Abbie Roy: Yoga as a Treatment for Depression

Yoga as a Treatment for Depression

 Abagail Roy

Lesley University

Abstract

Depression is the leading mental illness in adults and often occurs with other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, and arthritis (Weintraub, 2004). There are many actions other than taking antidepressant medications to cope with depression that individuals can do.  Recent studies point to yoga as a promising intervention for depression, yoga is cost-effective and easy to implement (Shapiro, 2006).  The aspects of yoga including mindfulness promotion and exercise are thought to be “active ingredients” of other successful treatments for depression.  It is difficult to determine whether the mood-enhancing effects of yoga are general or specific to certain approaches or teachers.  What part of yoga helps with depression?  Is it the breathing, physical postures, the relaxing mental state we get in, or all of the above?

Yoga as a Treatment for Depression

Introduction

Many people all over the world are diagnosed with major depression.  An estimate of 1 in 10 U.S. adults report depression.  Women and people ages 45 to 64 are most likely to be the ones depressed.  Adults aged 18 to 24 were reported to have “other depression.”  Other depressions are different mental illnesses, rather than major depression (CDC, 2011).  There are many actions that adults with depression can take to cope with the illness.  However, their first option should not be medication, because there is more of a risk of a person becoming addicted or loosing himself or herself, or the risk of gain another disorder by taking medication.  Recently research has been done to see if participating in yoga classes would eliminate depression, or make it easier to cope with.  According to Professors and students at UCLA who researched this topic, specific types of yoga like Hatha uses different forms of yoga.  Therefore it was difficult to determine whether the mood-enhancing effects of yoga are general or specific to certain approaches or teachers (Woolery, 2004).

Depression

Depression is a medical illness that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest, while also being able to cause physical symptoms.  It affects how you feel, think, and behave.  People may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities and Depression may make you feel as if life isn’t worth living. Depression is a chronic illness that usually requires long-term treatment.  During this long-term treatment, patients often experience Continuation Therapy and Maintenance Therapy.  During Continuation Therapy patients attend a 4 to 6 month therapy session.  This is to prevent relapse.  Maintenance Therapy is a treatment designed to prevent recurrence or the development of a new episode (Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc, 2007).  Also during these treatments patients are most often given medication.  The most common treatment for this illness is antidepressants. Antidepressants lift your mood and ease the sadness and hopelessness you feel.  Some people may need to try different types of depression drugs to find their perfect fit (Louise, 2011).  Even though drugs are the first things that are offered for treatment, it’s important to look at other natural ways of healing from depression.  Healing the natural way is known to be healthy and more efficient. 

Treatment Process

After looking at multiple studies and research on yoga being used as treatment for depression, they have been overlapping the same techniques and ideas.  To test the theory the researchers have a controlled group who is not attending yoga classes along with a group doing the experiment.  Each person would continue this study; attend the yoga class for consecutive 5 weeks (Woolery, 2004). Experienced senior yogi instructors led most the yoga classes (Shapiro, 2006).

From the yogic perspective, the backbends and other chest opening poses emphasized in the yoga classes may countered the slumped body posture associated with depression.  Attending yoga classes may provide stress relief by combing intense focus on joint and muscle movements during the classes with relaxation at the end of class (Woolery, 2004). Feeling relaxed is something that can be helpful when you are treating depression, because it makes your body less likely to continue having episodes of depression. 

I personally feel that the studies were constantly finding supportive feedback because the depressed adults were focusing on something else other than their depression. In general when you stop thinking about the awful things in your life, you tend to forget about them, or focus on the present moment without negativity. In 2008 a yoga study was done as a six-week program for treatment of mental illness, incorporating breaking techniques, exercises for strength, vitality, and flexibility, guided relaxation, and meditation.  It was hypothesis that during this program it would strengthen their resistance to emotional distress.  Out of the three groups that were practicing yoga, the yoga beginner group showed lower average levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (Campbell, 2008).  UCLA also found that it might just be practicing yoga short-term that has the therapeutic benefits for people experiencing mild levels of depression (Woolery, 2004). Yogic breathing is a unique method for balancing the autonomic nervous system and influencing psychological and stress-related disorders (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005).  This disorder could possible be fixed with a continuing yoga only for a short time. 

Today’s Society Views

In today’s society we represent yoga as being physical exercise, relaxation, and uplifts effect on moods.   There have been multiple different studies where patients would attend yoga classes, and this would determine how yoga could be a treatment for depression.  Preliminary findings have been that potential of yoga as a treatment depended if the patient was in remission, or on medication (Shapiro, 2006).  It was shown that when the patient was taking a small dosage of an anti-depressant, yoga as a treatment was very effective.  Another study helped explain that often veterans who had PTSD and depression reacted strongly to the yoga as treatment, as long as they continued with therapy (Harvard Health, 2009). The conclusions came to, yoga as treatment in today’s society is affected and will continue to be affective as long as there is another therapy method to join the yoga. 

            Even though we focus yoga today in the West as being only exercise, that could be good for depressed individuals.  A person is depressed because they feel helpless, sad, and loss all control of self.  Some people when focusing on other things like fitness for an example, makes people forget about what was making them upset.  If clinically depressed patients focus on yoga as a sport, they could possible forget about their depression. 

