Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation to Help You Beat Depression

by Manmohan Singh

Neurologically speaking, depression is an outcome of decrease in two neurotransmitters decisive for a healthy functioning of the mind-body. These are - serotonin and norepinephrine. If the chemical imbalance in your brain gets critical with serotonin and norepinephrine hitting the lows, there is going to be a deep sense of engulfing sadness.

On close examination, there is a variety of biological, psychological, as well as sociological contributing factors in relation to an individual, found interwoven in the onset of depression. Any of these factors can cause or continue the bout of typical behavioral change towards—apathy, hopelessness, mood swings, sleep disorder, or social isolation.

While you cannot make an instant alteration in your external situation to shoo away depression, engineering of your inner self to immunize against these factors is always possible. Meditation and yoga provide an important solution in this very regard revealing clearly how integrally the body and mind are connected, especially in relation to the heart which is situated vulnerably and comes under attack quite easily during emotional stress.

Emotional stress, acute anxiety, and its later development into depression evidently limits fullness of breath, creates arterial constriction, and sets off that giddy feeling. With yoga and meditation, you can actually turn around the cycle of influence. The physical aspects must now be worked upon to bring about its positive emotional manifestations. Through a routine of heart-opening postures and heartfulness meditation, yoga can rouse full breathing, better oxygenation, and elevation of a mood-boosting biochemical level, and all of it in a self-reliant, completely side-effect free way!

Here is a list of the five choicest heart-opening postures you must try out—

Supine Bound Angle

A thoroughly calming heart opening pose, this posture can be performed when the heart is a flutter in its cage out of anxiety and never-ending dark thoughts. You must set yourself a true intent when you finally lay down to perform the posture, and that intent must be happiness.

You are welcome to prop yourself up in supine bound angle with some delicious prop support so that your shoulders can enjoy deep relaxation. This posture acts directly upon our 5^th chakra, that of the heart, unlocking its powers of compassion, love, and beauty.

This heart-opening posture will create a lot of space inside your front body, thus ushering in fuller and deeper breath.

Seated Cat-Cow

This mini-flow lets you draw back your shoulders and pack up oodles of prana in your chest and heart. Also, your face and throat are lifted and opened, with a curve brought to your spine. The exhale is all about pushing away the air with an outward hand movement and pull in the belly and chest, thus wrenching out toxic thoughts and bad air out of the heart chakra.

The best part of this mini-flow is its suitability for anyplace, anytime. The bang-on cure to workplace stress levels stacking up.

Sphinx Pose

The Sphinx compels you to press down on your forearms strongly as you slowly extend your spine. This allows your chest to expand and move to fore. There is going to be some great agility breathed into your shoulders and down the spine as you constantly roll the blades to your back.

This pose makes one feel her heart rise and expand indicating a great income of fresh air to the base of the lungs. With better, fuller breathing, an immaculate feeling of lightness is inevitable.

Extended Side Angle Pose

Extended Side Angle is another top heart-opening flow. By deliciously stretching the spine and opening the side body, the pose helps your heart lift slightly from a depressed spot. Also, you can expect a lot of heat generation, working well for the lethargy and lack of will that set in with gloom.

Add-ons: you can roll your shoulders to unwind after a frigid day at the desk. Also, prop help with hand placement on a block halfway between the waist and the knee will do good.

Upward Facing Dog

This is an upper body strength boosting pose with a major impact on the heart. In times of anxiety and fear, you tend to collapse your chest naturally and thus bringing a hunch to the shoulders. This posture does not emanate confidence and dissipates your mental strength in the face of hardships. Instead, you need to relax your body-mind, bring it back from its insecure space and let the heart bloom.

This is achieved as your upper body strengthens up, your heart gets lifted, and the deep breath intake refills the mind with energy and confidence.

This depression-breaking yoga sequence has been heart-centric at large. To center your attention more upon the heartful life force, you need to wrap up the session with a special type of meditation. Let's meditate the heartfulness way—

1. Sit relaxed with your hands and legs at ease. Be peaceful from within and loose.
2. Envision your heart as light and feel its beating existence. Go deep into realizing the heart and watch how a surge of positive energy flows within you.
3. Watchfully turn all your thoughts-turned astray in this direction.

Gradually work towards integrating this meditation in your postures. The more your heart chakra can expand and bloom, down will come the grasp of depression and dark thoughts over your mind.

Author Bio

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveller in India. He provides Yoga Teacher Training in India. He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas.

Website: https://www.rishikulyogshala.org/