Helps Improve Depression Symptoms

Both yoga and meditation can help reduce symptoms from depression, per the American Psychological Association.

Veterans who suffered from depression felt an overall improvement in their mood and depression after doing yoga for six weeks, according to a May–June 2018 study in Military Medicine. They did yoga, breathwork and mediation once a week for 60 minutes.

An August 2019 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary and Medicine found an eight-week course of Bikram yoga reduced depression symptoms for middle-aged women, including self-judgement, pessimism, poor quality of life and reduced cognitive function.