The Developing World’s Views

Recently many people in the West have found that the Eastern traditions of yoga, speak directly to these problems of Being.  They had discovered that the Yoga traditions were interested precisely in the problem of ordinary human suffering and misery.  Yogis, primarily in India over the course of thousands of years, explored every aspect of human suffering-physical, mental, behavioral, emotion, and spiritual.  They became experts, without really knowing it (Weintraub, 2004).  The great thing about the past of yoga traditions is they don’t give us any one particular way to be. 

            According to some cultures, causes and symptoms of depression and appropriate anti-depressive behavior is mediated by cultural values and beliefs that the individual has been exposed to in their formative years, which subsequently affects their tendency to recognize, report and seek help for depression (Furnham & Malik, 2013).  Natural approaches are the first main focus in cultures when someone is depressed, or has a mental illness.  Antidepressants are last resort and often not even thought of. 

Close Findings “Conversations with my peers”

As I talked about my research project on “Yoga as a Treatment for Depression”, I got different reactions from my peers. When college students, young adults attend a yoga class for the first time their reactions are “its so relaxing, I really enjoyed the class.”  For the 60 minutes that the yogi instructs you through different poses, and exercises our bodies move into a deep relaxation.  Our minds are blank and all negativity is gone.  The first yoga class us young students attend is usually just the start of a great healthy beginning.  Students are stressed with schoolwork, relationships, and finances, ECT. The one or two classes of yoga that we attend a week are something to look forward to.

            My peers reacted to research question, with answers like, “ I am not surprised”,  “Isn’t that frustrating for people who are depressed, when doing a difficult pose, what if its challenging?”  We shouldn’t be surprised by yoga being a treatment for depression; it has been for a long time in other cultures, now in the West people are using yoga as a treatment.  They explained to me that when we view other cultures we see how calm they react, and we don’t see negativity at all.  “Life is a blessing”, is the attitude, and tone that is set.  A lot of cultures have been practicing yoga for thousands of years.  It can be a family tradition, young teens seeking direction, groups connecting together, and/or overcoming the mind.  As soon as we think about yoga, we think “relaxation”, and relaxation as said before is good for depressed patients, so another episode doesn’t reoccur. 

            Yoga being too challenging for depressed individuals, was another statement that was raised from a peer.  This makes complete sense because all relaxation is lost if challenges start to become a problem.  This is why there have been studies done, and proven that beginner levels of yoga work best for patients with depression.  It gives space for the patients to focus on their thinking, releasing the negativity, and not worry about any challenges.  Yoga being portrayed as “physical” in the West I can see why my peer would mention that.  The classes that you are meant to lose weight, and get fit in are not for depressed individuals.  Meditation and breathing exercises are ideal.

            I was happy with a “challenging response”, and an “I figured” response, because it gave me opportunity to think about what others may think about yoga as treatment for depression.  Culturally people may think of it being strange, because they focus on themselves all the time to get better as their treatment.  In other cultures in the west, medicine is more apt to be the “Go to”, and a natural healing is not always first priority. 

Conclusion

Yoga is used in different cultures as a treatment for depression, as well as in today’s society in the West.  It is safe to say that it is effective in treating depression, as long as yoga is not the only treatment for the patients.  Therapy and other natural healings like focusing on what foods are being eaten, as well as monitoring the tasks of every day life.  Yoga cannot be the only treatment for depression but it is a great method to start with.  I feel as if the mind is a powerful thing, and anyone can set himself or herself up to achieve anything. 

            The research is missing how depressed individuals feel, in different cultures.  Do they feel as if treatment worked doing yoga, and makes people focus on “Being.”  How can we find out what the depressed patients feel?  If yoga did work, at which point during the treatment did everything start to change.  It has been said that meditation, relaxation, and focusing is where people start to feel themselves as a person.  I personally would like to read in research at which point in the yoga did the depression go away?  Knowing that, people who are depressed could just focus on that individually, unless, it is different for everyone.  Yoga as treatment for depression is a treatment I see continuing to grow over time in the West.  In other cultures I do not see it growing as treatment because they do not pay much attention to it now.  If it does continue to grow, I hope medications slowly start to decrease, for the safety of the patients with illnesses.

         

Works Cited

Brown, R., & Gerbarg, P. (2005, August 30). Sudarshan kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: Part ii—clinical applications and guidelines. Retrieved from http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2005.11.711

(Brown & Gerbarg, 2005)

Campbell, D. (July, 17 2008). Yoga as a preventative and treatment for depression, anxiety, and stress. Retrieved from http://iayt.metapress.com/content/t7427823p2478255/

(Campbell, 2008)

CDC. Depression affects many americans at different levels. learn how you can work with health providers to treat and monitor depression.. (March , 31 2011). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdepression/

(CDC, 2011 )

Furnham, A., & Malik, R. (2013). Cross cultural beliefs about "depression". Retrieved from http://isp.sagepub.com/content/40/2/106.short

(Furnham & Malik, 2013)

 Harvard Health. (2009, April). Yoga for anxiety and depression. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2009/April/Yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression

(Harvard Health, 2009)

Louise, C. (March, 2011 09). Depression treatment options. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-treatment-options

(Louise, 2011)

Michalsen, A. (Dec, 2005 12). Rapid stress reduction and anxiolysis among distressed women as a consequence of a three-month intensive yoga program. Retrieved from http://www.yoga-vidya.de/fileadmin/yv/Yogatherapie/Artikel/StressreduktionYoga.pdf

