Yoga Benefits Patients of Bi-polar Disorder: Study

Regular yoga practice benefits patients with bipolar disorder, according to a study.

Yoga and meditation are the most effective and simple methods of healing the body and mind. A new research by the Alpert Medical School of Brown University found the ancient form of deep breathing exercise helps treat people suffering from bi-polar disorder (BD) or a condition of extreme mood fluctuation. The experts conducted an online survey of over 70 participants to assess the impact of yoga on personal life, health and well-being.

Around one in every five participants said yoga had 'life changing' effect on them and 29 of them reported experiencing sudden decrease in anxiety levels and improvement in mental status. Almost 23 respondents said practicing yoga kept their mind away from negative thoughts and induced clam and relaxation.

"There is clearly evidence that yoga seems to be a powerful practice for some individuals with BD. It was striking that some of our respondents clearly believed that yoga had a major positive impact on their lives," wrote the authors in the study, reports the Science Blog.

In addition the study noted yoga also had unfavourable results on some subjects with Bi-polar disorder. Nearly five of the participants said deep breathing exercises and meditation induced mania and certain level of agitation while a few said yoga made them sluggish and depressed.

During the yoga sessions 11 of the patients with BD feared sustaining physical injuries and four participants confessed felling frustrated at their performance.

"It's possible that you want to avoid any extreme practice, such as extended periods of rapid breathing," said Lisa Uebelacker, associate professor (research) of psychiatry and human behavior in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, reports the Psych Central.

"There is reason to think that there are ways in which it might be wonderful and ways in which it might not be safe. We are interested in studying hatha yoga for bipolar as an adjunctive treatment to pharmacotherapy," she adds.

More information is available online in the journal of Psychiatric Practice.