Seasonal depression? Give yoga a try.

Seasonal depression? Give yoga a try.


If you’re feeling the post-holiday blues, you might want to consider adding a new form of exercise into your routine. Research suggests that regularly attending a yoga class can help reduce short- and long-term symptoms associated with seasonal depression.

Researchers from universities in Massachusetts and New York studied 30 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Participants were split into two groups, a high-dose group and a low-dose group. Each group attended regular Iyengar [ai-uhn-gaar] yoga and coherent breathing classes for 12 weeks.

Iyengar yoga is a type of yoga style that emphasizes alignment and precision when performing specific yoga poses. Coherent breathing involves taking about four long, deep breaths per minute and has been proved to reduce stress.

Each week, the participants in the high-dose group took three 90-minute yoga classes and completed four 30-minute coherent breathing sessions at home. Those in the low-dose group took two 90-minute yoga classes and three 30-minute coherent breathing sessions.

Researchers evaluated the presence of major depressive disorder symptoms in participants at the study’s beginning, middle, and end. Results showed that the yoga practices contributed to significant improvements in the mental health and depression symptoms of both groups.

After just one month, participants in both groups reported better sleep, less physical exhaustion, and higher levels of positivity and tranquility. Their symptoms of depression and anxiety were also reduced.

So, if January’s got you down, consider giving yoga a go.

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