(Michalsen, 2005)

Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc. (2007). Preventing recurrent depression: Long-term treatment for major depression disorder. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1911177/

(Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc, 2007)

Shapiro, D. (June, 2006 06). Yoga as a complementary treatment of depression: Effects of traits and moods on treatment outcome. Retrieved from http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2007/798782/abs/

(Shapiro, 2006)

Weintraub, A. (2004). Yoga for depression. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=N1YtJizf9tYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=how does yoga help treat depression&ots=af3NWrxlsc&sig=BpM6q1va-VYzOsSAT0uH_RDwrCU

(Weintraub, 2004)

Woolery, A. (Mar/Apr, 2004). A yoga intervention for young adults with elevated symptoms of depression. Retrieved from http://www.modernhcp.com/INNO-PDFS/IMCJ-PDFS/BE8EAF15F08842A291DC88418F8F9BA5.ashx.pdf

(Woolery, 2004)

Rachel Keller-Yoga in Public Schools Research Paper

Yoga in Schools: A good idea?

Rachel Keller

Yoga: Theory, Culture & Practice

Laura Douglass

Final Research Paper

Lesley University

24 April 2013

Introduction

            In recent years there has been an increase in the national focus on yoga as a practice, as well as debate on whether or not yoga should be included in American school systems (Carless, 2012). Because schools are considered a place that manifests children’s overall health and well being, there is a new desire to integrate yoga programming into school’s health and physical education plans. “Yoga has been found to be an effective complementary therapy to promote health and reduce many of the factors related to physiological diseases and psychological disorders” (Serwacki, 2012, p.101). North American culture is extremely concerned with the physical and health benefits of yoga, all of the studies researched in this article specifically support yoga as a therapeutic practice with both typically and atypically developing children.

            My goal was to explore a “hot topic” of yoga in American culture. Americans are often overly concerned with body image and have an obsession with perfection, which raises questions on whether or not these ideals are being taught to younger generations. Yoga is considered a therapeutic way to “fix” oneself in our culture and now it is slowly being placed in schools around the country. Having an eight-year-old brother, it raises my curiosity on whether or not his elementary school will ultimately introduce yoga as an alternative form of physical education or as part of their health education. Since my younger brother is extremely active, I am also wondering if there were yoga programming offered his school whether or not it would be considered a “sport” or if it would be considered an activity that the “non-sport” oriented kids participate in. Interestingly, most of the information researched in this article is concerned with the physical benefits of yoga, and not with the spiritual benefits that are focused upon in other cultures.

Yoga with General-Population American Children

            In today’s world school aged children are growing up in a high-intensity environment where they are expected to succeed at very young ages. According to an article in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy by Heidi Feldman,

School aged children are expected to learn new skills, perform on demand, and achieve positive results in many areas of their lives. The intense pressure of this developmental period can create a high degree of stress, which can compromise both physical health and psychological well being. Inability to succeed can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and social rejection” (Feldman, 2005, pg.87).

These multi-faceted expectations of children span both their academic and personal lives. American children are also exposed to recent increased levels of child obesity and are being pushed to be hypersensitive about their body image and body weight. Although there are measures being taken to help with these issues, such as encouraging healthy eating habits and exercise, there is very little offered to help with the psychological and emotional aspects of these problems. It is possible that yoga as an alternative therapy in schools could be beneficial to children who are being held to high standards in many aspects of their lives.

Because yoga is thought by some to be a “cure all” practice in our culture, it is not surprising the Americans would begin to implement child-yoga programs into our primary and secondary schools. Feldman created a yoga program for children in schools that catered to all levels of ability. Her goal was to create a haven for children that supported their physical, spiritual, and psychological development (2005). In order to do this she focuses on four fundamental philosophies in her classes: Inclusion (Creating an environment that is accepting of all children), Tantra (Accepting the natural energy flow of children), Body-Mind Connection (Encouraging a link between the physical and psychological experience), and Self-Acceptance (Self awareness without self judgment) (2005). Feldman’s program is unique because it offers the spiritual aspect of yoga and not just the physical, which separates her from the American norm of yoga.

On the other hand, Lisa Toscano specifically explored an alternative to physical education classes in an article, published in the Strategies journal. Toscano claims that

Integrating yoga into elementary physical education classes offers new movement possibilities for wider groups of students than traditional sports and fitness classes… yoga offers children…the opportunity to experience success in physical activity. Yoga is a…system for achieving radiant physical health…mental clarity…and therefore peace of mind (Schiffmann, 1996)(Toscano, 2008, p.1)

Toscano’s focus on body image contrasts to the previous article by Feldman, who incorporated a spiritual aspect of her class. Although the spiritual benefits of yoga in schools is currently being debated and has little research, yoga as a physical practice is already accepted in our culture. An example of this is Bikram Yoga (“Bikram Yoga”, 2012), which is a practice that is taught in the United States, which focuses on 26 specific physical poses and two breathing exercises and is usually taught in a heated room. This very physical-focused version of yoga is so popular in American culture because it supports our need for achieving a “perfect” body and our desire to “automatically” master our minds as a byproduct of the physical practice.

