I have been teaching yoga for twenty-two years. I got into yoga at that time because I was suicidal, not just depressed. During that period of time, my mood was so low that I began constantly daydreaming about committing suicide. 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 threw me into weights, crunches, and crunches. She was plagued with worry, guilt, anger, insomnia, depression, and sadness. Nothing had helped my mood, until yoga. Yoga truly saved my life. Now twenty-two years later; I am a dedicated yoga teacher, with a passion for motivating those who are; depressed or suicidal; and I urge you to come, 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 stretching 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. He was determined to crack yoga.
Movements were slow and thoughtful. The repetitions of the movement felt monotonous. Yoga worked on your strength, and you had to hold poses, such as downward-facing dog, plank, or inversion, for several looonnngggg times.
Why does modified yoga work to relieve depression and anxiety? I feel like it’s a combination of elements. First, modified is an easier yoga class than a normal beginner class. I share myself personally and encourage clients to do exactly what everyone in my class can do. 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 requires concentration, strength, balance, and the will 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 grief and anger. The breathing and postures are done specifically to clear the stomach of gas and stimulate blood flow. Inverted poses bring blood flow to your brain, which stimulates and revitalizes your brain, skin, 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 trick your mind. Oh, if I’m standing like this, I must not be depressed. If my chest is high 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 quickly a present moment passes. There is nothing worrisome, or requiring your immediate attention, no distracting voices, in your head, telling you that you are worthless. It’s just that you are aware and do a moderate and focused yoga posture.
Another element in a modified yoga class that helps alleviate 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 that they are loved, cared for, and there. is a safe place inside. There are many different types of meditation, including color meditation, question and answer meditation, open-eyed meditation, and so on.
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 the 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 everyonePrayed almost everyone can do some form of modified yoga. I have modified the mat and the 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 do not 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 currently struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, 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 beyond your limit. You have to go to a class, where you feel accepted and honored and respected, and really encouraged to do, only what you can do, and whatever ability or flexibility you come in with, they will encourage you. That class will be a transformational class for you! If you give it a chance, a modified yoga class together with that positive yoga teacher can help you eliminate depression and anxiety.