Yoga May Have Positive Effects On Major Psychiatric Disorders

Mind, Brain, Neurology, and Yoga

Editor's Note:  The study and studies referenced in the article below review the meaningful contributions of yoga postures in assuaging human ails, whether physical or psychic, neurological, physiological, and psychological.  In North America and other places around the world, the term "yoga" nearly always refers solely to physical postures [asanas], a portion of a more whole arena yogic practice presents.  

All too often the narrow attention upon the physical postures of yoga are approached calisthenically, not with the true body/mind/soulful integration properly practicing yoga imbues in practitioners.  The comprehensive wholeness yoga and tantra contribute to our pursuit of happiness and infinity in human life will be actualized upon contemporary allopathy's relinquishment of its imperial conceits of culture and intellect.  

Even the pineal gland was considered inert matter in humans, until a few operating within allopathy awakened to unrecognized potentialities after large numbers of South Asians and others around the world harbinged its essential involvement in human wellbeing, conveying "We have been using and optimizing the pineal gland for thousands of years, we know it works!", after which money-motivated allopaths researched it further, acknowledging its functionality in the late 1960s, after a couple of pharmaceutical companies derived patents from its research.  

The pineal gland is the kingpin of all glands affecting our wellbeing, in every realm of life, well known by yogis for thousands of years.  

Psychological, psychic, psycho-transpersonal, and psycho-social reframing are essentialities in yogic practice and integral to the very intent of practicing yoga, tantra, and have been for thousands of years.  We welcome allopathy's explorations, and confirmations, of the myriad positive influences of the broad spectrum of yogic practices and the human potentialities these practices affect, while true and ethical discoveries and confirmations germane to human excellence and evolution should be led by ethical practitioners who have already experienced the substantially positive influences of yoga, of tantra, and who will preserve the ethical application of such discoveries and potential inventions for a healthier society for all life on Earth and beyond.  

Guest article

Yoga May Have Positive Effects On Major Psychiatric Disorders, Including Depression, Schizophrenia, ADHD And Sleep Complaints

Yoga has positive effects on mild depression and sleep complaints, even in the absence of drug treatments, and improves symptoms associated with schizophrenia and ADHD in patients on medication, according to a systematic review of the exercise on major clinical psychiatric disorders.  

Published in the open-access journal,Frontiers in Psychiatry, the review of more than one hundred studies focusing on 16 high-quality controlled studies looked at the effects of yoga on depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, sleep complaints, eating disorders and cognition problems.  

Yoga in popular culture 

Yoga is a popular exercise and is practiced by 15.8 million adults in the United States alone, according to a survey by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau, and its holistic goal of promoting psychical and mental health is widely held in popular belief.  

"However, yoga has become such a cultural phenomenon that it has become difficult for physicians and patients to differentiate legitimate claims from hype," wrote the authors in their study.  "Our goal was to examine whether the evidence matched the promise." 

Benefits of the exercise were found for all mental health illnesses included in the review, except for eating disorders and cognition problems as the evidence for these was conflicting or lacking.  

Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke University Medical Center, US, and author of the study, explained that the emerging scientific evidence in support of the 5,000 year old Indian practice on psychiatric disorders is "highly promising" and showed that yoga may not only help to improve symptoms, but also may have an ancillary role in the prevention of stress-related mental illnesses.  

The review found evidence from biomarker studies showing that yoga influences key elements of the human body thought to play a role in mental health in similar ways to that of antidepressants and psychotherapy.  One study found that the exercise affects neurotransmitters, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipids, growth factors and second messengers.  

Unmet need among mental health patients 

Depression alone affects more than 350 million people globally and is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  On World Mental Health Day last year, the WHO called for improved access to treatments.  

While there has been an increase in the number of medications available for mental health disorders, many of which can be life saving for patients, there remains "a considerable unmet need," according to Dr. Meera Balasubramaniam, lead author of the study, who is also based at Duke University, US.  

Poor compliance and relapse as well as treatment resistance are growing problems, and medications are expensive and can leave patients with significant side effects.  

The Primary Care study, carried out by WHO, found that 60% of patients were still depressed after a year of being treated with an anti-depressant and a National Institute of Mental Health funded research showed remission in only one-third of patients.  

"The search for improved treatments, including non-drug based, to meet the holistic needs of patients is of paramount importance and we call for more research into yoga as a global priority," said Doraiswamy.  "If the promise of yoga on mental health was found in a drug, it would be the best selling medication world-wide," he added.  

There are many benefits associated with practicing yoga for improving mental health, including, fewer side effects, relatively low cost, generally good access and the improvement of physical fitness, added the authors.  