It is important to offer a variety of options for physical activities in schools because of the varying levels of both physical ability and interest in athletic activities. In one study, the perceptions of the children were recorded to measure their levels of satisfaction with an eight week school-based yoga program. Jane Case-Smith interviewed 21 four to five year olds after they participated in this program, and three themes emerged from their responses.  The students reported feeling calm and focused, that the program gave them strategies to control their behavior in stressful situations, and that it supported positive self esteem (Case-Smith, 2010). This positive feedback from children supports the idea of having yoga in schools and offers evidence for how effective yoga can be from a mental and physical perspective.

In my personal experience working with middle school aged children, it is my belief that yoga would be an appropriate alternative to physical education and should be incorporated into schools as a stress-reducer and a way to raise self-awareness and self-acceptance. Some of the young girls I work with have severe insecurities and are sometimes debilitated by stress and the pressure of both school and social interactions. Although the program that I work for offers physical education outside of school, there are some students who are not as active and end up rejecting the physical activity and are then stuck with limited options. It is important for these students to have not only an alternative way to reduce stress, but also a way to stay physically active. Most schools are cutting out recess and are no longer offering breaks during the day for students to stay active and be able to re-center themselves mentally. A yoga program as an option for them would help students reduce stress and lower their risk for both emotional and physical difficulties.

            In an article published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, “A recent study indicated that 7.5% of adolescents meet the [DSM IV] criteria for one or more mental health conditions” (Khalsa et al, 2012). This means that adolescents could especially benefit from yoga programs, which focus on mind-body skills. After two systematic reviews of yoga research in younger populations, yoga and meditation appeared to help alleviate some of the psychological hardships, like stress, encountered by secondary school students (2012).

            After viewing the film Enlighten Up! (2008), multiple forms of yoga were observed across the world, which offer a different perspective of what yoga practice can look like and proves that there is no one “right” way to do yoga. Most of the research on yoga in western culture schools is focused on the medical benefits and less on the spiritual, but in some other practices and cultures the focus is reversed. Some of the yoga forms seen in the film included Hatha yoga (focused on physical poses and breath work), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion), and Laughter Yoga. Most of the practices had a spiritual component to them and the focus of the practice was not about bettering your body, but instead bettering your mind and body together in order to achieve something greater, such as self-awareness. Bahkti Yoga is a practice about devotion and giving yourself to God, which raises my curiosity on whether or not American yoga programming should have a spiritual component to them as well. Since religion in the United States is considerably debated, a specific spiritual “goal” of a children’s yoga class would most likely be rejected. Instead I wonder if more programs were formatted like Feldman’s class, where the environment supports all forms of development, including spiritual (in whatever way the child defines it) would be a better way to approach an intercultural practice.

Yoga with Atypically Developing Children

            For students who are developing “atypically” and have intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities, there is a growing need for “unconventional treatments” in schools, which include yoga (Serwacki, 2012). When considering why yoga would be the optimal alternative treatment, it is important to note “The use of yoga to improve mental and physical health is well documented in adults, and preliminary studies suggest that Yoga is beneficial for treating obesity, asthma, diabetes, and ADD/ADHD, which are some of the most persistent obstacles for children…” (Harper, 2010, p. 100).

Yoga can also be beneficial when working with autistic children. As stated in Serwacki’s article, a yoga program called “Creative Relaxation” is designed for autistic children and the creator follows core principles of “make a sacred space, engage the student, provide tools for success, and create opportunities for independence” (Serwacki, 2012 pg 103). After being piloted with six autistic children, it was proven that the Creative Relaxation program lowered the pulse rate and the stress levels of the students (2012). Because of these results it is believed that there is a potential for yoga being helpful for more autistic children and can be a tool for them to learn how to self-manage their bodies and emotions through the relaxation practices and breathe work. There is a strong need for further research on this subject because autism is a broad diagnosis and there are varying degrees of severity; is yoga an effective “unconventional treatment” for all children with autism? Or is it more effective with children who are on the spectrum but are high functioning, such as Aspergers Syndrome?

            Another program that works with atypically developing children is called the Self-Discovery Programme and it “integrates yoga, massage, and relaxation for children identified with special needs on the basis of emotional, behavioral, or learning problems” (Serwacki, 2012, pg 104). Students who participated in this program showed improvements in social confidence, self-confidence, and communication (2012). When speaking specifically of students with attention problems, it connects directly to learning problems. According to an article in the School Psychology Review, “Some researchers have found that as many as 80% of children with attention problems also display academic performance problems” (Peck et al, 2005, p 416). Yoga can be an effective alternative treatment for these students because yoga helps students increase self-awareness and helps calm intense emotions.

One of the early studies that employed yoga as a treatment for ADHD and oppositional behaviors was successful in reducing inattention and impulsive and oppositional behavior (Redfering & Bowman, 1981). A yoga program that incorporated meditation decreased children’s hyperactivity, inattention, and anxiety, and improved their peer relationships and sleep patterns (Harrison, Manocha, & Rubia, 2004). (Peck et al, 2005, p. 416).

After working with middle school students who have ADHD and oppositional behavior, I believe that hatha yoga specifically would be a beneficial practice because it helps teach students how to self-regulate. A lot of times when I am working with students with ADHD they are so used to getting negative attention from their parents and their peers that they begin to desire the negative attention and become oppositional. When this happens it is extremely difficult to “get the student back” and frequently results in having to get the student in more trouble. By offering them breathing techniques and meditation opportunities it would enable the students to observe how they feel when they can’t focus or feel oppositional and learn how to bring themselves down from a “crisis” instead of continuing to challenge authority for attention.

