Hundreds of chemically made anti-depressants are available in the market today that are medically prescribed to manage depression issues in adults and teenagers. These anti-depressants vary from the popular benzodiazepines to the different serotonin supplements.

But do they really help to suppress the problem in the best possible manner?

I am going to be perfectly honest here and say that they do. They do help in bringing the issue under a certain degree of control. But along with all their upsides, there are also several more downsides that come in the form of side effects such as:

• Dependency.
• Withdrawal symptoms.
• Gnawing sense of worry that it might be difficult to cope up with depression without medication.
• Possible relapse after a certain point in time.

So why don’t we go for a more natural cure; something that can help to keep the problem at bay without giving any side-effects? Yes; I am talking about YOGA!

Highlights of Yoga

• Yoga helps to increase the serotonin secretion of the body.
• Yoga helps to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety.
• Regular yoga practice can help to improve your pain tolerance and may also handsomely contribute in increasing the overall energy of your body.

 

How does yoga therapy help in keeping depression at bay?

Yoga therapy is nothing but practicing yoga under professional supervision. Most depression patients use this form of therapy to you cope up with:

• Emotional and mental issues.
• Stress, depression, and anxiety.
• Chronic physical disorders such as back pain.

 

Now, let’s take a closer look at the different benefits of yoga therapy in a bit more detail.

• Yoga therapy can help to modulate the stress response system of an individual

Yoga therapy can modulate an individual’s stress response system for the better. For example:

• It can reduce the heart rate of an individual (which usually goes way above in stressful circumstances) and calm him/her down when the situation calls for the most.
• It helps to keep respiration problems at bay.
• It can also help in maintaining a stable blood pressure.

• Yoga therapy can help in improving the mood of an individual

I have already said this before that yoga is nature’s inherent serotonin supplement.

According to the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, it has been found that serotonin plays a mighty important role in keeping depression at a check. After all, it’s a chemical that makes individuals happy.

Yoga, being a natural serotonin supplement, can thus keep depression at bay almost in the same way chemically made anti-depressants do.

• Yoga therapy can help in effective management of phobias

Phobias aren’t too uncommon in people.

Fortunately, in most cases, they go away on their own but in some, things turn for the worse and medical help becomes mandatory to keep issues at a check. Yoga therapy can also help.

Regular yoga practice can help to alleviate most of the phobia-related symptoms and may also cure you one day in the long run.

A few tips to practicing yoga

• Always do yoga in a spot that you are comfortable with. Also, use a yoga mat for your practice.
• If you think that certain yoga pose is too uncomfortable, stop doing it immediately. You don’t have to be too hard on yourself. Remember, yoga is all about relaxation. Try keeping it that way.
• Maintain a daily yoga routine and stick to it at all possible cost.
• Meditate for a few minutes to improve your concentration. It may be a bit too difficult to do at the start, but with practice and persistence, you will master it in no time.
• And finally, always end your practice session with a 5 to 10 minutes rest, also known as the savasana.

A final word…

Yoga might appear a bit too difficult at the start, but that doesn’t mean you should give up immediately on your practice. Like math, science, and other academic subjects, yoga is also an acquired skill. Over time you are going to improve.

Remember, it doesn’t matter how you do as long as you do. With that, I’ll bring this post to a close for now. Hope you had a great read.