How Therapeutic Yoga Can Help with Depression

How Therapeutic Yoga Can Help with Depression

How Therapeutic Yoga Can Help with Depression

STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION

Everyone feels depressed or sad at some point in their lives. Life is always changing and we all experience things that make us feel depression as an emotion. Sometimes we just need to be pointed in the right direction, skills to implement in our daily lives, or help re-prioritizing our values so we can get back on track. In these cases, we aren’t experiencing clinical depression, but temporary emotions influenced by events.

If that sadness or symptoms of depression become a pattern, are prolonged, are debilitating, and continue to worsen over time, that’s when it might meet criteria for or be diagnosed as clinical depression. If your feelings are impacting your daily functioning and you’re unable to complete tasks, ask yourself: “How have these feelings transformed over time?” and “Were more symptoms added onto my depressed mood?” If your depression has gotten worse and you are experiencing a consistent grouping of symptoms that interfere with your daily functioning, it may be an indication of a possible diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Being diagnosed with depression depends on the severity, duration, and frequency of the symptoms you are experiencing. Symptoms of depression can include feeling fatigued or lethargic, having low motivation, the inability to perform daily tasks, low energy, indecisiveness, a feeling of a cloud /fog hanging over your head, physical and mental exhaustion, excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, irritability, feeling helpless, no longer being interested in activities you used to enjoy, insomnia or sleeping all day long, or social isolation. It’s important to remember that not everyone experiences all of these and individuals express depression differently. Don’t compare yourself to others – not everyone follows the same recipe for depression. If you are unsure if what you are experiencing is depression, it’s still important to reach out for help. Whether you are experiencing temporary sadness as a result of a life change or long-term depression, I’m here to help. Contact me to learn more about how therapy can lift the fog and help you live a purposeful life.

 

WHAT IS THERAPEUTIC YOGA?

Therapeutic yoga for emotional healing is used as a supplemental treatment to traditional psychotherapy. Through breathwork and postures, it is used to create a mind-body connection, and help people with depression to gradually and slowly shift and lift energy levels. It aims to create an energy shift within you that might be energizing or uplifting to assist with potentially feeling rejuvenated, as opposed to using yoga intended for relaxation (or for a downward energy shift) that might be more useful for anxiety healing. Therapeutic yoga for emotional healing is a process that includes a mindful, “here-and-now” approach to enhance your concentration and energy while nurturing hope, acceptance, and self-forgiveness. Together, we’ll work towards lifting that dark cloud over your mind, and get you back in touch with yourself and your surroundings. You’ll stop living in the past and start being present, bringing back your awareness to now, not what was. In therapeutic yoga, there are no expectations for how you should feel, what you should be experiencing, or how you should be changing. Whatever you are experiencing in the moment is what you nurture since this process is all about honoring your body and it’s needs.

 

LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF

As you learn to read your body and trust your inner wisdom, you’ll gain back a sense of control and be able to better regulate your emotions. Therapeutic yoga for emotional healing teaches you to love your body exactly where it’s at to improve self-forgiveness, self-esteem, and self-love. When you can read your body, you’ll have more confidence in it and understand what it’s communicating to you on a daily basis. During therapeutic yoga, you’ll work through feelings of shame and self-doubt that might feed into depression. Although it’s not wrong or bad to feel sadness, grief, or depression, it’s important we don’t let these emotions control our thoughts and behavior. We can still feel a full range of emotions while staying mindful and present. Through this process, you’ll create new perspectives that are realistic, accepting, and forgiving making room for balance in all aspects of your life.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, sadness, or feel emotionally unstable, therapeutic yoga, combined with traditional psychotherapy or mental health treatment, can help lift the fog so you can see yourself and the world around you with more clarity and open opportunities for fulfillment. Contact Dr. Heather Violante today to learn more about how you can create a mind-body connection and find peace or inner serenity, or call (754) 333-1484.