Spirituality and Yoga

            Beliefs about how spiritual yoga is depend on the culture that they are being applied to and the type of yoga practice. In most Eastern cultures there tends to be more of a spiritual connection in yoga because practices are aimed at achieving enlightenment and being closer to God. Bhakti yoga is an example of this, where people devote their practice to loving God. Another example is in Krishnamurti’s text where he discusses what is holy,

When there is no movement, is there something totally original, totally untouched by humanity, untouched by all the movement of thought? That may be that which is original and therefore most holy…when there is something most holy…then life has a totally different meaning. It is never superficial, never. If you have this, nothing             matters” (Krishnamurti, 1999, pg 122)

This is a form of spirituality that he claims can only be reached through meditation, practice, and observing the “now”. The goal of the practice is very different than Western practices because it is completely focused on the person achieving a “light in oneself” and is not concerned with the physical benefits of yoga.

            In Western culture, spirituality in yoga tends to get ignored or “sold” as a different concept. It is common to see modern yoga studios in America have a leader or a “guru”, but they are not there to teach the people how to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The teachers have become more like sexualized assistants in the practice where they demonstrate poses and physically assist others during the practice. The teachers will use words like “Namaste” to help sell their authenticity and connect “spirituality” to it, but it is not engaged in further.  Some people believe that spirituality in yoga is not necessary, and can be successful without it. According to an article by Laura Douglass, a neuroscientist was quotes stating that “Although yoga comes from a culture that has mantras, fancy names for asanas and is deeply spiritual, the truth is you can teach yoga without all of that and it is just about as effective” (Douglass, 2010, p 169).  This statement coincides with Western culture because we do not focus on the spiritual part of yoga and prefer to focus on the physical and health benefits of the practice, even though we like to be “sold” some of the authentic Sanskrit words to make us feel as if we are achieving something spiritual as well.

            When connecting this to public schools, it is interesting to see how as a culture Americans tend to make yoga a secular practice, yet there are still some people who believe that yoga is intertwined with Hinduism and should not be taught in public schools.

Secular use of Yoga in K-12

            Because the United States has such controversy about religion and the use of religious-influenced practices in the public schools, yoga has developed as a more secular practice in our culture. By having a more secular approach to yoga, it allows our culture to engage in the practice and not be “forced” to have specific ideals or beliefs come with it. A secular yoga practice makes room for people to apply the spiritual aspects of yoga to their own religions. As quoted in Douglass’s article, “…after we listened to our inner strength while in Warrior I…a sixth grader said that she often thought of Jesus while in these poses. It helped her feel strong she said” (Douglass, 2010, p.165). This example shows that yoga does not have to be strictly connected to Hindu beliefs or any particular religious beliefs.            

Unfortunately, there are still parents who believe that yoga has no place in public schools. “ My understanding of yoga is that you can’t separate religion out of it…if you introduce a child to this at a young, vulnerable age, you could cause them to want to practice it later. If it’s kind of a Hindu cult-like thing, I don’t want my child exposed to that” (2010, p. 166). The fact that this parent believes that yoga is irremovable from Hinduism echoes an ignorant perception of some Americans. Although yoga has roots in Hinduism and includes spirituality as part of the practice, it is not impossible to remove all religious contexts from it. As stated previously in this article, it is possible to create programming that is geared towards a more Hatha-yoga approach, which focuses on the physical poses and breathing exercises. It would be very interesting to see what would happen if more programs were modeled like Heidi Feldman’s, where she incorporates Tantra and Body-Mind connection as part of her practice with children. Would it be more acceptable to parents because it is not directly religious and instead encourages awareness of “energy” and being able to connect the mind with the body?

Conclusion

            Overall, yoga in public schools is a highly debated topic, which still needs a lot more research. There are major loopholes in the research because there are few yoga programs already established in public schools in the United States. There are obvious benefits of yoga when working with children, which not only include the physical benefits but also the psychological benefits. Yoga was shown to help reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and offer alternative behavior management opportunities for children developing both typically and atypically. Culture also has a major influence on the research about this topic because almost all of the evidence found for this topic was from a Western perspective. This data was not collected to specifically exclude Eastern authors, but instead I found it extremely difficult to find Eastern perspectives on yoga in schools. My own personal culture influenced my research on this topic because I have a younger brother who is currently going to a public school where yoga could eventually be integrated into his daily routine. Spirituality and secularism regarding yoga in this culture is highly controversial, but I do believe that there is a way to have an integrated yoga practice that is not only physically focused, but allows students to consider the spiritual side as well (even if it was as simple as learning how to observe their own behaviors, feelings, thoughts etc…).

References

About Bikram Yoga. (n.d.). Yoga | Health yoga | Yoga teacher training programs | by Bikram Yoga. http://www.bikramyoga.com/BikramYoga/about_bikram_yoga.php

Carless, W. (n.d.). School Yoga Class Draws Religious Protest From Christians - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/us/school-yoga-class-draws-religious-protest-from-christians.html?_r=0

Case-Smith, J., Shupe-Sines, J., & Klatt, M. (2010). Perceptions of Children Who Participated in a School-Based Yoga Program. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 3(3), 226-238.

