Is yoga a solution for the growing problem of depression?

Depression: A growing problem nationwide hits Tennessee hard.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 10 adults in the United States suffers from some form of depression – that's 10 percent of the adult population, or an estimated 24 million people. The diagnosis of depression is still growing at an alarming rate, with a recent Harvard study reporting 20 percent more patients are diagnosed with depression each year.

Dr. Sadhguru

Of all the states, Tennessee is among those hit the hardest, ranking alongside six other Southeastern states with the highest rates of adult depression reported nationwide. These overwhelming numbers themselves can be depressing! What can we do to reverse this trend and boost the mental and emotional health of our community?

A yogi's perspective: Understanding depression

In the article that follows, Sadhguru, a world-renowned yogi and the founder of the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences, a destination for classical yoga and meditation retreats in McMinnville, Tenn., sheds light on depression.

According to Sadhguru, it is not the situations you face in your life that cause depression, but the expectations that you hold that cause you to spiral downward.

"We need to understand what depression is," explained Sadhguru. "Now, what is a 'low'? What is it that happens within you? Fundamentally, you expected something to happen and it did not happen.

"You expected somebody or something to be your way or the world or destiny to be your way, and it did not happen. In other words, you are simply against what is happening; that's all. Maybe you are against a person, or against a whole situation; maybe you are against life itself. Accordingly, the depression will run deeper and deeper."

How to come out of depression: Engineering yourself from the inside-out

"When you were a child, you were simply happy," Sadhguru said. "That is your nature."

According to Sadhguru, regaining your innate happiness is easier than you might think. Most people, he said, are striving for happiness in the wrong direction.

"The source of joy is within you; you can take charge of it," said Sadhguru. "The quality of your life is not determined by the clothes that you wear, the educational qualifications that you carry, the family background that you come from or the bank balances that you hold. Rather, the quality of your life depends upon how peaceful and joyous you are within yourself."

Sadhguru explained that the methods derived from the ancient science of yoga and meditation are powerful tools to "engineer your interiority."

"In yoga, depression is handled at the level of the body, mind and the energies," he said. "If the necessary balance and vibrancy is brought about in the physical, mental and energy bodies, to be blissful is very natural."

When you are joyful by your own nature, he said, your experience of life will be rich no matter what situations you face in life.

"When you are fundamentally joyous, when you do not have to do anything to be happy, then every dimension of your life – the way you perceive and express yourself and the world – will change," said Sadhguru. "You will no longer have vested interests because whether you do something, or you do not do something, whether you get something, or do not get something, whether something happens, or does not happen, you will be joyous by your nature. When you are joyous by your nature, your actions will rise to a completely different level."

Through a program called Inner Engineering, Sadhguru offers gentle but powerful practices from the ancient system of classical yoga. Applying the tools and methods offered in Inner Engineering, your whole system can be restored to its natural state of internal balance. Mental well-being is a byproduct of that balance.

Study reports dramatic improvement in depression with Inner Engineering program

The Inner Engineering program developed by Sadhguru is a comprehensive method of bringing balance to your body, mind, emotion, and energy. Inner Engineering is a seven-session online course that provides tools and solutions that empower you to create your life the way you want it.

The Inner Engineering course gives you the opportunity to intellectually explore the ABCs of life using methods that are the distilled essence of yogic sciences. The course imparts practical wisdom to manage your body, mind, emotions and the fundamental life energy within.

Inner Engineering has been taken by millions of people worldwide, offering practitioners significant improvements in health and well-being across a spectrum of illnesses.

When it comes to depression, Inner Engineering has been shown to be particularly effective. A recent survey of those who have taken Inner Engineering and Shambhavi Kriya and have been practicing the kriya for at least one year showed the following results:

Out of 81 respondents, 95 percent indicated improvement from depression

Out of those indicating improvement, 50 percent were able to stop their anti-depressant medications completely

Another 25 percent were able to reduce their anti-depressant medications significantly

These numbers demonstrate that the Inner Engineering program can have a significant impact on those suffering from depression with results beyond what is seen in many current medical therapies.

Inner Engineering is brought to you by Isha Foundation. Isha Foundation is a nonprofit, 100-percent-volunteer-run organization that aims to bring well-being to all through yoga and meditation.

Noteworthy:

"We need to understand what depression is. Now, what is a 'low'? What is it that happens within you? Fundamentally, you expected something to happen and it did not happen," Sadhguru explains plainly.