Can you use yoga for self-control? Depression is considered a clinical disease of great severity.
Depression is much more than feeling sadness some days, since they are feelings that remain present for long periods of time, persist and even interfere with the development of daily activities.
It can be described as a feeling of unhappiness, sadness, melancholy.
Depression is a very serious illness, and it is more common than it seems. It can affect both physically and mentally and can therefore influence the way you think and feel.
Depression can lead people to withdraw from friends, family, work or school. It can even lead to other symptoms such as anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and lack of interest in various activities.
Most of us have experienced at least once an intense sadness, and this is completely normal; what is not normal is to feel sad continuously for a time longer than two weeks, since these cases should be chosen to seek help.
Therefore feeling sad is normal, but depression is not.
Depression is a disorder in the brain and can be caused by a variety of factors, including biological, genetic, psychological and environmental factors.
All people of all ages can suffer from depression, although it is usually more common for it to begin in young people or young adults, and it is much more common for women to suffer from it than men.
Symptoms of depression
There are many symptoms of depression, however, each person manifests different symptoms, because while there are individuals who have only few symptoms, there are others who have many. The most common symptoms of depression are as follows:
– The main symptom is sadness, although this type of sadness is different from those normally experienced, since it presents these characteristics: it is of a greater intensity than expected for the circumstance the person is going through, the individual manifests that it is a sadness different from those he has had in past experiences, in addition to the fact that he is more prone to lose control and it is complicated for him to get motivated.
– Slow movements, little gesticulation on the face and body, irritable mood, feeling tired, crying easily, fear of making decisions, decreased appetite.
– *Difficulty sleeping, although this tends to happen especially in very serious depressions. What happens is that people manage to sleep properly in the first few hours but then wake up and fail to fall asleep again.
– It is difficult for them to think, although this is not something that happens only in depression but also in other types of illness. For example, older adults who have the difficulty thinking that is characteristic of depression often misdiagnose it as dementia.
– Headaches, general pain, stomach problems
– Having a pessimistic mind increases the feeling of guilt for actions taken in the past. There are cases in which such pessimistic thoughts go to an extreme, becoming even illogical.
– Thoughts that are related to death, such as believing that one would be better off dead, can even lead to suicidal thoughts.
Yoga for self-control
Understanding why yoga for self-control is a good option for fighting depression can be a bit complicated, since when people are depressed they have no desire to do almost anything, however, practicing yoga can be very beneficial for depressed people.
Practicing yoga for self-control goes far beyond the benefits it can bring physically, since it benefits the mind and spirit equally.
To practice this discipline facilitates that the person can know itself better in the different scopes (mental and corporal), also it makes possible until the exploration of the deepest of the being; and this is possible with the accomplishment of postures and the breathing.
With yoga for self-control it is possible to achieve a harmony in the ideas, way of behaving, in the memory, the systems of the body and in the spirit; therefore a great peace can be felt when a connection between all the mentioned is achieved.
Yoga can even regulate the levels of dopamine and serotonin, increase the flow of blood and in the brain and allow the release of endorphins. All this together helps to improve the mood naturally.
Yoga for self-control helps you relax and feel calm, counteracts stress and anxiety so that it is easier to find peace of mind and emotions.
Asanas to decrease depression
1) Balasana: Also known as the child position, it is a yoga posture against depression that can give you a lot of tranquility; you can take advantage of the silence of the environment to perform this asana that is very simple to execute, the only thing you have to do is sit on a surface that is comfortable and then lean your body forward.
2) Janu Sirsasana: To perform this posture you have to sit on the floor, bend your left leg sideways and bring your heel closer to your perineum. When you place your foot, the instep should touch the floor and the sole of the foot should press against the right thigh. Afterwards, you have to breathe in and raise your arms above your head and with your hands together, now you have to breathe out and when you do so you lean forward and lower your arms.
If possible, grab the toes of your right leg, otherwise grab your ankle. When you are in this position, lower your head and hold the position for 30 seconds, then repeat it but with the opposite leg.
3) Setu Bandha Sarvangasana: It is ideal to fight depression, this position is also known as the bridge position because when you perform it the legs, hips and back are raised to make a shape similar to a bridge.
To be able to perform this posture you have to lie down, stretch your arms keeping them close to your body.
Then, you bend your knees and rest the soles of your feet on the floor, keeping a distance of approximately 30 cm between them. Afterwards, you hold your ankles with your hands and breathe in, progressively raising your hips and back from the floor.
When your back is already raised, you have to arch your spine so that you can raise your hips more. This position must be maintained for 30 seconds.
This other extraordinary publication «Facial Yoga: Great Benefits You Can’t Miss» may interest you.
I hope you liked the publication of this article emphasizing «Yoga for Self-Control: Excellent Tool». You can share your opinions and experiences with me in the comments section.