Role of Yoga and Pranayama in Anxiety: A Review Article

Abstract

In India, rates of anxiety are quite high in the general population with women,  young adults and the elderly particularly vulnerable. In recent years, Holistic  approaches are gaining increasing popularity in the management of  psychiatric disorders. Yoga is among the oldest sciences with a holistic  approach and hence, has been studied extensively in psychiatry. This increase  in popularity is partly due to interest in how this practice, with its aspects of  mindfulness and meditation, can reduce anxiety. In yoga, physical postures  and breathing exercises improve muscle strength, flexibility, blood circulation  and oxygen uptake as well as hormone function. In addition, the relaxation  induced by meditation helps to stabilize the autonomic nervous system with a  tendency towards parasympathetic dominance. Physiological benefits which  follow, help yoga practitioners become more resilient to stressful conditions.