Treat Depression With Yoga

 Depression doesn't just go away without mentally and physically doing something about it. With working yoga within your regular and daily schedule, you can actually reduce stress and anxiety that comes hand-in-hand with depression.

From experience to when I was depressed years ago, I felt like I was a victim to my own depression. I didn't know how to go about my day without feeling sorry for myself and always felt like I'll never come out of it. I felt like everything in my life will forever be horrible -- I was scared because I was not in control.

From some of my techniques during the road to recovery, yoga was one of my favorites.

It may be hard to get yourself started but most places has a first-day-free class where you can just sign in to try it for the first time to see if you'll like it. Not only will this aid you in physical fitness, breathing techniques and flexibility, it calms your mind and makes you aware of the positivity in your life spiritually.

Here are 3 ways to how yoga helps with overcoming depression:

It improves circulation:

With Yoga exercises, it applies pressure on your organs and glands and helps produce the soothing/healing chemical balance that is needed to feel well. It improves your circulation by sending oxygen back to your brain and to all your muscles. Additionally, with the stretching and strengthening movements, it helps flush the toxins from the body as well, giving you a healthy glow to add once you are done your Yoga exercise!

You feel powerful again:

With depression, you feel weak and helpless with no motivation to move on. Yoga exercises helps get your life back with its constant push that help motivates everyone. You are constantly challenged from your own goals in doing better... reaching further... stretching further. It's an endless cycle to do better and soon enough, you feel like you are slowly getting your life back and in control again.

Gives you distance from your negative thoughts and improves your mood:

Being depressed, you feel that you are trapped and constantly thinking negative thoughts. You become more aware of everything negative around you and drown yourself within a downward spiral. With Yoga, it creates a soothing ambiance around you where you leave all your thoughts out the door and succumb to inner peace. From the moves like "downward dog" and "the crow", you are endlessly challenging yourself to hold these poses and strive to stretch more. Your mind is distracted and challenged during the session and once you are done, the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelmingly serene in more ways than one. You leave the place feeling physically and mentally good.

Here's a great Yoga video that helps treat depression. Something easy and serene -- just be sure you have space to do this activity!

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy. -Paramhansa Yogananda

-A.T.