Therapeutic Effects Of Yoga On Depression - 1899 Words

Therapeutic Effects of Yoga on Depression in Men and Women Patricia A. Miller Ashley N. Saylor Toni A. Morris Jessie E. Yahner University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Abstract Much academic research has been conducted to understand psychological causes of and treatment effects on clinically diagnosed depression symptoms. More recently equal interest has included the neurochemical and physiological origins of depression and the implications of treating these imbalances using alternative, non-medical treatment modalities including yoga. Yoga has been identified as a powerful source of balancing neurochemicals vital to healthy brain chemistry. In review of current literature, however, it is apparent that little research exists comparing†¦show more content†¦Therapeutic Effects of Yoga on Depression in Men and Women This paper will explore what depression is, how depression effects males and females, and offer insight into how yoga can be a form of treatment for depression. According to the 2013 research of Holger Cramer, Romy Lauche, Jost Langhorst, and Gustav Dobos, depression has formerly been described as reflecting a primary disorder of biomedical and neurophysiological functions with evidence that alterations certain neurotransmitters including noradrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA play a major role in the pathophysiology of depression (Cramer, et., 2013). Additional research regarding yoga practice and increased levels of dopamine, GABA and serotonin is widely available. The balancing of these neurotransmitters is widely suggested as essential to depression treatment by many researchers and clinical therapeutic practitioners today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is a serious but common illness that interferes with daily life and causes pain for you and the your loved ones (National Institute of Mental Health, 2015). Depression affects males and females; however, females are more likely to be diagnosed with depression at any given year. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and insomnia are amongst the most common reasons for individuals to seek out treatment

Shakespeares Macbeth - Creating Sympathy for Macbeth...

