If you search for “yoga for depression” online, you will find endless lists of breathing exercises promised to lift your mood. But most yoga teachers make a critical mistake in assuming that there is one universal breathwork for depression. In reality, depression is not a single experience. It is highly heterogeneous, and the type of depression you are experiencing should completely dictate the type of breathwork you use.
Neuroscience supports what yogic philosophy has known for centuries. Dr. Richard Davidson, a leading affective neuroscientist, suggests that major distinctions exist among individuals whose depression aligns with hypo-arousal (characterised by lethargy, fatigue, and hopelessness) versus those experiencing depression alongside anxiety, manifesting as hyperarousal (agitation, worry, and restlessness).
In yoga, we understand these states through the gunas, the three fundamental qualities of nature. Tamas represents inertia, heaviness, and darkness. Rajas represents activity, restlessness, and agitation. When someone is in a tamasic state, their nervous system is dominated by the parasympathetic branch, and their breathing often becomes slow, shallow, and restricted. If a teacher guides this person into a long, slow, calming breath practice, they will likely feel worse as they are adding more tamas (heaviness) to an already heavy system.
Conversely, a person in a rajasic state is experiencing sympathetic hyperarousal. Their breath may be fast, shallow, and uneven. If a teacher guides this person into an energising, rapid breath like Kapalabhati, it can trigger a panic response.
The research echoes this need for nuance. A 2017 study reviewed the evidence for major depressive disorder and found that while yogic breathing is often the most effective intervention, the specific practices must be tailored [1]. Furthermore, a 2023 meta-analysis that included 152 studies found larger effects when yoga practices incorporated specific relaxation components, highlighting that the content of the practice matters [2].
As yoga teachers, our job is to meet our clients where they are. For the tamasic client, we might gently introduce the Breath of Joy or Kapalhati to awaken the system. For the rajasic client, we use extended exhales and coherent breathing to settle the nervous system. Recognising the difference between tamasic and rajasic depression is the first step toward safe, effective, and trauma-informed breathwork.
Click here to learn about Yoga for Tamasic (Heavy) Depression.
Click here to learn about Yoga for Rajasic (Hyperaroused) Depression.
References
[1] Cramer, H., Anheyer, D., Lauche, R., & Dobos, G. (2017). A systematic review of yoga for major depressive disorder. Journal of affective disorders, 213, 70–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.02.006
[2] Rhoads MC, Grevstad N, Kirkland RA, et al. The benefits of yoga as an intervention for depression: a meta analysis. Int J Complement Alt Med. 2023;16(1):19-30. DOI: 10.15406/ijcam.2023.16.00627
