Depression and yoga, some thoughts today on how to move into a state of possibility…
Possibility
I am not going to tackle this head on because it is a big subject, rather let you read the following description and see if it is you, or someone you know. Despair or the feeling that there is no hope or possibility is rampant in our culture, and hits people along all socio-economic lines. Doctors consider it biochemical; and there are people who can and do need medication whether long or short term. I have worked with people who want to be strong enough to go off meds, and look to yoga as alternative medicine because it gives you tools to alleviate stress, make different choices, alters brain chemistry in a positive way…and so much more including changing postural habits (like sunken chest), replacing depressive thought patterns with more optimistic ones, accessing your inner peace and strength. This affirmation is a good antidote so word of the day is “possibility”….
For clinical depression, you must have five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period, most of the day, nearly every day. At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty or tearful (in children and teens, depressed mood can appear as constant irritability)
- Significantly reduced interest or feeling no pleasure in all or most activities
- Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite (in children, failure to gain weight as expected)
- Insomnia or increased desire to sleep
- Either restlessness or slowed behavior that can be observed by others
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt
- Trouble making decisions, or trouble thinking or concentrating
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, or a suicide attempt
Rana Waxman is a registered yoga therapist ERYT-500, with 20 years of teaching experience. Rana is a freelance writer and social media expert in addition to leading yoga workshops internationally and teaching alignment focused private and group Yoga Lessons in Hoboken and Jersey City NJ.