The authors also note that while the results are promising, the findings should be viewed as preliminary because all studies of yoga to date have consisted of small samples, and more rigorous research will be needed before the exercise can be applied to help patients with mental health disorders. 

Article Information: 
Yoga on our Minds: A Systematic Review of Yoga for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Authors: Meera Balasubramaniam, Shirley Telles and P. Murali Doraiswamy. 
Front. Psychiatry DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00117 
URL:http://www.frontiersin.org/Affective_Disorders_and_Psychosomatic_Research/10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00117/abstract
Frontiers

This article originally appeared here

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The Vagus Nerve and the Healing Promise of The Sudarshan Kriya

Mind, Brain, Neurology

Guest article

Courtesy of Frank Huguenard,  Waking Times  

At the center of our bodies resides a long, sinewy nerve that extends all the way from our medullas down through our chests to beyond our stomachs.  This nerve, known as the Vagus Nerve, happens to be at a most fascinating intersection, not only between our two physical nervous systems (our central and autonomic nervous systems) but also between our conscious minds and subconscious minds.  As such, it also acts as a bridge between our gross bodies and our subtle bodies.  And it’s a nerve probably 99% of the population have never heard of nor even have a clue where it’s located.  And yet the Vagus Nerve (ironically pronounced the exact same way as sin city itself, Las Vegas) may be the single most relevant organ in our body relative to our peace of mind and happiness.  

For thousands of years humanity has explored and discovered subtle realms of mind and body and practices in further these, especially well developed through tantra yoga, of which allopathy is maturing into acknowledging and accepting as propitious for optimal health.  

A Healthy Vagus Nerve  

Research indicates that a healthy vagus nerve is vital in experiencing empathy and fostering social bonding, and it is crucial to our ability to observe, perceive, and make complex decisions.  Tests have revealed that people with impaired vagal activity have also been diagnosed with depression, panic disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, panic disorders, violent mood swings, fibromyalgia, early Alzheimer’s and obesity.  Given the state of society today and the vast array of dis-eases associated with unhealthy Vagus Nerves, it doesn’t take a medical doctor to conclude that by healing our collective Vagus Nerves, we can heal a lot of societies woes.  

Scientists have discovered that artificial Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), through electrical impulses via a surgically implanted pacemaker like device, shows promising results in reducing depression, anxieties and even conditions such as epilepsy and obesity.  VNS has also shown positive effects in promoting weight-loss as the signals to the brain of ‘fullness’ are more easily transmitted.  

But what if there were a less intrusive and more natural way to stimulate and heal the Vagus Nerve?  


Automated Habit Formation 

Human Beings have an Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) that is the body’s automatic regulatory system of nerves and controls that do all the background tasks that keep the body operating.  The ANS is comprised of three separate subsystems, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS).  

The Parasympathetic Nervous System is responsible for many of our resting functions such as lowering heart rate, increasing digestive & gland activity and sexual arousal, the Sympathetic Nervous System is mainly associated with modulation of hormones and neurotransmitters relating to “flight or fight” responses.  

Shamanism and Psychotherapy: Reclaiming Self After Trauma

Shamanism involves practices explored by earliest humans that, through trial and error, and acknowledging and utilizing subtler realms of our being along with characteristics evident in Nature, have evolved and attained lasting presence well into modern times.  Of such shamanic practices, Tantra is the oldest and most developed shamanic practice extant today. 

This article derives from the ideas discussed in Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self. Ingerman discusses the techniques shamans use to retrieve parts of a person which seem to have left them in consequence to a traumatic situation.  These situations can range from anything which some would consider insignificant like the loss of a toy as a child to sexual and physical abuse.

    “For shamans the world over, illness has always been seen as a spiritual predicament.” They say that because of some crisis, the essence or vital part of our life-source separates from our consciousness in order to survive the experience and the full impact of the pain.  We see this clearly happening in cases of abuse.  This does not differ from some of the views therapists take about a particular situation.  John Bradshaw in particular says that “in incest parts of the vital self will split off to lessen the impact because the pain and humiliation are unbearable.  

    Shamans and psychotherapists both deal with the reintegration of these split-off parts.  What makes the shaman different from the therapist is that the shaman does not put the loss in the realm of the unconscious or blocked out memories.  The shaman sees the other parts living or existing in another separate reality.  He is a messenger, a communicator, and retriever between those parts and the main body of consciousness.  When a part of the soul is lost, a vital essence of one’s being is gone.  One may feel depressed, lonely, bored or anxiety-ridden and not know why.  This lost part is what some people tend to look for in relationships, addictions, or even religious organizations.  There is false idea that these things are going to make them feel more alive.