How Practicing Yoga Can Lift Your Spirits?

Sometimes we get frustrated for no reason. When you feel sad or depressed, the stress of grief can hike the hormones, especially cortisol, and cause severe heavy pain that you feel in your chest area.

Yoga practice is equivalent to antidepressants. The fact that Yoga is good for the spirit isn’t a stretch anymore. Practicing Yoga can have the same effect on a chemical in your brain (called a neurotransmitter) involved in depression and anxiety as antidepressants can.

The chemical messengers- GABA

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is a non-essential amino acid that your brain needs to function properly. Specifically, it inhibits nerve-cells from over-firing and regulates stress or anxiety messages. It’s your body’s natural tranquillizer which calms you and promotes sleep and relaxation.

It’s not very common to have a deficiency in GABA, but sometimes poor diet, environmental toxins, and other factors cause GABA levels to become depleted or result in a dysfunction in the GABA system. This leaves you feeling anxious, depressed, irritable, or unable to sleep. You may also experience palpitations.

The link between Yoga and decreased depression

As per the findings published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Yoga can be used to increase the levels of GABA in your brain. It implies that the practice of yoga should be explored as a remedy for illnesses with low GABA levels such as depression and anxiety disorders.

Significant difference after just one hour of yoga

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, the researchers compared the GABA levels of eight people before and after one hour of yoga, with 11 people who did no yoga but instead read for an hour. They found a 27% increase in GABA levels in the yoga practitioner group after their session, but no change in the reading group.

Yoga asanas to lift your spirits

Downward dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Downward dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is a yoga asana that places the heart right above your head in such a reversed position that it improves the flow of blood and stimulates circulation in the entire body. It helps to moderate anxiety levels thus blessing you with a relaxed mind and good mood.

Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Uttanasana assists in stimulating and toning your spinal nerves while relaxing your entire body. It helps to control hormonal imbalances and mood swings.

Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

This is one of the stress-relieving asanas in yoga. It focuses on overall mental well-being. Happy baby asana is a soothing and gentle pose that is excellent for stretching and increasing relaxation to your body.

Conclusion

The practice of yoga has had positive effects on the emotional and mental health of people with depression. It also improves mood and overall happiness in people who are not depressed. The good news is that yoga exercises offer the same benefits as antidepressants without the side effects.

However, it is critical to note that Yoga should not substitute the treatment prescribed by your physician, but can certainly be used to increase the benefits.

So go on, stretch and be happy!