Category: mental health

Yoga for dealing with Trauma – What do we know?

06/16/2017

Everyone has bad days.  When things aren’t going my way, I make time to go to the studio to practice.  Despite challenges that cause me to feel overwhelmed or upset, when I focus my mind and move my body through yoga, I often feel grounded again.  However, what if something happens that is more serious than a bad day?  Can yoga still help?

When people face challenges that are deeply upsetting or dangerous – such as abuse, assault, military combat or natural disasters – they may experience trauma.  Not everyone who experiences trauma has a lasting effect from it.  However, it can be harmful to one’s mental health.  Many people have problems with anxiety, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other mental health issues related to a traumatic event.  It’s not just a few people who are affected: one study found that 94% of people who were getting mental health treatments at an urban clinic had experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (Switzer et al., 1999).

Can yoga help to support your mental health if you have experienced trauma?  Researchers Macy, Jones, Graham, and Roach looked at reviews of 185 different studies on yoga and trauma (2016).  They found that the consensus of research on the topic at this time is that yoga can provide some benefit for people dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD and the effects of trauma.  Yoga can be flexible, low-risk and affordable.  It makes a great addition to other treatments, like therapy and medication, for the psychological distress that trauma can cause.

However, the research has limitations.  With so many styles of yoga out there (e.g. flow, power, alignment, restorative, etc.), it is hard to compare the results of studies using different styles.  Many studies on the effects of yoga are more basic – they may use smaller groups of people, last a short time, or not have a control group (people who don’t do yoga as a group to compare to).  I hope that future studies can address these problems; that way, people can get the information they need to choose to do the yoga that is most helpful for their situation.

For more information about the above mentioned study click here.

 

Mental Health Spotlight provided by Katie Pizziketti in collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 

The Temple University Collaborative receives funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RT5021-02-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This article does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Choosing Yoga – Choices & Mental Health

03/17/2017

One of the things I value most about my yoga practice is how it offers me choices every time I step onto my mat.  What kind of pace do I want for my practice today?  Are there any areas of my body that want extra attention – more stretch, more strength, more mindfulness and care?  Even within each pose, I have choices to make.  Will a modified version of this pose serve me better?  Do I want to work on a variation to build strength today, or focus on flexibility instead?  All of these choices allow me to exercise my autonomy, or independence, and make my practice feel more meaningful to me.

The ability to make our own choices and do things that are meaningful, including yoga, are important to supporting our mental health.  When people don’t get to make their own decisions and do activities they can feel successful at, they can begin to feel a sense of powerlessness, which has been linked to depression (see research by Seligman in 1975).  Just being able to make choices at all may be important for people to feel a sense of self-worth, but making choices that are meaningful to you is even better.  A recent study found that people with mental illnesses who did activities that were important to them were the most satisfied with the quality of their lives (Burns-Lynch, Brusilovskiy, & Salzer, 2016).

Choices do come with risks.  When I decide to try a more advanced yoga pose, I may open myself up to more risk of injury, just as I would when doing any physical activity.  In the field of mental health, the concept of “dignity of risk” means that people who aren’t feeling well should still get the chance to make choices even though they carry risks.  People also have the right to be informed about the risks that come with the choices they make – for example, if I do nothing instead of doing yoga, I run the risk of getting health problems from an inactive lifestyle.  Yoga studios like Maha are a resource to people to help them to make these informed decisions about their practice.

On a personal level, the choices that I make about my yoga practice help to support my mental wellness by giving me a sense of control.  When I am struggling with feelings of anxiety, making active choices on my mat helps me to feel more calm and centered.  Most importantly, when I’m able to carry the feeling of self-determination that I gain from yoga through the rest of my day, I can better deal with stressful situations that might arise in other parts of my life.  When I offer choices in my yoga classes at Maha, I hope that I create a space where my students feel free to make choices, and that they leave their mat feeling empowered.

Mental Health Spotlight provided by Katie Pizziketti in collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 

The Temple University Collaborative receives funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RT5021-02-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This article does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Yoga as Part of Schizophrenia Treatment

02/17/2017

When I am feeling less well, physically or mentally, yoga is one of my favorite self-care tools.  In addition to a warm mug of my favorite tea, and any medications prescribed by my doctor, the “do what is best for you” philosophy of yoga makes it easier to come to my mat whenever I need to feel better.  I recently learned that yoga is also a great “additional medicine” for people living with schizophrenia and can support them in feeling more well.

Elizabeth Viscegila and Steven Lewis wanted to know whether yoga could be an additional treatment for people who are being treated for schizophrenia.  They thought that yoga might support the medicines and therapies people are already taking to make them more effective at helping people feel better.  In 2011, they did a study with 18 people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia, who were all getting mental health services.  They chose 10 of these people at random to do yoga twice a week for 8 weeks while the other 8 people were put on a waitlist.

