People with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience intense hyperarousal and fear of certain internal sensations, such as thoughts and emotions. As such, it has been suggested that yoga may help people cope with their PTSD symptoms.
What is Yoga?
Yoga originated in ancient India and means "union" in Sanskrit. In yoga, the "union" that occurs is between the mind, body and spirit. Yoga, as many think about it today, is most accurately described by the word "asana," another Sanskrit word that describes the practice of physical postures and poses.
In a nutshell, yoga is about creating a balance or equilibrium in the body through the development of strength and flexibility. Breathing and mindful awareness of the body are also important components of yoga. You can learn more about yoga from the About.com Guide to Yoga.
Yoga for PTSD
Several studies have examined whether yoga might be beneficial for people with PTSD. These studies have generally found that regular yoga practice does indeed reduce some PTSD symptoms in people who have been exposed to traumatic events.
Researchers have looked at the benefits of yoga for survivors of natural disasters (for example, tsunamis and Hurricane Katrina) and combat experiences. These studies have generally found that people practicing yoga experience a reduction in the severity of PTSD symptoms, as well as feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness, and problems sleeping. In addition, people who have practiced yoga in combination with exposure therapy for PTSD have shown benefits.
Why Might Yoga Work for Reducing PTSD Symptoms?
Yoga may work particularly well for people with PTSD because it has been found to reduce the sensitivity of the part of our nervous system (the sympathetic nervous system) that causes us to feel physically aroused (for example, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, etc.) in response to some kind of event or situation. In addition, yoga may help strengthen the part of our nervous system that aids in the reduction of arousal (the parasympathetic nervous system). Yoga has also been found to bring about changes in areas of the brain involved in the experience of positive emotion and reward.
Yoga may also increase mindful awareness of thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, which can be very helpful for someone with PTSD.
Learning More About Yoga
Yoga has become more popular in the past decade. Therefore, it should be fairly easy to find a nearby yoga studio where you can learn more about yoga. You can also obtain valuable information on yoga from the About.com Guide to Yoga. This website also provides information on different yoga poses and postures that you can practice at home. The exercises presented are for people at all levels of experience in practicing yoga. You can also learn more about the benefits of yoga for veterans from Yoga Warriors.
Sources:
Descilo, T., Vedamurtachar, A., Gerbarg, P. L., Nagaraja, D., Gangadhar, B. N. et al. (2009). Effects of a yoga breath intervention alone and in combination with exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disroder and depression in survivors of the 2004 South-East Asia tsunami. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1-12.
Gerbarg, P. L., & Brown, R. P. (2005). Yoga: A breath of relief for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Current Psychiatry, 4, 55-67.
Telles, S., Naveen, K. V., & Dash, M. (2007). Yoga reduces symptoms of distress in tsunami survivors in the Andaman Islands. eCAM, 4, 503-509.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2006). Clinical implications of neuroscience research in PTSD. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1-17.
