Modified yoga relieves depression and anxiety
I have been teaching yoga for twenty-two years. I got into yoga at the time because I was suicidal, not just depressed. During that period of time, my mood was so low that I started constantly daydreaming about killing myself. My friend dragged me to my first yoga class and insisted that yoga would help me with my emotions. I resisted saying, “How can yoga help with your emotions?” I had done other exercisesand other fitness classes. She was a runner, played volleyball, basketball, tennis and did all kinds of physical exercises. She launched me into weights, sit-ups and sit-ups. She was plagued with worry, guilt, anger, insomnia, depression, and sadness. Nothing had helped my mood, until yoga. Yoga Really saved my life. Now twenty-two years later; I am a dedicated yoga teacher, with a passion to motivate, those who are; depressed or suicidal; and I urge you to come, to experience, the yoga difference.
From the first class I tried, yoga was difficult for me. The poses weren’t that hard to follow, but my hamstrings, hips, and back muscles were very tight, and the stretch hurt. The breath was the opposite of the breath in the exercise, where you exhale, through the mouth, to maintain the power of the exercise. In yoga, by comparison, you breathe continuously through your nose. You take deep breaths that expand your belly and sometimes hold your breath for several seconds. I was determined to crack yoga.
The movements were slow and reflexive. The repetitions of the movement felt monotonous. Yoga worked on your strength, and you had to hold poses, such as downward facing dog, plank pose, or inversion pose, for several looonnngggg times.
Why Modified Yoga Works to Relieve Depression and Anxiety I feel like it’s a combination of elements. First, Modified is an easier yoga class than a regular beginner class. I share myself personally and encourage clients to do exactly what everyone else can do in my class. There is an acceptance and spirituality that is present in a restorative or modified yoga class. The space itself is very relaxing and not intimidating.
Yoga teaches you to live fully in the present moment. To do the poses well, concentration, strength, balance, and will are required to complete the pose. If your mind wanders, you may lose your balance and fall. Plain and simple. Slow breathing brings in more oxygen which then cleanses your organs, such as the liver, which contain negative emotions, such as pain and anger. Breathing and postures are performed specifically to clear the stomach of gas and stimulate blood flow. Inverted poses bring a flow of blood to your brain, which stimulates and revitalizes your brain, your skin, your lungs, and helps alter your mood. The poses; open your torso and hips, which makes your heart open. When you change your physiology, from your reserve position, from a closed, tense and seemingly protected position, to a more open position, your body begins to play tricks on your mind. Oh, if I’m standing like this, I must not be depressed. If my chest is up and my arms are outstretched, maybe I’m happy, at least not sad.
In the present moment, if you really stay there, during the yoga posture, you realize that there is nothing in your life that is happening right now. You are perfectly fine. If you snap your fingers; that snap is how fast a present moment passes. There is nothing worrying, or requiring your immediate attention, no distracting voices in your head telling you that you are worthless. It is just that you are aware and do a moderate and focused yoga posture.
Another element in a modified yoga class that helps relieve depression is meditation. In almost all my yoga classes I put meditation. Meditation, if practiced, helps clients stay in the present moment and also allows them to feel loved, cared for, and there. it is a safe place inside. There are many different types of meditation, including color meditation, question and answer meditation, open-eyes meditation, etc.
In the beginning, yoga requires a lot of focus and discipline. Modified yoga is a discipline, but it’s easier than a normal strenuous mat class. You practice the postures and breathing, and you practice NOT punishing yourself and allowing yourself to accept that you are not perfect. When you develop in yoga, your confidence also develops. Somewhere along the way, you realize, it wasn’t that long ago, that you couldn’t do some strength and conditioning, yoga poses, and now you can. You may not have had much luck with your balance before and now you stand on one foot for 1 minute or more.
The really important thing about a modified yoga class, since it is not as difficult as power yoga, is that all the worldPrayed almost everyone can do some form of modified yoga. I have modified the mat and modified chair. You experience acceptance and not rejection, which makes you feel better about yourself. Self-acceptance is a very important element in eliminating depression and anxiety.
Self-acceptance allows you to recognize that you are not perfect and therefore you don’t have to DO everything perfect. You don’t have to claim responsibility for the happiness of others, or their choices, which lead them to the unfulfilled place in their lives. So if you are struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts right now, seek help. A little advice can really help, and go to a restorative or modified yoga class. Not a yoga class, where everyone is super competitive, or the teacher pushes you past your limit. You have to go to a class, feel accepted and honored and respected, and really encouraged to do, just what you can do, and whatever ability or flexibility you come with, you will be encouraged. That class will be a transformative class for you! If you give it a chance, a modified yoga class together with that positive yoga teacher can help you get rid of depression and anxiety.
