Mindfulness Yoga May Reduce Anxiety, Depression in Parkinson’s Patients, Study Suggests
Quote:Yoga focused on mindfulness — a mental exercise focused on accepting oneself in the present — could lower anxiety and depression as well as motor impairment in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, a study says.
The study, “Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and Resistance Trainiang Exercises on Anxiety and Depression for People With Parkinson Disease A Randomized Clinical Trial,” was published in the journal JAMA Neurology.
As many as half of Parkinson’s patients experience anxiety and/or depression, but these psychological effects are often overlooked by researchers.
Previous research has shown that exercising can provide health benefits for people with Parkinson’s. Similarly, mind-body exercises — yoga, dance, tai chi, etc. — have been shown to have benefits for physical health. These exercises also often include a mental or spiritual component, so they could have a positive impact on patients’ psychological health as well.
'Historically, we may regard materialism as a system of dogma set up to combat orthodox dogma...Accordingly we find that, as ancient orthodoxies disintegrate, materialism more and more gives way to scepticism.'
- Bertrand Russell
- Bertrand Russell