Creating Sympathy for Macbeth The dark aura surrounding Shakespeares Macbeth is well deserved, as is the darkness shrouding its title character. Although Macbeth is certainly a villainous, evil man based solely on his actions, a fuller examination of his characters portrayal leads to a more sympathetic view of him. The play does not portray Macbeth simply as a cold-blooded murderer, but rather as a tortured soul attempting to deal with the atrocities surrounding him. Before any of the murderous activity occurs, Macbeth does not experience small, ambiguous premonitions, he is directly told by mysterious, dark figures things that are ordained to happen. Although these mysterious prophecies seem doubtful at first,†¦show more content†¦Although it certainly does not excuse his actions, the fact that she planned the murders, encouraged him to lie and deceive the other nobles at the banquets, basically convinced him to carry the initial murder out, and repeatedly attempted to make him forget the act and move on, would seem to partially incriminate her. If Macbeth had a wife who was a stark contrast to him, one who abhorred murder and attempted to talk him out of it, then his crime would have seemed all the more horrendous since even his closes confidant advised him against it. As it is, Lady Macbeths twisted cruelty and conniving serve to further a small sense of sympathy for the guilty Macbeth. An important aspect of Macbeths portrayal is that he shows extreme remorse after the killing of Duncan, and attempts to avoid killing Macduff due to the guilt he feels for all the other murders he has committed. While his wife feels just a little water will cleanse them from the deed, Macbeths own answer to his question Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this / blood clean from my hand? is a resounding no. Macbeth realizes the severity of his act and guilt, and this is central in evoking a sense of sympathy from the audience. Macbeth knows that he has done wrong; most can attempt to feel some sympathy or forgiveness for someone who knows they have done wrong and suffers constantly forShow MoreRelatedThe Supernatural Evil Within Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth1561 Words   |  6 Pagesspecific genders. With this in mind, Shakespeare’s Macbeth heightens the supernatural evil possessing Lady Macbeth as she condones murder for her own selfish ambition, while in Shake speare’s time women were regarded as peaceful and full of feminine sympathies. This anachronism with the reality of Shakespeare’s day, illustrates the immense sense of wickedness and abnormality emphasizing her character’s influence on her husband and the plot of the play. In contrast, Macbeth appears to some extent a more acceptableRead MoreIs Macbeth A Tragic Hero Or A Tyrant? Essay920 Words   |  4 PagesIs Macbeth A Tragic Hero Or A Tyrant? Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most emotive plays, is set in Scotland during the 11th Century and follows the downfall of a man who is led by temptation to mass murder and cruelty. Macbeth, at different stages in the play, demonstrates many of the characteristics of both an evil tyrant and a tragic hero. However, a tragic hero is defined as a great man who falls because of a fatal flaw and Macbeth bests fits this description. ThereforeRead MoreRespect and Sympathy in Macbeths Soliloquies Essay941 Words   |  4 PagesRespect and Sympathy in Macbeths Soliloquies Works Cited Missing Macbeth is a complex story of a great and popular king, named Duncan, who is murdered brutally by a horrid, vicious Tyrant called Macbeth, who was considered one of Duncans closest and most loyal friends. This tyrant brings havoc and devastation to the onceRead MoreMacbeth As A Tyrant Essay1281 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of a Tyrant Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during the reign of James I, who was James IV of Scotland before he became the King of England. James I, was a sponsor of Shakespeare’s theatre, so it is clear that Shakespeare’s work was affected by James I’s sensitivities. Murder and intrigue was a part of the Scottish Reign when James was growing, and in fact, James’s father was murdered when he was just a baby. Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish general who, through prophecies receivedRead MoreHow Macbeths Character Changes throughout the Play1725 Words   |  7 Pagestragic hero. The play focuses on the changing character of Macbeth and his increasing greed for power. Many factors contribute to the changes to Macbeth throughout the play which cause the character to deteriorate from a man with nobility and good intentions to one who is ruled by ambition and greed. The play begins with the scene of three witches who prophesise that three events will occur to Macbeth. The Elizabethans believed strongly in supernatural, and associatedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. After Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conflict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’dRead MoreMacbeth - a Tragic Hero2214 Words   |  9 PagesWilliam Shakespeares play Macbeth, written in the 1600s is a perfect example of Shakespeares ability to manipulate his audience through creating a tragic hero. A tragic hero who, because of a flaw, tumbles from a well-respected hero to a cowardless murderer. It is through Sh akespeares manipulation of figurative language, dramatic conventions and social expectations of the seventeenth century, do the audience witness the demise of this mixed up man. Macbeths persona of the tragic hero is enhancedRead MoreWomen in Gothic Literature Essay862 Words   |  4 Pagespassive, vulnerable, dependant and weak. However, a common theme in gothic novels is for this feeble female to feel sympathy for the villain, for example, Elizabeth in Frankesntein, Lucy in Dracula and Ophelia in Hamlet, sadly, this usually results in the innocent females tragic death such as Ophelia’s untimely suicide, which, similarly is seen in another of Shakespeare’s women, Lady Macbeth, although this female is certainly not fitting to the â€Å"helepless maiden† stereotype. She is an example of the otherRead MoreHow Shakespeare Makes the Banquet Scene Dramatic for the Audience1695 Words   |  7 PagesBanquet Scene Dramatic for the Audience The banquet scene takes place near the middle of Shakespeares world-famous play. All the action and drama happens in the hall, soon after the murder of king Duncan and Banquo. We find out at the beginning of the scene about Banquos murder with the arrival of the murderer, whom Macbeth has paid to eliminate Banquo. The murderer tells Macbeth that he slit Banquos throat. As the scene progresses we see Macbeths character developRead MoreViolence and Its Forms1776 Words   |  8 Pagessomething we desire to see as an audience, yet simultaneously a majority of people would never commit the atrocities found in â€Å"Macbeth.† There exists a thin line between acceptable violence and violence that turns an audience away from sympathizing with a character. In this essay we will evaluate the differences between the various forms of violence found within â€Å"Macbeth,† and analyze why the audience can accept some acts of violence, while deeming others inhumane. The clearest breeds of violence