Douglass, L. (2010). Yoga in the Public Schools: Diversity, Democracy and the Use of Critical Thinking in Educational Debates. Religion & Education, 37, 162-174.

Churchill, K. (Director). (2009). Enlighten up! [Documentary]. USA: Docurama Films :.

Feldman, H. (2005). Teaching Yoga to School-Aged Children: Principles and Personal Experiences. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 15, 87-95. Proquest.

Harper, J. (2010). Teaching Yoga in Urban Elementary Schools. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 20, 99-109. Proquest.

Khalsa, S. B., Hicky-Shultz, L., Cohen, D., Steiner, N., & Cope, S. (2012). Evaluation of Mental Health Benefits of Yoga in Secondary School: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39, 80-90. Proquest .

Krishnamurti, J. (1999). This light in oneself: true meditation. Boston: Shambhala.

Peck, H., Kehle, T., Bray, M., & Theodore, L. (2005). Yoga as an Intervention for Children With Attention Problems. School Psychology Review, 34, 415-424. Proquest.

Serwacki, M., & Cook-Cottone, C. (2012). Yoga Therapy in Practice. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 22, 101-110. Proquest.

Toscano, L., & Clemente, F. (2008). Dogs, Cats, and Kids: Integrating Yoga into Elementary Physical Education. Strategies, 21, 15-18. Proquest.

The Feminist Yogi: Reconciling a Problematic Sexist Culture and The Practice of Yoga

The Feminist Yogi:

Reconciling A Problematic Sexist Culture and The Practice Of Yoga

Abbie Levesque

Lesley University

Introduction

The vision of Yoga as a practice in the West is a heavily gendered one. That is, Yoga is considered a practice for women. But even in the women-dominated sphere of Western Yoga, there are patriarchal complications that take away from what many women consider their “safe space.” The question of how Yoga can again serve as a safe space and feminist practice was best phrased by Heyes when she asked “Western fitness activities are too often presented as cultivating a uniform and conforming body. How might yoga, as it can be practiced in the West, function against these trends to offer a form of embodied care of the self that moves us into freedom?” (2003) That is, we as women who practice yoga must ask what parts of yoga are problematic to feminist ideals and what the yoga community must do to change this. I have been a practitioner of yoga for five years, and a staunch feminist for just as long. As such, I have personally observed the harmful patriarchal structures that have become a part of the yoga community, and how those structures hurt the women who practice it.

Defining Third Wave Feminism

Feminism has many branches and waves. For the purpose of clarity, one must define the terms of what feminism means in context. Modern day feminism is usually put under the branch of “Third Wave Feminism” as opposed to first and second wave feminism, which are associated with women gaining suffrage, and gaining equal rights in education and in the workplace. Third Wave feminism focuses on intersectionality, which is the recognition of class, race, and sexuality on feminism, and on issues such as patriarchal structures such as the glass ceiling and body image issues. It also works towards making the feminine be seen as equal to the masculine, instead of women having to adapt to the patriarchal structures to gain respect and power.  (Stanford 2012)

As a movement, there are many divides. Herein, women will refer to any person who chooses to identify as such- this includes any trans individuals. Third Wave feminism does not deem the masculine as inherently bad, but the patriarchy as inherently harmful and oppressive. By living within the patriarchy, Third Wave feminism upholds that women are oppressed in several ways. First, they are objectified, and viewed as sexual objects. They are their for the pleasure of men, regardless of their own intents or desires. For example, women are often told to smile more, or else they look “bitchy.” They may also be told that they “look prettier when they smile.” This disregards that perhaps the woman does not want to smile, and owes no one her smile. She is, in the male mind, an object for his viewing pleasure. Secondly, women and feminine actions are viewed as lesser than men and their masculine actions. For example, a women may enjoy buying and putting on makeup, or like shoes. These things are considered feminine and bring value judgements about the women who do them: that they are dumb, vain, or shallow. In reality, liking makeup, shoes, or other feminine things does not make someone dumb, vain, or shallow. It simply makes them a person who likes those things- conversely, we do not apply the same kind of judgement to men who keep well groomed, or have hobbies such sports or going to gym. Overcoming the demonization of the feminine and allowing women to derive power not just from masculine actions, but from feminine ones as well is vital to the Third Wave. A large part of modern day feminism focuses on this and the sexualization and objectification of women. (Stanford 2012)

The products of patriarchal culture show their faces in ugly ways. It’s worth noting that of the 8 million people who suffer from eating disorders, “90-95% of these are women” (Lintott, 2003 as cited in Douglass, 2009). It would be difficult to not conflate the heavily gendered nature of eating disorders with the objectification and sexualization of women’s bodies. if a man is not good looking, he may have other redeeming qualities. And men are more easily considered good looking without having a perfect body. But for women, their inherent value to men is in how sexually pleasing they look. Essentially women are taught through the patriarchy that if they are not good looking and thin, they are valueless to society. This holds true even in the world of yoga, and has since it’s inception. Notably, “The gender divide established at the dawn of modern physical culture between regimens aiming at (masculine) strength and vigor on one hand and those that sought to cultivate (feminine) grace and ease of movement on the other persists throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first” (Singleton 1972). This gender dichotomy is problematic for feminist who want to do yoga. It seeks largely to cultivate grace and a fit body, and much of the culture and media that surround it objectify and sexualize the women who practice it. In order to fully build yoga as a safe space for women to reap the spiritual, therapeutic, and physical benefits as well as cleanse it of its possibly harmful effects, there must be a profound change in how the Western Yoga culture treats the women who practice it.

