Individuals who feel anxious or depressed may want to consider doing some yoga, according to the findings of a new study.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine followed two randomized groups of healthy individuals over a 12-week period. One group practiced yoga three times a week for one hour, while the remaining subjects walked for the same period of time.

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging, the participants’ brains were scanned before the study began. At week 12, the researchers compared the brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels of both groups before and after their final 60-minute session. Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders.

Each subject was also asked to assess his or her psychological state at several points throughout the study, and those who practiced yoga reported a more significant decrease in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than those who walked.

"Over time, positive changes in these reports were associated with climbing GABA levels," said lead author Chris Streeter, M.D.

Researchers say the study, which appears in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, is the first to demonstrate an association between yoga postures, increased GABA levels and decreased anxiety.