The Rise of Christianity †Did Jesus Want to Start a New Religion Free Essays

If the Gospels are accurate in reporting that God sent Jesus to earth, what did Jesus come to earth to do? What was his mission? Let’s briefly consider a few of Jesus’ own statements about why he came. How better to discover his mission than to hear what he himself had to say about it? â€Å"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets,† he said, thus endorsing the teaching of the entire Old Testament. â€Å"I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them† (Matthew 5:17). We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise of Christianity – Did Jesus Want to Start a New Religion? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Jesus came to â€Å"fulfill† the Old Testament, in part, by living in complete obedience to God. Although he faced the same temptations that stalk us, it is written that he never sinned once. That’s why he could become the perfect sacrifice for every nation’s sins, as the Bible tells us: â€Å"God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God† (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Christian message is not merely about eternal life some day, after we die, in some far-off heaven. It is about living life to the maximum right here and right now. There really is no other way to take Jesus’ words: â€Å"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life† (John 10:10). In the era that Jesus walked the Earth in, we can imagine the Roman Empire. The Roman government practiced syncretism, accepting that all religious beliefs, philosophical teachings, and government systems are ultimately compatible, or a reflection of, a larger system – the Roman system. They practiced one of the first â€Å"one country, two systems† policies – pronouncing that all people had religious freedom, political freedom, and freedom of thought, yet maintaining strict control. The Jews held much distrust and often hatred for the Roman Empire – they were unwilling subjects. At the time of Jesus’ birth, the local Roman ruler, King Herod had initiated a massacre of all Jewish baby boys born at the time. Such actions added more reasons for Jewish resentment of the foreign Roman government. The Jews understood the world to be divided into two types of people: Jewish and Gentile (non-Jew). The Jews worked hard to disassociate themselves from the Gentiles. King Herod employed many laborers by commissioning many public works (e. g. building temple in Jerusalem, palaces, ports, fortresses, stadiums, ornate stone carvings, etc. ) There was a very large disparity between rich and poor. Jesus approached the scene with the proclamation that he had come to dispatch the difference between rich or poor, Gentile or Jew, and sinner or saint. While accumulating followers, others opposed his ministry with the belief that he was gaining fame all for the sake of wanting to be seen as God Almighty. All the same, Jesus never stated or claimed to be God. He did ,nonetheless ,claim to be the son of God. It is true that Jesus never said, â€Å"I am God† directly. However, most of His teachings were done through parables, and not by direct statements. His disciples asked Him why He taught this way. His answer was: â€Å"To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. † (Matthew 13:11-13) Along with witnessed miracles performed, his technique and approach reeled in crowds of all kinds of denominations. Some may hold the opinion that he hoodwinked desperate believers by using magic or tricks to allure them into his ministry. Others were awfully intimidated by Jesus and his prophecies , thus forth came his crucifixion. Even after death, there was still more to come. â€Å"Don’t be alarmed,† he said, â€Å"You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. † (Mark 16:6) The book from the evangelist Mark records that after three days, Jesus Christ arose from his grave and ascended back to Heaven to reunite with his father, God Almighty. After death and acclaimed resurrection, many still testified to spiritual and physical encounters with Jesus. One person who can testify to this is the apostle Paul. Apart from Jesus, Paul is the most significant figure in the development of early Christianity. He has profoundly influenced such monumental figures as Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Of the 27 books of the New Testament, thirteen are attributed to Paul. Luke tells us in Acts 9 that Paul was on the road to Damascus when he saw a light from heaven and heard a voice saying, â€Å"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?† Paul responds, â€Å"Who are you, Lord? † and the reply came, â€Å"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. † Paul was blind for three days, and then his site was restored when Ananias laid hands on him. This story is not in Paul’s own writing, although Paul does tell us something of his conversion experience (See Gal. 1. 13. -16; 1 Cor. 15. 3-9). In one way or another, it seems that Paul believes that he received a revelation of the risen Christ. Whatever happened, it completely changed Paul’s life, and he went from being a persecutor of Christians to the greatest missionary of the early church. Paul’s influence of early Christianity was one of great measure. Paul was the author of many writings that were written during his imprisonment of an estimated six to seven years in Rome. During this period of time Paul authored books in letters to all churches holding different denominations with instruction and inspiration to motivate and minister to his readers about following the teachings of Christ and repenting their sins to God through prayer and worship. The Bible does not tell us how or when the apostle Paul died, and history does not provide us with any information. The only thing we have to go on is Christian tradition, which has Paul being behead in Rome, around the mid 60s A. D. , during the reign of Nero. His role in Christianity has resulted in giving him the title â€Å"The Founder of Christianity†. Just as Paul was captivated by his experience with Jesus many others also became believers because of their experiences. Recorded in the book according to the evangelist Luke, there was a woman with the inability to stand straight up (a condition referred to as stooped ) who meets Jesus on a Sabbath Day (A Saturday supposedly) in one of the synagogues of the city he was then in. Although the Law of Moses states that the Sabbath is a day of rest; Jesus heals this woman of her condition and she is then enabled to stand upright without unease and strain. Jesus is said to have opposed many rules and laws through his miracles, but nonetheless continued to heal and preach to many whether the situation and timing was convenient or not ; gaining many followers in the process of doing so. In response to the question of whether or not Jesus was setting out to form his own religion; it is my opinion that that is a misconception to say so. Jesus, in my perspective, was set on saving lives and teaching sinners to follow God and repent their sins so that they could join he and his father in Heaven. It will most likely always be someone’s opinion that Jesus had other motives behind his healing and ministries, however the revealing of the truth is yet to arrive to us. Was he our messiah or our magician? You decide. How to cite The Rise of Christianity – Did Jesus Want to Start a New Religion?, Papers