The Inherent Misogyny of Western Yoga

Western Yoga is largely considered a women’s practice, but the culture surrounding it is built out of patriarchal ideas, some of which are inherently harmful to women. Often, spirituality based practices, or practices that are aimed towards women seem to be exempt from feminist critique, as it’s said to either be a part of a foreign culture and therefore wrong to critique, a religious practice and therefore exempt from critique, or not possibly harmful because its target audience is women. But one must remember that “The irreducibility of the phenomenon does not mean, however, that the historic

element can be ignored. A religious phenomenon acquires its most complete meaning when set within the totality of the sacred and the historical” (Gleig 2012). That is, when looking at yoga as a spiritual, physical, and therapeutic practice, it is even more necessary to observe the history and culture to gain a more complete meaning of its positive and sacred parts.

One of the first misogynistic practices that was and is contributing to the harmful aspects is its obsession firstly with being a “boys club” and secondly with the body. Singleton makes note of the obsession with both from as early as the 1930’s and 1940’s when he talks about Balsekar, saying that his book on yoga “juxtaposed... a series of glamour shots of the semi- or fully naked author in various heroic postures. The message is clear: through yoga, one can develop a body such as this” (Singleton 1972). It’s important to note that the initial culture of yoga was completely free of women- they only came into the practice when it began to combine with harmonial gymnastics and dance (Singleton 1972). This attitude that only men can be allowed to achieve physical and spiritual perfection and obsession with strength and dominance may seem harmless, but in putting men above women, and building a culture of male dominance, there is direct harm done to women, as Sayers discusses in how making women powerless may be a cause of woman-on-woman animosity and a contributor to eating disorders, saying “Feminist theorists have suggested that a major cause of young women's  intense likes and dislikes of their teachers and, in the first place, of their mothers is due to the low status accorded women in male-dominated society (see, e.g., Phillips 1996). Others argue that these feelings toward female authority figures contribute to women's eating disorders” (Sayers 828). As mentioned earlier, Singleton notes the gender divide: on one hand, strength, and on the other, grace. And within a patriarchal culture, women being barred from having strength put them below men within that society- they are actually being stopped from drawing the strength from femininity that they might otherwise. In modern times, while women are now allowed to do yoga, they still must do it to be more feminine and graceful, and thus the “boys club” of yoga is still present in that women are discouraged from drawing power from even their own femininity, and therefore kept under patriarchal and misogynistic practices.

It’s worth noting that women are also discouraged from fighting back on their subordination. Blum and Stracuzzi say that “Psychiatric discourses have recast women's responses to subordination as

disorder, hysteria, or madness” (2004). This is another problem with the yoga culture- it is considered so feminine in part because it is a “calming” or “serene” practice. In reality, “Contra the popular image of gentle, calming stretches, some poses fill [one] with burning rage” (Heyes 2003). But women are not allowed to express this anger in their practice. They are taught subordination and to eschew all feelings as hysterical and feminine. So long as this attitude towards women exists, and so long as they internalize it, the yoga community cannot make the changes it must to become a woman and feminist friendly practice. This is because of the other problem yoga presents: an obsession with women’s bodies and the sexualization of women who do yoga.

This obsession with the body is common Western yoga practice, with yoga classes filled with “eastern women in Lycra who gaze ardently into the mirror as they take the pose, and ask which postures are most effective for burning calories” (Heyes 2003). Instead of finding therapeutic, spiritual, or health benefits, women practice yoga to become more pleasing to the male gaze. Men do not help fight this dangerous obsession. As a personal anecdote, often during yoga practices at my University, male student would walk by the windows and shout obscene comments- always towards the women practicing, and never once the men. Even the knowledge of the male gaze reinforces the idea in women that they are only of value if they are nice to look at. The dangers of this in the forms of eating disorders and the robbing of power from women are both obvious, patriarchal, and at odds with feminism. This, then, is the inherent misogyny of Western Yoga- that it is a way to reinforce the male gaze and take away women’s ability to gain power in society, especially from things deemed feminine. In fact, it is very possible that without the reinforcement of the male gaze, women could gain power from a feminine class filled with grace and gentleness- not only physically and therapeutically, but also in that it can help them combat the patriarchal power system.

The Media and Yoga: The Sexualization of Women Doing Yoga

In order to begin changing the yoga community and allow women a space of empowerment away from the male gaze, the media surrounding yoga must change. Note Fig 1, attached to the end of this paper. All poses are of a male, and unsexualized despite many of the poses being strenuous. In addition, there are the following three covers to Yoga Journal: Feb 1998, July 1975, and June 2005.