The study found that people who did yoga had improvements in their mental health specific to their schizophrenia.  They also said they felt less angry and had fewer negative feelings in general.  Their quality of life improved.  One of the people who was in the study observed, “yoga makes me feel like my whole body is functioning as it should.”  Another was surprised at how doable and rewarding yoga was, stating, “I thought it would require a lot from me, but instead it has given me so much.”

People in this study also said that they were able to use the skills they learned from doing yoga later to cope with difficulties and worries in their daily lives.  This was especially meaningful to me, because applying what I learn in yoga class to my everyday experiences is one of the biggest ways yoga helps to support my mental wellness.  No matter what strategies or medicines a person might use to feel better, yoga can complement them, and support people to continue to feel more well over time.

Mental Health Spotlight provided by Katie Pizziketti in collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 

The Temple University Collaborative receives funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RT5021-02-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This article does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Thoughts on Community

01/13/2017

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Being a part of our community means engaging with the community through the things we do and places we go in our neighborhood, town, or city.  As we go out shopping, go to work, to school, volunteer, or visit the park, we develop valued roles within our community –  such as mother, coworker, or congregation member.  Being a part of our community in this way can help to support our mental health.  For example, a recent study by Burns-Lynch, Brusilovskiy, and Salzer surveyed 606 people with mental illness.  They found out that people who were more active in their communities felt better about their mental health and quality of life.

Yoga studios can be a part of this broader community!  They are also, in and of themselves, whole communities which give us the chance to do a valued activity (yoga!) and develop roles (e.g. student, teacher).  Doing what we value, and feeling that we are valued, is beneficial to our mental wellness.  Here are some other ways in which the studio can help support mental health:

  • We aim to create a safe space at Maha where everyone can feel welcome and accepted, no matter what their background or identity.
  • Doing yoga is a physical activity – getting moving is a great way to boost mental wellness!
  • Smaller classes give us opportunities to connect with teachers and feel individually supported.
  • Connecting with people at the studio – perhaps by saying hi to the person at the desk when signing into class, or grabbing blocks for a classmate – gives us chances to have positive social interactions with each other.

The more time I spend at the yoga studio, the more I am able to benefit from the community atmosphere there.  Because of the diversity of people who come to Maha, I sometimes find myself feeling more connected to the larger community of Philadelphia, too – for example, by hearing about events going on in the community.  Going to Maha and engaging with the community there helps me to get out and have a satisfying and fulfilling life that supports my mental wellness.

 

Mental Health Spotlight provided by Katie Pizziketti in collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 

The Temple University Collaborative receives funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RT5021-02-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This article does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

 

Yoga & Depression

12/15/2016

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Chances are we’ve all had experiences with depression, maybe our own, or second hand through a friend or family member. Depression is a condition that affects in varying degrees an estimated 350 million people globally. And while, you should consult with a doctor if you are dealing with any symptoms, yoga can play a role in a treatment plan.

I often feel an improvement in my mood after my yoga practice.  Moving and engaging my muscles, focusing on being on my mat instead of my to-do list, and making time to be still helps me to feel more relaxed.  I’m not alone in feeling better after yoga: research confirms that yoga can help people with symptoms of depression.

Pilkington, Kirkwood, Rampes and Richardson did a review in 2005 of 5 studies which all used yoga as a treatment for depression.  All of these studies had people do yoga regularly over different time periods of about a month (one study had people do yoga for only three consecutive days and still found a positive outcome!).  People did yoga, meditation and breathing exercises for 20 minutes to one hour.  For each study, there was a “control” group of people who did not do any yoga (people were put into groups randomly).  Each one of these studies found that the people who did yoga said they had fewer symptoms of depression than people in the control group!

One of these studies which was most interesting to me, done by Woolery and colleagues in 2004, had people do an alignment-based physical yoga practice (similar to the style practiced at Maha) for 5 weeks.  After doing 2 one-hour classes each week, the 13 people in the yoga group said they felt less symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to 15 people on a waiting list.  They started to feel better halfway through the 5 weeks and continued to feel better through the end!

My takeaway is that even a small amount of yoga, done regularly, can be beneficial for people’s moods.  Even for people who do not have symptoms of depression it’s often challenging to make time for yoga.  For people who are working hard on feeling more well, it may be an even greater challenge making it to their mat.  Studies that show that even a little goes a long way encourage me, and make me feel good about getting any amount of yoga into my day – even a few minutes!

Keep an eye out for this new monthly feature provided by Katie Pizziketti in collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. 

The Temple University Collaborative receives funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RT5021-02-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This article does not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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