This is a great little blurb from Amy Weintraub's, LifeForce Yoga newsletter (you can learn more and subscribe here.) Amy specializes in yoga for people suffering from depression, PTSD and other forms of mental dis-ease. Compassionate, kind and full of amazing information, she is one of my favorite Kripalu yoga teachers.
Reduce Anger by Lying Down
Researchers at Texas A & M University found that the mere act of lying down can reduce anger. Researchers have known that mood can be altered by mimicking the facial and body movements of certain emotions (slumped shoulders can evoke sad, morose feelings, smiling induces an uplifted mood), but a new study recently published in the journal Psychological Science finds that when study participants who were in a supine position were insulted they did not show brain patterns associated with anger as compared to those participants who were seated when insulted.
Commentary: This study points to another good reason to practice Yoga Nidra, a deep relaxation technique that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of PTSD and is practiced lying down.