These images further show the problems with media’s portrayal of yoga. Note that like in fig 1, The cover with a male shows a man in a non-sexualized, seated pose. This is one of the few covers with a man in a pose at all- most covers of men are portraits. Men eventually disappear from the covers altogether in the 2000’s. The covers from 1975 and 2005 both show women in strenuous, sexualized poses- chests pushed out, genitals exposed, and featuring a great deal of flexibility. The poses are also rarer, and moderately to very advanced. Over the years women were featured both in sexual and non-sexual covers. Some, like men, were portraits, and others feature women contorting themselves in tight clothing. Notably, these women are always thin and physically attractive. As male covers disappeared, so did non-sexualized covers of women. Now all covers feature poses like this. This is extremely harmful to the yoga community. It invites further the male gaze, and re-enforces that women’s only value is to look sexy while doing yoga.

Misogyny In Yoga Hurts Men, Too

Patriarchal structures are harmful to the men who practice yoga, as well. Physical culture, which modern Western yoga sprang from, was “Inspired by the principle of mens sana in corpore sano, [and] physical culturalists aimed to develop their health and strength, disciplining their bodies to conform to dominant codes of manliness distinguished by self-restraint, hardiness and endurance... Photographs of perfect male bodies were an essential feature of physical culture” (Zweiniger-Bargielowska 2006) Just as women are forbidden from power, men are forbidden from gracefulness and calm. And due to these things being deemed feminine, they, like the women who are allowed to experience them, can’t draw any power from them. By demeaning the feminine, men are also denied a full range of experiences and emotions that may empower them. In addition to this, the obsession with male perfection is as unhealthy for men as it is for women. Well men may not have the media saturation of objectification that women do, the obsession with the body is unhealthy, and Research has shown that males within microcultures valuing fitness and slimness, such as participants in certain sports, are more likely to develop eating disorders than males in the general population” (Harrison & Cantor 1997). The demeaning of females causing problems to men is a feminist problem, and the rise of eating disorders in male populations, a human one.

Reclaiming Yoga: Changing the Yoga Community

The current problems within yoga that are at odds with feminism are now apparent. The objectification and sexualization of women under the male gaze both in media and in practice, and the demeaning of the feminine as lesser than the masculine are both things that need to be changed in the yoga community. The question becomes, can the yoga community make that change? In looking at Islamic yoga, Hatley says that there is “a model for mapping religious change, tentatively identifying three phases: “inclusion” of Islamic superhuman agencies, subsequent “identification” of these with indigenous ones, and eventual “displacement” of the latter” (Hatley 2007). What Hatley is saying is that change can most definitely take place, and eventually be accepted with the religious community of yoga. In addition, at one time yoga was progressively feminist. In his book on hatha yoga, Yogi Ramacharaka (formerly known as William Walker Atkinson) also affirmed that ‘there is nothing especially novel or new about their exercise, and they bear a very close resemblance to the callisthenic exercises and Delsarte movements in favor in the West’ (Ramacharaka 1904, 192)... [These types of movements] also challenged the convention that women who danced in public were sexual objects on display for male audiences by facilitating visions of active womanhood and bold new forms of physical expression” (Vertinsky 2012). The idea that yoga and yoga type movement could challenge the patriarchy is not new, then. But since then, feminism has marched forward and yoga has stagnated.

So what can be done to reclaim the practice of yoga and have is become a feminist-friendly practice? There are several steps that must be taken. First and foremost, it must be made clear to the media that sexualization of yoga is no longer acceptable. This can be achieved in several ways. Boycotts are the easiest way to make such messages clear, but take large scale coordination to be effective. More effective is for members of the community to write in to agencies that sexualize yoga and voice their distaste at these portrayals. Boycotts are silent, but letters, especially in even small volumes, show an active distaste for specifically that portrayal and are more likely to convince offenders like Yoga Journal to change their ways.

Additionally, women must now reclaim the feminine- that is, it’s time for women to be able to derive power from grace and femininity as much as they can from strength and masculinity. This is a much slower moving change, and takes much more effort. First, women must start being nice to each other. This seems strange but women are so “catty” towards other women because they perceive the feminine as weak and negative. Thus, women turn on each other, trying to gain what little power they can by overpowering women. But what this actually does is reinforce that the feminine should be a negative thing. Instead, women should form femme alliances, and rejoice in their femininity together- this way, women stop reinforcing the patriarchal ideas around them and instead embrace a counter to them.

Finally, women must start raising their voice against the male gaze and demeaning objectification. Women are taught to be passive and subordinate, and that all reaction to harassment are hysteria. As a culture, this must change. This goes hand in hand with femme friendships. If a woman is harassed in class by a male, she should be unafraid to confront him, loudly tell him he’s making her uncomfortable, and, if he persists, bring it to the attention of everyone around her. And in turn, the women around her should support her in this. It is only when the power structure is challenged that it can change, and it can only be changed if women send the message that they will no longer be subordinate, and when someone tries to force them under the male gaze that they will fight back. It must be made clear that within the yoga community, women will not stand being demeaned and sexualized any longer. When women begin to wield their power, then yoga will allow women space to explore their own bodies and spiritualities away from patriarchal structures, and reconcile feminist ideals with yogic practices.

More specific practices that can be taken on especially by yoga instructors are zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment in their studios and classes. A removal of mirrors from studios is also recommended- if a pose needs to be adjusted, the instructor should guide them into it, and not rely on mirrors to help their students self correct, as they only encourage the visual culture of having to look pleasing during their yoga practice. The emphasis should be not on how the poses look, but on how they feel. Women-only practices are also a recommendation, as even though they are divisive and separatist remove the male gaze completely.

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