Yoga against depression
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. More and more people in big cities are facing this problem, unable to cope with the busy rhythm of life and loneliness, plunging into introspection and self-rejection. Clinical depression is a brain disease that needs to be treated in order to live on, enjoy every day and have the strength to move forward.
People with such a diagnosis are rightly prescribed antidepressants, but pills, as is known, only relieve severe symptoms, but do not change the negative course of distorted thoughts, do not solve the problems that have been sitting inside us since childhood and make us relive destructive scenarios again and again.
Those who have encountered depression look for ways to get rid of this ailment not only in pills and at psychotherapist appointments, but also in working with consciousness and physics - and yoga just comes to the rescue .
Like any physical exercise, yoga promotes the production of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. In addition, yoga insists on awareness, being in the moment, the ability to be here and now. After all, it is much more effective to focus on breathing and meditative exercises than to wander along the paths of destructive thoughts, which are precisely what generate increased anxiety or, conversely, asthenia and impotence, against which we are prescribed antidepressants or sedatives.
Another good thing about yoga is that it is suitable for people with any level of physical fitness. Everyone can definitely meditate in Shavasana, regardless of gender, age, weight, and flexibility.
A study from Boston University School of Medicine, published in the Journal of Alternative Medicine, clearly demonstrates that 90-minute yoga sessions, practiced 2-3 times a week, led to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in participants who were offered Iyengar yoga exercises. The key to solving the problem was most likely the conscious breathing practiced by the participants in the study, plus reasonable physical activity distributed between simple and complex asanas.
Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania worked with patients who had not improved after 8 weeks of conventional therapy aimed at combating symptoms of depression. The participants in this experiment were offered 8 weeks of unconventional treatment, namely 8 weeks of practicing Sudarshan Kriya. Sudarshan Kriya is a rhythmic breathing technique developed in India in 1982. Breathing in unison in one rhythm turned out to be more effective than swallowing pills. And no side effects !
It is obvious that yoga and meditation, if done regularly, can reduce anxiety, calm the mind, and relieve symptoms of depression, if not 100%, then at least act as an additional therapy that is as useful as a daily routine, walks in the fresh air, and any other physical activity. But with yoga, the effect will be more multifaceted, because the practice concerns not only the body, but also the mind, which is the cause of any depression.
Antigravity yoga can only be practiced on an empty stomach, because inverted poses require lightness. It is necessary to give up baggy clothes beloved by yogis and choose tight T-shirts and tights, overalls , so as not to get tangled in the folds of the hammock and clothes.
Yoga in hammocks is not recommended for people with high blood pressure, malignant tumors, glaucoma, and late-term pregnant women. Women during menstruation should also avoid inverted asanas. If the exercises are accompanied by dizziness, heavy sweating, or rapid heartbeat, they should be stopped immediately.
Antigravity yoga not only relieves stress and bad mood, but also has an undeniable therapeutic effect: correction of spinal defects, improvement of posture, relief of tension in the back, neck, lower back, hip area. Thanks to aero yoga, blood circulation in the brain increases, memory and concentration improve, digestion normalizes, muscles become toned, and swinging in hammocks turns the already pleasant Shavasana into a lulling flight and returns to childhood.
