Science of Yoga & Mental Health- www.stuartsyogacara.co.uk
Science of Yoga For Mental Health
A Selection Of Data On The Evaluation Of Yoga On Mental Health
To introduce this topic it will be very worth while to address several elephants in the room. Elixir, a magic bullet, the solution, quick fix, all need to be put to bed. You will not find them here from yoga. What you may be surprised to learn is, how slowly but surely, science and scientists of modern times have found irrefutable evidence that yoga works. It does things for human mental health and well being that meet with the approval of their current methodologies and limitations. For a very long time there has been a great disrespect and complete disregard both culturally and scientifically, for the many thousands of years of development in yoga. Accessing and true understanding of yoga history is difficult. Take the wrong path and you will not get to where you were meant to be. Where you may helpfully find yourself heading,, in balanced mental health is down the road towards an understanding of interconnection. Finding value and benefit from potentially several different things, that together may help with your understanding of what it means to be well. How you got there? What you did to lose it? How to go about getting it back again? Why wellness comes and goes and what balance means in this aspect of your health.
Yoga and Mental Health: A Review
Farah M Shroff * and Mani Asgarpour
Department of Family Practice and the School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Canada
Received date: April 21, 2016; Accepted date: March 10, 2017; Published date: March 16, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Shroff FM, et al.
Abstract
The need for effective population mental health promotion approaches is urgent as mental health concerns are escalating globally and current allopathic treatment regimens are insufficient to bring people towards the state of mental well-being (citation). Successfully alleviating stress has the potential to promote wellbeing and prevent illness. Worldwide, yoga is gaining popularity as an accessible, acceptable and cost-effective practice for mind and body. People are turning to yoga for mental health improvement because of preferences for: self-treatment as opposed to clinical intervention; perceived greater efficacy than medication; fewer side effects; lack of response to medication. Yoga has minimal side effects and is cost-effective in comparison with pharmacological treatments and psychotherapy. Yoga’s added benefit is that it improves physical fitness and encourages self-reliance. In this brief article we discuss the evidence for yoga as a form of mental health promotion, illness prevention and treatment for depression. LINK
What Is Brain GABA?''
GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, acting like an "off switch" to calm nerve activity, reduce excitability, and promote relaxation, sleep, and focus by making neurons less likely to fire. It balances the brain's excitatory signals (like glutamate), playing crucial roles in controlling anxiety, stress, and fear, with imbalances linked to conditions like epilepsy, autism, and insomnia.
Yoga Asana Sessions Increase Brain GABA Levels: A Pilot Study
Perry Renshaw
2007, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare changes in brain ␥-aminobutyric (GABA) levels associated with an acute yoga session versus a reading session. It was hypothesized that an individual yoga session would be associated with an increase in brain GABA levels. LINK
Case Report: The use of medical yoga for adolescent mental health
Abstract
Mental health issues are epidemic among youth in the United States today. Recent studies suggest that up to 50% of all teenagers have complaints related to stress, anxiety, and/or depression. This problem is accompanied by an unprecedented rise in the rates of child and teen suicide in the United States. In response to this epidemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending universal depression screening for all teens. Medications are available to ameliorate mental health disorders, and many can be safely used in the primary care setting. However, many of these medications have unwanted side effects or may not be familiar to the primary care physician. For these reasons and others, primary care physicians require additional approaches to respond to the challenges imposed by a growing number of patients requiring mental health support. Medical Yoga Therapy, prescribed by a physician with special yoga therapy training, offers a safe and effective way to serve the patient with physical or mental challenges disabilities. Medical Yoga therapy is an individualized and personal approach to the patient, and it may be integrated with any current therapy or medical regimen. Here, evidence for medical yoga is reviewed in the context of an adolescent patient with a common disorder. Yoga practices, with particular focus on mindfulness, offer a safe and effective intervention for a growing number of pediatric patients. LINK
Neuroplasticity
Understanding Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. This adaptability allows the brain to recover from injuries, learn new skills, and adapt to changes. For many years, scientists believed that the brain’s structure was static after a certain age. However, research has proven that the brain remains plastic throughout life. This means that with the right stimuli, we can train our brains to improve functions like memory, focus, and emotional regulation. LINK
Literature Review
This Literature Review emphasizes neurophysiological studies that pertain to perception, and how various yogic practices enhance perceptual capacities in a proposed "designing for consciousness .LINK