Practicing Yoga Postures for an hour increases levels of a powerful chemical messenger called GABA in your brain.  GABA is a neurotransmitter (messenger in the nervous system) that has the effect of creating calmness and decreasing anxiety.  Some research shows that elevated GABA levels result in elevations in Human Growth Hormone (HGH).  In May, researchers published a study showing that practicing Yoga postures for 1 hour results in a 27% increase in GABA levels in the brain!

The authors concluded "This suggests that the practice of yoga should be explored as a treatment for disorders with low GABA levels such as depression and anxiety disorders."  Indeed, there has been a great deal of research on Yoga as a treatment for anxiety and depression, and it works, this study sheds some light as to how. 

If you would like to know more about Yoga, meditation, prayer, or other stress reduction techniques, check out our "Stress Reduction" page here.

Read the study here.