What were the Primary Reasons for the Fall of Rome free essay sample

Rome was quickly becoming one of the worlds greatest empires with their excellent military conquering territory from modern day Scotland to Spain. After the Punic Wars and the defeat of Carthage, Rome had full control of the Mediterranean region, establishing colonies in North Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. Julius Caesar became Romes first emperor using his military influence. Under his reign, Rome shifted from a republic to an empire under the rule of an emperor and the military. Rome steadily increased in stability, power, and wealth, reaching Pax Romana (the time of Roman peace) under Emperor Augustus Caesar. Rome was forced to discover, as many other large empires throughout history have, that size can create complications. Political strains developed and Rome eventually morphed into a government similar to a dictatorship. Believing their goal of a perfect empire had been reached, leaders in Rome began to become lazy. We will write a custom essay sample on What were the Primary Reasons for the Fall of Rome? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Romans developed a thirst for luxury and a lack of work ethic, which resulted in a decline in the quality of products made by the empire. Around the 5th century BC, Rome began to have constant invasion attempts by Germanic tribes at their borders. There was a multitude of factors contributing to the fall of Rome, the most impactful being the frequently changing leadership, the increasing negligence of the Roman army, and foreign invasions along Romes borders. Romes government went through a number of transitions; from republic to triumvirates, triumvirates to an empire, an empire to a dictatorship. As shown in Document A, a chart compiled from various sources, there came a period of time 235-285), after the start of Romes decline, where the leader of Rome changed 19 times, the throne belonging to whoever had enough military control to seize it. During this time, 13 of these emperors were killed through assassination. To citizens of the Roman Empire, this was Just another example of the loss of control in the government. Priscus, the Roman ambassador to the Huns in 449 CE, wrote of a conversation he had with a former Roman citizen whose land had been conquered by the Huns. [He] considered his new life better than his old life among the Romans He said] that the laws and constitution of the Romans were fair, but deplored that the governors, not possessing the spirit of former generations, were ruining the state. (Document E). Because of the degeneracy of Romes leaders, Roman citizens were losing faith in the restoration of the government to its former glory, so many citizens welc omed the chance for a new start when Germanic tribes conquered Roman territory. Many historians believe that Romes military was its greatest asset. The military reached its climax when General Marius allowed unwealthy plebeians to be recruited ith the promise of land. This motivated soldiers to conquer new territories to provide the new land that was necessary for Marius to fulfill his promise. The Roman military declined for many reasons, including a decrease in population due to plague and a heightened sense ot morals as a result ot the empires new religion: Christianity. The main reason for the Roman militarys downfall was the decreasing ambition in Roman soldiers. Document B, an excerpt from Concerning Military Matters by Roman historian Vegetius in 450 CE, demonstrates the development of pathy and laziness in soldiers. They no longer wore breastplates or helmets because of how heavy they seemed. This made the military much more vulnerable to archers and affected their mindset as well. If a soldier was more susceptible to wounds and was faced with a possibly deadly situation, his first instinct would be to flee. The Roman military was also decreased in size. Diseases decimated the population, The population of Rome decreased from a million people to 250,000 Recruitment of troops became more difficult, so the empire was increasingly educed to hiring Germanic soldiers to guard its frontiers. (Document F, an excerpt from World Civilizations: The Global Experience). These Germanic soldiers were not loyal to Rome and were therefore not as motivated to keep Rome afloat. Because of the undersized, lethargic Roman military and its aggressive opposition, Rome was very much open to foreign invasions. By the fifth century, the powerhouse of the Mediterranean was struggling to protect itself with its decreased population, apathetic military, and leaders with debauched morals. Outside of the Roman Empire, Germanic tribes took notice of the internal chaos and began invading the empires borders. Many of the tribes were cruel and combative, such as the Huns. The Huns exceed any definition of savagery and were fired with an overwhelming desire for seizing the property of others, these swift-moving and ungovernable people make their destructive way amid the pillage and slaughter of those who live around them. (Document D, excerpts about an Asian tribe called the Huns from Roman History by Ammianus Marcellinus).