A new study finds that practicing yoga can lead to statistically significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, which adds to a growing body of research supporting the idea that it can help with the disorder.
“Yoga directly affects a region of the brain called the amygdala, triggering a balance by acting on the parasympathetic branch of the brain. The parasympathetic branch is the one responsible for calming the body, creating the opposite of the flight-or-flight response triggered during a condition like PTSD.
….It is believed that the impact of yoga on people with PTSD is both biological and psychological. It triggers calmness through the practice of relaxation, meditation, and breathing interventions involved in the practice of yoga.
The mindfulness involved in practicing yoga allows individuals to pay attention to and acknowledge unpleasant emotions and memories from a non-judgmental safe stance. This provides psychological betterment for those battling PTSD.”
Btw, last year, researchers found that yoga also seems to provide significant benefits for those suffering from depression, reducing self-reported depressive symptoms by at least 50%.
The lead researcher, Dr. Streeter of the Boston University School of Medicine, says that yoga and deep breathing targets the autonomic nervous system, while antidepressants don’t.
“If your autonomic nervous system is balanced out, then the rest of the brain works better,” she says.
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