| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 316955 | Asian Journal of Psychiatry | 2012 | 4 Pages |
Yoga is one of the spiritual practices derived from the orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. The practices were codified by Patanjali under the title of Ashtanga Yoga. Although Yoga was traditionally seen as a practice meant for achieving self-realization, in recent years there has been significant attention given to the effects of yoga practices on physical and mental health. Yoga as a therapy has proven to be effective as a sole or additional intervention in several psychiatric disorders.ConclusionsThe literature suggests that yoga can lead to significant symptomatic improvements in psychiatric disorders, along with neurobiological effects which may underlie these changes. This suggests that mental health professionals should be open to the potential benefits of spiritual practices for their patients, either as complementary interventions to modern treatments or as sole treatment in some disorders.
► Yoga is a spiritual practice originally meant to help in achieving self-realization. ► Yogic practices have produced neurobiological changes in healthy volunteers. ► Yoga-based practices have shown benefits in many physical and mental disorders. ► Benefits of such spiritual practices for psychiatric patients need consideration.
