Pre-reading questions:
- Do you exercise regularly?
- Is yoga popular in your country?
A recent study revealed that the calming and deep-breathing poses of yoga might help ease the mind of a depressed person who is not taking medications. Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist, stated that yoga can activate brain chemicals that can relax and make a person “feel good.” Yoga can also reduce immune system chemicals that can worsen depression.
30 people with major depressive disorder participated in a research. Doctors tagged the first group as “high-dose” group since they had three 90-minute yoga classes with home practice while the second group was tagged as “low-dose” group since they had two 90-minute yoga classes along with home practice. The study resulted to the reductions in both group’s depressive symptoms especially the “high-dose” group.
Vocabulary:
psychiatrist [noun] – a medical practitioner specializing in treatment of mental disorder
disorder [noun] – an abnormal physical or mental condition
research [noun] – collecting of information about a subject
reductions [noun] – the act of making something smaller or less
Comprehension Questions:
- What can activate in the body through yoga?
- Who is Alan Manevitz?
- How many people participated in the research?
- The 2 groups conducted yoga classes along with what?
- What are the results of the study?
Express Your Opinion:
- Have you tried any exercises before?
- What comes into your mind when you hear the word “yoga?”
- What are the popular exercises in your country?
- Would you try yoga? Why or why not?
- Do you know any unusual exercises that some people do?