This discovery is established on a research study that measured brain waves previous to a two-hour yoga session, and once more following the session.
Because of the heightened activity of these brain waves, people are inclined to have more contact with their subliminal thoughts and emotions. Moreover, following a yoga session, alpha wave activity becomes elevated in the right temporal area of the brain. Studies have demonstrated that individuals with depression are inclined to experience more alpha activity in the left frontal-temporal region, whereas optimistic, outgoing individuals have more alpha activity on the right side.
In addition, when yoga is performed, a notable reduction in the hormone known as cortisol occurs, along with an increase in the hormone prolactin. This is considered by a good number of experts to be the main factor in achieving the anti-depressant outcome of electroshock therapy.
If this all appears a bit too high-tech, maybe a less difficult example of how yoga is effective for depression treatment might be that it exercises the brain's motor centers. This causes the blood to flow away from the center of emotional activity; this means that you become more open to positive thoughts.
Just doing yoga poses will not be enough to control your depression. You also need to incorporate breathing exercises (called pranayama), meditation, (which can be grounded in your religious views) and a healthy diet. These are all significant aspects of the yoga ideology that will make a difference in your mental health.
So the next time depression strikes, you may do well to try a new prescription for managing depression: yoga. It won't harm you, and it could possibly help you immeasurably.
Depression is a much more serious condition than just feeling a little blue. It's a real problem that can affect all aspects of a person's life, from their job to their relationships. Learn more about this disease and what to do about it at Depression Help.