(Alive.com) -- A new study has found that yoga may relieve stress associated with various medical conditions, including anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.

The researchers (from Boston University School of Medicine, New York Medical College, and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons) believe that stress related to each of these conditions can cause an imbalance in the nervous system, as well as low levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (more often known as GABA), an important neurotransmitter in the body. Yoga may help to correct these irregularities. For instance, a previous study noted that while yoga increased participants’ GABA levels significantly, walking did not.

Complementary healing

What’s next for the researchers? Well, they hope to develop specific yoga programs to target stress related to each of the conditions (as well as prevent them from developing in the first place) that can be used alongside allopathic (Western medicine) treatments. It’s just another way that Western medicine and alternative healing techniques can be used together, in a holistic approach called complementary (or integrative) medicine.