Yoga for depression: 5 poses for mental strength

Depression is a difficult psychological problem. Yoga to treat depression is one of the solutions that many people are aiming for.

Depression is no longer a strange disease to us. This is considered a dangerous disease like cancer, other incurable diseases. The number of people suffering from this disease is gradually increasing all over the world. Yoga for depression is currently a solution that many people apply to control, even support the treatment of depression.

Does yoga treat depression really work?

Depression is not a temporary state of sadness, anxiety, boredom, or hopelessness. Depression is a disease of the brain that can negatively affect attitudes, emotions, and behaviors. When the disease reaches the limit of tolerance, the patient turns to suicide to feel more comfortable. Many studies have proven that yoga miraculously cures depression. Many people suffering from this unlucky disease mostly turn to yoga to help regulate their emotions, rekindle their inspiration for life as well as think more optimistically.

The increasingly developed society leads to the consequences of pressure, stress and that is one of the main causes of depression. The first signs of depression such as irritability, irritability, sadness, insomnia, etc.

At this time, the patient always feels lonely, afraid, unable to eat or drink, leading to despair. In worse cases, they often intend to die rather than live, or have no control over their own behavior.

There have been many suicides due to depression. Many doctors and researchers have come up with a solution to treat depression with therapeutic yoga that is very effective in treating depression, the combination of meditation and the movement of the body will provide Level 2 important factors to relieve depression, anxiety.

How does yoga cure depression?

Because low serotonin is a factor that leads to a gloomy mood. Just like any other exercise and yoga helps to increase serotonin naturally.

This is a happy hormone that can help improve mood. According to the scientific journal Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs), serotonin plays an important role in treating depression.

Like exercise, yoga is a sport that boosts the production of the hormone serotonin. This hormone plays a role in treating depression because it promotes feelings of relaxation, calm, focus, and happiness.

A study has shown that people with depression often have lower serotonin levels than normal. Yoga exercises for depression are done gently, calmly and gracefully. Each pose is diverse, so practitioners of different levels can practice it.

5 yoga poses to cure depression

1. Meditation yoga poses

This pose has the effect of regulating emotions, calming the nerves and helping to relax, forget negative thoughts, and limit depression.

Doing

• Step 1: Sit on the exercise mat, legs straight, hands close to the upper body, hands placed on the mat.
• Step 2: Bend one leg up near the position of the other thigh joint.
• Step 3: Bend the next leg near the position of the thigh joint of the other leg.
• Step 4: Put your hands on 2 pillows.
• Step 5: Slowly breathe deeply and evenly. Stretch the body.
• Step 6: Then, stretch your legs out in front of you and keep your legs straight ahead, parallel to each other.
• Step 7: Return to the prepared position and repeat the movement 4-5 times.

2. Baby Pose

This yoga pose helps you relieve stress, relax your chest, back and shoulders, calm your mind, and increase blood circulation throughout the body.

Doing

• Step 1: Start in a seated position on your heels. Then extend your knees shoulder-width apart and take a deep breath.
• Step 2: Slowly lean forward, chest and abdomen relax on thighs, head touch the ground, exhale.
• Step 3: Reach your arms straight over your head, in line with your knees or parallel to your body. Relax your shoulders on the floor, feeling your weight on the edge of your shoulder touching the floor.
• Step 4: Hold the pose for 30 seconds to several minutes.
• Step 5: Gradually end the pose in the original state, breathe evenly and raise the body slowly.

3. Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Performing the pose regularly will help you reduce stress and depression. Symptoms of headache, insomnia, fatigue were also significantly improved.

Doing

• Step 1: Kneel on both feet and hands, knees hip-width apart. Both hands are shoulder-width apart, fingers spread wide, placed face down on the exercise mat.
• Step 2: Take a deep breath in. Then, using arm strength, slowly push yourself up, applying even force to your hands pressing down on the floor and lifting your knees off the floor.
• Step 3: Lift your hips up and down, doing it repeatedly to stretch the spine.
• Step 4: Move your hands up, back your feet back to lengthen your torso, heels toward the floor.
• Step 5: Once you’ve fully stretched, exhale slowly as you begin to straighten your legs as far as you can. If your legs are straight, you can lift your thighs more strongly when you press your feet into the floor.
• Step 6: Continue to inhale and exhale evenly as you hold the pose. Hold the pose for 1 to 3 minutes.
• Step 7: Then return to the preparation position and repeat the movement 4-5 times.

4. Pose with feet on the wall

This movement also has a calming effect on the nervous system, helps to relax and relax the body, forgets fatigue, stress, even during practice helps you think of good, positive things, forget about troubles. so late.

Doing

• Step 1: Lie facing the wall, raise your legs up like a banana tree on the lower limbs, from the buttocks to the heels, leaning against the wall.
• Step 2: Lie still with your eyes closed, focus all your attention and mind on slow breathing. Breathe in and out steadily, take a deep breath, and exhale completely in the gentlest way, taking a long breath.
• Step 3: When breathing evenly, pay attention to relax your head, neck and spine on the floor.
• Step 4: Hold this position for about 5-10 minutes. This move is quite easy to do, so you can do it a few times before going to bed and after waking up.
• Step 5: Note that when you want to get out of the pose, bend your knees, turn over, lie on your side for a while and then sit up. Avoid sudden changes in position.

5. Shoulder Stand

The shoulder stand is one of the advanced yoga poses that offers many health benefits. This pose is very good for the internal organs, while keeping the body healthy.

Doing

• Step 1: Lie on the mat, feet close together.
• Step 2: Raise your legs perpendicular to the floor. Now press your palms to the floor, lift your buttocks, and bring your legs forward. Then keep your feet perpendicular to the floor.
• Step 3: Bend hands, 2 palms grasp the waist, keep balance and raise legs perpendicular to the floor.
• Step 4: Lift your body up high, put all your body weight on your shoulder blades and adjust your body straight.
• Step 5: Keep the spine straight, neck relaxed and breathe steadily.
• Step 6: Hold the pose for about 2 to 3 minutes. Eyes on toes. The foot does not move.
• Step 7: Slowly lower your legs and back. Take your hands off your back and put your hands on the floor. Quickly lower your back to the floor, then lower your legs and lie flat.
• Step 8: Finally, return to a relaxed position and repeat 2, 3 more times. Once done, lie down in corpse pose.

Reference source

Using Yoga to Relieve the Symptoms of Depression https://www.healthline.com/ Accessed Date: 20/02/2020

Yoga for depression https://themindedinstitute.com/ Accessed date: 20/2/2020