Undoubtedly, one of the reasons why yoga has taken so much foot in the West is its proven ability to combat stress, anxiety and depression, three enemies of health that attack the mood and that in the West have found a free field, spreading so increasingly frequent.
It is well known that a healthy and high mood, free from upsets, has a strong positive effect on the immune system and, consequently, on health in general.
Yoga and depression
Depression is a widespread psychological disorder in the Western world, and today, unfortunately, its spread has levels never touched previously in history, 10 times more widespread than a century ago.
Also the consumption of antidepressant drugs has obviously increased and, often, those who do not want to dive into the consumption of such drugs, must nonetheless rely on antidepressant therapies, often long and expensive.
Yoga and meditation, on the other hand, are among the most adequate means of coping with this disorder, at least when it occurs in tones that are not extreme. Scientific research has shown that the practice of yoga is a brilliant alternative to pills and that brain biochemistry responds positively to its use .
The y-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter (GABA) is found in very high levels in those who practice yoga, in good levels in those who walk regularly, and in low levels in those suffering from anxiety and depression attacks.
The amino acid GABA is very important for the regular functioning of the nervous system, being a neurotransmitter responsible for inducing a sense of calm, peace and relaxation.
Yoga and biochemistry
The 3 main tools used by classical yogas : asanas or postures, pranayama or breath control and meditation, seem to have very positive effects on the regularization of various biochemical activities, including the secretion of insulin, responsible not only to maintain at a good level the blood sugars but also partially of the production of serotonin, another neurotransmitter linked to rest, relaxation, pleasure and dreams.
Following still the biochemistry, we will discover that the cells have a true state of relaxation only in calm, in silence, in stillness, in the reduction of external stimuli ; when we believe we are relaxing between laughter, drinking and noise, in reality the body is in a state of biochemical tension, and that in the end we call relaxation is, in reality, a form of nervous exhaustion.
Yoga and stress
Stress is one of the key factors in the development of depression and yoga is a natural preventive of stress : slowness of movement, relaxation of tensions, pacification of the mind, controlled and effective breathing, focusing on internal stimuli rather than on external, creates the ideal conditions for a reduction in the levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone that generally abounds in stressed and depressed subjects.
Controlled breathing, or pranayama, is one of the most important factors. Not only learning to breathe with the lower part of the lungs, therefore longer and deeper, exhaling the stale air and breathing in new oxygen in quantity, plus many positions of the arms and shoulders create new spaces to allow the lungs to expand further .
A greater lung capacity translates into more efficient but also prolonged breathing, with a sense of calm, exactly what counteracts stress and, secondly, depression.
Yoga and self-analysis
Finally, the state of relaxation induced by the practice of yoga for some time and space for self-analysis, for a scrupulous vision of the roots of one's fears, one's anxieties, one's idiosyncrasies, in a sort of peaceful and relaxed state, a cocoon of detachment and self-understanding that helps to get to the bottom of the issues that impact and burn.
In this, the visualization exercises typical of the meditative techniques that accompany the asanas and pranayama are extremely helpful.
