Breathing Through Depression

Adults aged 18-55 with Major Depressive Disorder participated in yoga and coherent breathing classes for 12 weeks. A high-dose group did three 90-minute yoga classes plus four 30-minute home sessions per week. A low-dose group did two classes plus three home sessions. Both groups showed significant reduction in depressive symptoms.

The combination of yoga postures with Ujjayi and coherent breathing was key. Researchers noted that regardless of the dose, the combination produced significant results. This was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and suggests breathing practices may be central to yoga’s antidepressant effect.

The dose did not need to be large. Even the lower-dose group saw significant improvement. Yoga and breathing together reduced depression in people with a clinical diagnosis.

Source: Yoga Research: Mental Health & Trauma on ashtanga.tech. Original research.