Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, and has recently become more popular in this country for its numerous purported health benefits. Now, a recent study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine describes for the first time how yoga may be better than other forms of exercise in promoting positive moods while combating anxiety.

One measure of depression and anxiety is the amount of gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) in the brain, with low levels being associated with depression and anxiety. To learn more about the relationship between GABA and exercise, researchers recruited healthy volunteers and followed them over the course of 12 weeks.

The subjects were divided into two groups. One group practiced yoga for one hour three times a week. The other group (control) walked for the same amount of time. The subjects' brains were then scanned before the study began and after their final exercise session using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.

GABA levels of the two groups were then compared in relation to their reported psychological state, which were recorded throughout the study. According to the data, those individuals who practiced yoga reported lower levels of anxiety as well as greater improvements in their overall mood when compared to the control group. These reported improvements were associated with increasing levels of GABA.

The authors of the study indicate that the data is promising and warrants further study, especially in light of the fact that yoga is a fairly simple and accessible form of exercise, making it potentially ideal method to help address certain mental disorders.

Yoga is just beginning to gain popularity in the United States, with an estimated 11 million Americans taking part in it. Most forms of yoga in this country stress physical poses in conjunction with breathing techniques. While many yoga classes stress relaxation, others focus on body movement.

Yoga is believed to benefit a person's health by increasing their flexibility, strength, and balance. However, there is an increasing body of evidence that indicates that yoga has positive effects on our mood, which in turn can influence our overall health and may even help lessen the severity of depression.

Depression is a serious medical condition that adversely affects not only our moods, but in many cases, our ability to function in a normal and healthy manner, thereby diminishing our quality of life. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, seek out professional help.

For more information about depression, visit the website for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). To learn more about the health benefits of yoga, visit the website for WebMD.