BEAT THE BLUES

If you’re feeling blue after a long winter, psychiatrists advise heading for a yoga class.

Science has now proven that yoga can help people suffering from mental illnesses; depression and anxiety, post traumatic stress, alcohol dependency, eating disorders, ADHD and epilepsy.

The Yoga, The Brain and Mental Health Conference in November 2012 brought psychiatrists, scientists and yoga teachers from all over the world to share findings on how yoga improves people’s state of mind and health.

MRI scans show that the amygdala (area of the brain responsible for the fight or flight response) reduces in size after regular meditations. Practising yoga works through its holistic approach affecting the physical body, the mind and the breath and the emotions together. For people with emotional regulation difficulties, starting with a physical approach can be easier and quicker than beginning with specific behavioural training.