Hot yoga has been found to be an effective treatment for depression, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital. 80 participants with varying degrees of depression were enrolled and divided into two groups. One group practiced 90-minute sessions of Bikram yoga in a room heated to 105°F, while the other followed standard treatment protocols for depression while placed on a waitlist to take the class. The average yogi ended up taking about 10 total classes over the course of the eight weeks. By the end of the trial period, the yoga group reported a noteworthy 40 percent reduction in depression as measured by the clinician-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-CR) scale. This was a healthy improvement compared to the 15 percent reduction observed in the control group.
The study also found that more than half (59 percent) of the people who practiced yoga saw their depressive symptoms decrease by at least 50 percent, while only a small fraction of those who didn’t do yoga enjoyed similar improvement. Even better, a significant number of people in the yoga group had such low depression scores, their condition was considered to be in remission. Even once-a-week yoga sessions helped manage depressive symptoms. But it’s also notable that more yoga produced even better outcomes. Those engaging in yoga three or more times a week had an even greater overall reduction in symptoms1. This suggests that the benefits of downward dogs and tree poses in treating depression are dose dependent. The practice could provide patients with a scalable solution tailored to their needs.
The study’s findings are consistent with other research that has shown that regular yoga practice can alleviate the symptoms of depression common in many mental health disorders. Yoga has been found to be an effective way to boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression. Additionally, a regular yoga practice may reduce symptoms of depression in the long-term as well.
In conclusion, hot yoga has been found to be an effective treatment for depression. The study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital showed that practicing hot yoga can lead to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. More research is needed to determine how hot yoga compares to other treatments for depression, but these findings suggest that it could be an effective complementary therapy for those suffering from depression.
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