A controlled trial at the University of Pennsylvania studied people with major depressive disorder who did not get satisfactory results from pharmaceuticals. Those who practiced Sudarshan Kriya yoga, a cyclical controlled breathing practice, showed a decrease in depression and anxiety. Those who took medication but did not practice yoga saw no changes.
This study targeted a population that had already tried the conventional route. These were people for whom medication alone was not working. The addition of a structured breathing practice produced improvements where drugs had not. It does not mean medication is unnecessary, but it suggests breathing practices can fill gaps that pharmaceuticals leave.
For treatment-resistant depression, a breathing practice made the difference that medication alone could not.
Source: Yoga Research: Mental Health & Trauma on ashtanga.tech. Original research.
