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"Sadness is like the flow of water. Our tears can cleanse us, emptying out old, held-in pain. On the other hand, when sadness continues too long, that watery flow of cleansing emotion can harden like ice into depression," writes Amy Weintraub in her book, "Yoga for Depression" A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga.
For a depressed person, exercise is intolerable. Doing only three poses a day can breathe new light and life into a depressed person's mood.
The practice of yoga can help melt that hardened ice. Weintraub urges to start small with gentle stretching in the bed,
doing a section of a DVD or video, then working up to a few poses a day. When you're ready for a class, start with a restorative class, and look for classes geared toward depression and anxiety. Shannon Page Schneider, owner of Om Time Yoga Centers and a teacher/trainer/blogger, says that yogic communities can fill a space of loneliness. "Community creates a cultural pattern of connection that helps significantly with depression, "she says. "There is the lesson that one is not alone when one shows up to yoga."
doing a section of a DVD or video, then working up to a few poses a day. When you're ready for a class, start with a restorative class, and look for classes geared toward depression and anxiety. Shannon Page Schneider, owner of Om Time Yoga Centers and a teacher/trainer/blogger, says that yogic communities can fill a space of loneliness. "Community creates a cultural pattern of connection that helps significantly with depression, "she says. "There is the lesson that one is not alone when one shows up to yoga."
- Yoga works to alleviate depression by increasing brain chemicals that contribute to the feel – good hormones; endorphins, enkephalins, and serotonins.
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- Yoga reduces cortisol (the stress hormone that makes you gain weight in your abdomen) levels, increases oxygen, and reduces muscle stiffness and tension.
- When practicing yoga, GABA, the neurotransmitter that protects us from depression and anxiety is raised; resulting in a calmer and quieter mind.
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- Yoga postures incorporates breathing exercises that expands the lungs, decompresses areas of tension, and releases dammed - up emotions; creating a freer space within the body and mind
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- When you practice yoga, you practice self-love, self-acceptance, and self-awareness.
SOURCES:
www.yogafordepression.com
www.americanyogaassociation.org
www.life.gaiam.com
DISCLAIMER
The Blog, Black and Blue is not a
substitute for direct, personal, professional mental medical care and
diagnosis. None of the advice, or natural therapies and supplements mentioned
should be used without clearance from your physician or mental health care
provider. The information contained within this blog is not intended to provide
specific physical or mental health advice, or any other advice whatsoever, for
any individual or company and should not be relied upon in that regard. I am
not a licensed mental health therapist and nothing on this website should be
misconstrued to mean otherwise.
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