Depression + Yoga = Relief

In today’s culture of pharmaceutical relief, antidepressants are the standard for easing depression and for many they can be a lifesaver. A lifestyle change can also work wonders and this should include the practice of yoga. Many yoga students have found relief from depression by consistently and patiently practicing Hatha yoga, pranayama (breathing) and meditation. Studies have also shown that by following a yoga practice you can significantly reduce stress and help to alleviate both anxiety and depression.

Perhaps you’ve experienced feelings of sadness and melancholy when life offers up challenges you are ill equipped to handle. Suddenly an invisible weight settles onto your shoulders and darkness depresses the vitality of your mind. One day you wake up, attempt to get up out of bed and realize that all the joy in living has gone, leaving you isolated on a barren island with no escape. Little by little you draw deeper into yourself, neglecting friends and family, food and exercise, seeking to stop the unbearable pain of living.

This type of tamasic condition (feelings of inertia) responds well to physical movement and deep breathing exercises. A Vinyasa flow style yoga class would be beneficial by opening the heart in backbends, lengthening the spine in forward bends, massaging organs and glands as the body revolves and twists, grounding the feet and challenging the mind to focus in balancing postures, then relaxing the mind in the final resting pose, Savasana (corpse pose).

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Virginia C.

4:19PM PST on Feb 19, 2011

yoga and meditations helped me a lot after my husband died 3 years ago. and now i am hooked to yoga for health, peace of mind. i feel much relaxed now and can manage my stress and learning to cope up with being single.

send a green star

Camilla V.

8:42PM PST on Dec 25, 2010

nice

Eva O.

5:33AM PDT on Oct 31, 2010

Very interesting article. I have been trying Pilates for some months now and have been curious about Yoga for quite a while. Looks like it is definitely worth a try!

PrAna L.

6:35PM PDT on Oct 15, 2010

Excellent article. Reposting to prAna.com/blog this month!

Marne S.

5:20PM PDT on Oct 13, 2010

Great article. I started doing yoga 15 years ago because I was going through a very stressful time and didn't have the tools to deal with it. Yoga has absolutely changed my life. I highly recommend it for everyone. Namaste, Marne

Nuke P.

10:08PM PDT on Oct 12, 2010

Interesting article, thanks for sharing :)

Nellie K A.

5:54PM PDT on Oct 10, 2010

I wish I had done Yoga since Middle School or High School instead of these stupid antidepressants and stabilizers but it's when in college, and doing psychotherapy that I started going to the gym and doing Yoga for stress and depression....

Victoria D.

7:04AM PDT on Oct 5, 2010

I LOVE Yoga! Whenever my husband and I have a really bad day, we have a Yoga session. We have a PC attached to our TV and we just look up Yoga programs on Hulu. I'm sure a DVD would work just as well. Even our 3 yr old does it will us, obviously a very different form... She calls it Oga.

JoAnn J.

4:22AM PDT on Oct 5, 2010

I suffer from depression for the last 20 plus years and I still can't bring myself to do yoga, I'm always so tired. i need to get on with yoga. Any suggestions?

Marilyn L.

11:25PM PDT on Oct 4, 2010

Interesting.