If you’ve been experiencing chronic pain or find yourself frequently feeling down, it may be time to take up yoga. While yoga and meditation may appear challenging as they demand flexibility and full concentration, they can significantly benefit both mind and body.
A study from The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses could be a great treatment for people suffering from chronic pain and depression.
Benefits of yoga and meditation for health
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For the small-scale study, researchers conducted an MBSR course for residents in Oregon, where issues of affordability, addiction, and access to care were said to be common. MBSR is a systematic educational program that trains people to have “an awareness of the self in the present moment.” The participants were given intensive instructions on mindfulness meditation and mindful hatha yoga for eight weeks.
The results showed that 89% of the participants felt the program helped them find better ways to cope with pain, while only 11% remained neutral. After the course, it was found that mindful meditation and yoga can improve an individual’s perceptions of pain, depression, and disability.
Researchers also found that after the study, the Patient Health Questionnaire scores, a standard measure of depression, had dropped by 3.7 points on a 27-point scale. Dr. Cynthia Marske noted that some patients experienced a similar drop when they used antidepressants. Dr. Marske also said:
“Chronic pain often goes hand-in-hand with depression. Mindfulness-based meditation and yoga can help restore both a patient’s mental and physical health. And can be effective alone or in combination with other treatments such as therapy and medication.”
Additional benefits of Yoga and Meditation
Yoga and meditation offer a wide array of benefits beyond the reduction of chronic pain and depression:
- Improved Flexibility and Strength: Regular yoga practice enhances flexibility, muscle strength, and overall physical performance. This can lead to better posture and reduced risk of injuries.
- Stress Reduction: Yoga helps reduce stress levels by promoting relaxation and lowering the production of stress hormones. This can lead to improved mental clarity and emotional stability.
- Enhanced Respiratory Function: Many yoga practices focus on breath control, which can enhance respiratory function and increase lung capacity.
- Cardiovascular Health: Yoga can lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability, contributing to better cardiovascular health.
- Improved Sleep Quality: Regular yoga practice can help regulate sleep patterns, leading to better quality sleep and reduced insomnia.
- Boosted Immune System: The relaxation and stress management benefits of yoga can help boost the immune system, making the body more resilient to illnesses.
Difference of curing and healing
Dr. Marske also added, “Many people have lost hope because, in most cases, chronic pain will never fully resolve. However, mindful yoga and meditation can help improve the structure and function of the body, which supports the process of healing.”
Dr. Marske further explained that curing and healing are two different things: curing involves “eliminating disease,” while healing refers to “becoming more whole.”
“With chronic pain, healing involves learning to live with a manageable level of pain. For this, yoga and meditation can be very beneficial,” said Dr. Marske.
Republished with permission from theAsianparent Singapore