Depression and sadness can be consuming. It seems as if everything shuts down. The body stiffens and fatigues. Movement is difficult and hurts.
Depression and inertia can be secondary to disease, illness, or to faulty physiological mechanisms from anemia to hormones to cancers and endocrine imbalances. A physical or mental event can trigger the downward spiral. The relationship between inertia and movement, depression and fatigue seems uncontrollable.
Emotional Depression and Initiating a Movement Practice
Once medical clearance validates a lack of concrete cause for depression, acknowledging the state is a step toward resolving it. Recognizing something is wrong is important. Those who have a lack of movement solely from emotional depression might note the following steps.
- Set a date to begin a gentle yoga class.
- Personally commit to the date and class.
- Enter the class, pay for a single session to alleviate stress of paying for potential classes that may not be attended.
- Acknowledge the discomfort of moving after prolonged sitting or lying down.
- Plan a second class.
- Set a goal to speak to someone - anyone - at the next class.
- Take a walk near home.
- Advance to walk at the mall. Sit on a bench at the mall using a prop such as a cup of coffee to watch people.
- Plan the next yoga class.
- Plan what to wear to the class. This is future planning.
- Arrive early. Be seen.
- Think about signing up for a series of classes but don’t do this yet.
The idea is to gradually re-enter a group of people performing a routine set of movements in a non-stressful environment.
Movements for the Depressed Body
The sad body is tired and sluggish. Movement is a way of releasing emotionally imprisoned energy. There are many schools of thought for initiating movement. Feldenkrais will re-educate the brain pattern through movement, reawakening dormant body expression. The Alexander technique is slightly more hands on, guiding the body into movement and natural expression and balance. Yoga will help focus and breathe through a movement to gently heal the body. Yoga can relax the mental stress of depression.
The frontal lobe of the brain works on consciousness and mood and focus. Following noncompetitive movements of yoga in a pattern of postures allows the brain to focus on the repetition and ease of eventually moving within the boundaries of the individual’s capabilities. The quietness of the yoga studio and dim lights ease the body into a comfort zone of movement.
Simple Yoga Postures to Awaken the Depressed, Sad Body. Yoga as Therapy
Repeated use of muscles allows the brain to become familiar with the movement and adapt (muscle memory). Mental and physical practice change the body and the mind.
- Sitting in relaxed lotus with closed eyes among a group of students allows nonpressured group participation along with awareness of the body in space. This is a modified awakening for the depressed body.
- Inversions where the head is down beneath the heart improve circulation and tease the muscles into toning. Stand in mountain pose (straight up) and forward bend, hands to floor, look up to monkey, straight back, before rising again to mountain. This flexion and extension can be part of the flow to Downward Dog, another inversion that is a resting place for deep breathing.
- Seated Spinal Twist, Matsyendrasana, can take the body of out of its cramped sad tightness while stretching the tightened fibers and muscles. This is a position where one leg crosses over the other and the the body turns to the side while pressing against that knee. It is repeated and held on both sides. See the photo below.
Yoga can rebalance the body making it aware of itself in space. Emotions and muscles are connected in performing the postures.
Mental practice reorganizes the brain. At the end of each class, thank the self for being there. Sometimes, the hardest part of yoga is simply showing up for class.
Sources:
American Journal of Dance Therapy,Affective change in dance therapy, Loughlin E. 5, 56-64.. (1993).
Smits,Jasper A. J.;Otto, Michael W Exercise for Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Workbook Oxford University Press,
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF YOGATHERAPY Integrated Movement Therapy™: Yoga-BasedTherapy 12 (2002) 71
Time Magazine, "How the Body Rewires Itself," Jan 19,2007.
Amy Andersen - Amy Andersen, MSN, ARNP, family & pediatrics certified, practices yoga and explores the inter-relationships of mind body fitness and ...
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