Ishan Shivanand describes a nine-month study where practicing original yoga alone reduced anxiety by over 70%, severe depression by 75-80%, and insomnia by 70-80%. Participants also reported exponential increases in quality of life, suggesting yoga may be a powerful, low-cost mental health intervention.
We were trying to do research on mental health. So when we did that research, after 9 months, everybody was thinking what the result is going to be. And the only intervention that we provided was the original yoga. Everything else remained as it was. There was not much we could do to change the situation of the subjects. And in those 9 months, what we found, the people, the participants, there was more than 70% reduction in anxiety. There was more than almost 75-80% reduction in symptoms of severe depression. There was a huge 70-80% reduction in insomnia. Such a massive impact on a person's well-being, and you will find that even the quality of life increased exponentially.
