A type of controlled breathing with roots in traditional yoga shows promise in providing relief for depression. The program, called Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY), involves several types of cyclical breathing patterns, ranging from slow and calming to rapid and stimulating.
One study compared 30 minutes of SKY breathing, done six days a week, to bilateral electroconvulsive therapy and the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine in 45 people hospitalized for depression. After four weeks of treatment, 93% of those receiving electroconvulsive therapy, 73% of those taking imipramine, and 67% of those using the breathing technique had achieved remission.
Another study examined the effects of SKY on depressive symptoms in 60 alcohol-dependent men. After a week of a standard detoxification program at a mental health center in Bangalore, India, participants were randomly assigned to two weeks of SKY or a standard alcoholism treatment control. After the full three weeks, scores on a standard depression inventory dropped 75% in the SKY group, as compared with 60% in the standard treatment group. Levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and corticotropin, also dropped in the SKY group, but not in the control group. The authors suggest that SKY might be a beneficial treatment for depression in the early stages of recovery from alcoholism.
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More about Sudarshan Kriya
Q: I know I am searching for something but I don’t know what am I searching for?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I have a simple suggestion for you. Just take out two hours for four days and attend one of the Art of Living Basic programs and do Sudarshan Kriya. Once you do Sudarshan Kriya you will see that there is a deeper spirit within you. You will be able to experience it and it is a fantastic experience. So everyone should experience this, it’s such a beautiful experience of your spirit.
And if you know this you can handle your mind so well. So take that time off, two hours, four days and there are very good highly qualified teachers here. They will take you through that inner journey and you would not get this experience in your life.
Q: I am very restless or I am very sleepy. How do I get a better balance for meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Again these experiences are so common for a beginner. If you are just beginning to meditate, restlessness comes up or you feel very sleepy. When stresses get released from your system, such a passage may be common. Farry will tell you more on this. When it comes from a scientist mouth, it has more flavors to it. He is doing a lot of research in Oslo University on Sudarshan Kriya. They found how the chromosomes of your body change! He just told me some very exciting news. So when stress release happens, the chemical or structural form in which stress was stored gets released, you get all these experiences. Your endocrine system readjusts itself, because we have violated our body in so many ways so many times. We have not kept the balance; we have not honored our own body, so jerks may happen. How many of you have found some jerks?
Emotions may come up and you feel completely confused. All this may happen. It's not that it should happen. Sometimes it doesn't happen and you say am I not releasing any stress? That person is getting stress released and I am so quiet. Don't compare your experience with anybody whatsoever. We all are so different. Everybody's nervous system is so different. And at different times, different experiences come to different people.
So at any time we should never compare our experiences with others and feel sorry or happy about it.
Q: In spite of doing Sudarshan Kriya daily , still some emotions keep bothering me, lust, greed and jealousy. How do I get free of them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Your desire to be free indicates that you're already on the way out. It is already going away. Do not be too hard on yourself. Practices will help you a lot.
LEARN SUDARSHAN KRIYA directly from GURUJI !!
From November 11 - 13, 2011, Part 1 program (Sudarshana kriya Shibir) is organised in Bangalore Ashram with MASTER Himself!!!
This program is open for all those who are doing Part 1 for first time and also those who have already done it.
This is the lifetime opportunity to come and be a part of this Divine experience with Guruji!!!
We have limited seats, so you need to register as soon as possible!
To register:
Indian residents - http://www.vvmvp.org/National/Login.aspx
Non Indian residents - http://www.ssrt.org.in/Login.aspx
For any other details contact:
Phone: 080-67262626/27/28/29
Email: courses@vvmvp.org or info@vvmvp.org
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