Alternative Therapy: Yoga as an Integrated Form of Exercise in Reduced Risk and Treatment of Postpartum Depression

Kyle J. Norton 

Postpartum yoga practicing may have a profound and positive effect in reduced risk and treatment of
postpartum depression, epidemiological studies suggested.
Postpartum depression is medical condition suffered by a mother following childbirth, as a result of hormonal changes and psychological adjustment to motherhood,......affecting Up to 20% of women.

Yoga, the ancient practical technique for harmonized external and internal body well beings, through breath control, meditation, bodily movement and gesture..... has been best known for people in Western world and some parts in Asia due to health benefits reported by various respectable institutes' research and supported by health advocates.

In a study of 57 postpartum women with scores ≥12 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale randomly assigned to a yoga class consisted of 16 classes over 8 weeks.(N = 28) or wait-list control (N = 29) group, researchers found that yoga group demonstrated a significantly greater rate of improvement in depression, anxiety, and HRQOL, in compared to the control and 78% of women in the yoga group experienced clinically significant change, according to the Reliable Change Index analyses.

Indeed, yoga participation in deep relaxation and meditation creates a state of self consciousness  
to cope with psychological stress caused by postpartum depression by accepting the presence with the positive feelings and dealing the situation with love and care.

Physically, by driving the mental expression in the right direction to deal with stress in the right way, yoga intervention eventually induced the returning of proper hormone secretion.

Psychologically, yoga breathing and mediation promoted central nervous system calmness and relaxation may have strong implications in reduced psychic symptoms such as anxiety, depression, stress...improving sleep pattern, particularly in relieving sleep deprivation, one of major risk factor of postpartum depression.

More importantly, Dr. MacDonald C, in study of "mother and baby yoga is good for you" suggested that postpartum yoga class can also benefits both mother and baby.

Truly, with the mother and baby attended the class together, yoga exercise not only induced a strong bond and improved relationship between mother and baby but also brought the mother back to the presence in loving and caring of the baby in the natural motherhood consciousness, through deep breathing and meditation.

There is no doubt that yoga stretching and posturing also had a profound and therapeutic effect in restoring the pelvic floor and strengthened the abdomen and reduced physical pain in the mother as a result of muscles over stretch in months of pregnancy and improved the baby digestive system and physical health, acceptance of new environment and interaction with mother and "class mate".

Interestingly the study to evaluate the effect of yoga and Pilate exercises in treating postpartum depression, 28 women at 2-6 months postpartum assigned to 'Yoga and Pilates Exercise Programme for Postpartum Woman' in group sessions once a week for three months (12 times total) for 60 minutes each time by a professional coach, after taking into account of other con founders indicated that both Yoga and Pilate interventions showed a significant decrease of postpartum depression, after completing the program and displayed significant reductions of body weight, body fat percentage, fat mass and basic metabolic rate.

Dr. Ko YL the led authors said, "physical activities benefited the physical and mental health of postpartum women and enhanced their quality of life".

Taking altogether, Yoga as an integrated form of study may be used as an adjunct exercise in reduced risk and treatment of Postpartum depression.

For More information of yoga lessons tailor to a complete well being for women, please visit: YOGA BURN

Arthritis Is Curable
You Can Eliminate Osteoarthritis
By addressing the Underlying Causes through Clinical Trials and Studies

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

FOOD HACK for Weight Loss
A Simple Cooking Technique That Cuts The Calories & Glycemic 
Impact In Rice, Pasta, And Potatoes In Half  

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrients, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Mother and baby yoga is good for you by MacDonald C.(PubMed)
(2) Community-based postpartum exercise program by Ko YL1, Yang CL, Fang CL, Lee MY, Lin PC.(PubMed)
(3) Efficacy of yoga for depressed postpartum women: A randomized controlled trial by Buttner, M1, Brock RL2, O'Hara MW2, Stuart S3(PubMed)