|
Abdominal breathing
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Focus on inhalation
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Focus on exhalation
|
No recommendation
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Comfortable holding after inhalation
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/Essential to AVOID
|
|
Comfortable holding after exhalation
|
No recommendation
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Alternate nostril breathing
|
No recommendation
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Right nostril breathing, especially on inhalation
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Left nostril breathing, especially on exhalation
|
No recommendation
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Cooling breath (sitali)
|
Less or not important
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Rapid breathing techniques, such as kapalabhati
|
Less or not important
|
Important/Essential to AVOID
|
|
“humming bee” breath (bhramari)
|
No recommendation
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Regulating the breath to be calm and steady
|
No recommendation
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Postures - approaches & techniques
|
For reducing
|
For reducing
|
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
|
Coordinated flow of breath with movement
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Chest and heart opening, backward bending postures and movements, that also focus on inhalation
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Moving repetition of postures (rather than long holding)
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Dynamic sequences of postures, including sun salutations
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
A range of different postures, to keep it interesting
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Postures that have a calming effect, rather than energising
|
No recommendation
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Resting, relaxing or restorative postures
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Forward-bending postures
|
No recommendation
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Postures and movements that focus on exhalation
|
No recommendation
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Simple, gentle sequences of postures
|
No recommendation
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Relaxation - approaches & techniques
|
For reducing
|
For reducing
|
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
|
Focus on abdominal breathing, lengthening exhale
|
Not considered
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Active focus on physical body (e.g. body-scan; progressive muscle relaxation), to shift focus away from mind and thoughts
|
Very important/essential
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Done with visualisations, that are positive, expansive and energising, e.g. sun, open space.
|
Very important/essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Done with visualisations, that have a calming effect
|
No recommendation
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Using guided relaxation techniques, rather than self directed
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
Restorative (passive-supported) postures
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
Important/less essential
|
|
With legs elevated
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Resting between and after postures
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
NO CONSENSUS
|
|
Meditation - approaches & techniques
|
For reducing
|
For reducing
|
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
|
Mindfulness (learning to focus attention on observing the present experience, without judgement)
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Something for the mind to do and focus on, rather than just observation (e.g. counting, repeated words or phrases (mantra); visualisation; image or symbol; candle gazing; smiling heart)
|
Very important/essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Active meditations, e.g. moving, chanting, guided visualisations
|
Very important/essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
A concept, idea or value, such as something positive, energising, confidence building, gratitude.
|
Very important/essential
|
No recommendation
|
|
A concept, idea or value, such as something positive, calming, confidence building, gratitude.
|
No recommendation
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Other components of yoga practice
|
For reducing
|
For reducing
|
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
|
Cultivation of positive values, attitudes and behaviours (including gratitude, kindness, compassion, forgiveness)
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Awareness of negative sensory input (including TV, movies, music, literature, multi-media, news)
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Formulation of meaningful affirmations and intentions (samkalpa)
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Visualisation and symbolic imagery techniques (bhavana)
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Sound or chanting (from any suitable language or culture)
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Spirituality and prayer
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Repetition of meaningful words or phrases (mantra)
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Symbolic gesture (nyasa & mudra)
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Other components of yogic lifestyle
|
For reducing
|
For reducing
|
|
Depression
|
Anxiety
|
|
Positive relationships
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Developing self-empowering knowledge
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Social involvement and support - linking with a supportive community (sanga)
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Lifestyle factors, including diet, smoking, drugs and alcohol, sleep, work, exercise
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Exposure to sunlight and natural environments
|
Very important/essential
|
Very important/essential
|
|
Service to others, including volunteer work
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Pleasing environment, free from clutter, with good ventilation and natural light
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Education about yoga teachings, and the potential benefits of yoga
|
Important/less essential
|
Important/less essential
|
|
Group yoga classes
|
Important/less essential
|
No recommendation
|
