A true Yoga Practitioner cannot fall prey to Depression. A victim of depression can have a depression – free life – forever with regular Yoga Practice.
Depression is defined as being in a ‘perpetual state of sadness.’ Feeling despondent, time to time, is not unusual. In fact, mild melancholia, at times, makes us appreciate happiness more. What could be worrisome, however, is prolonged prevalence of this state, which eventually, begins to pile up in the form of emotional toxins without finding a way out. Hence, it becomes imperative to figure out the ‘transition’ where depression (supposedly short term) makes its way into habitual living.
If one contemplates on why they are feeling downcast, they would realize the main reason is the dependency one has on the external factors. For example:
- Not being beautiful enough
- Not being rich enough
- Not being influential enough
- Not being popular enough
- Not having enough friends and confidant and so on. The list can be unending.
As evident, all the aforementioned reasons are so very compelling in their own ways that, in the process of running after them, we lose touch with ‘ourselves’. Most probably, we run after something which is completely different from our own true ‘SELF.’ Bridging this gap between ‘expectation’ and ‘reality’ can bury depression forever. Yoga has the power to do that. Unifying two opposing forces, into one, is one of the goals of hatha yoga.
Role of Yoga on Gross Level
Today’s sedentary lifestyle and pressing demands are the major sources of all the lifestyle created depression. Therapeutic application of Yoga alone, wherein the dynamic movements like Suryanamaskar (eliminates the accumulated toxins from the body); the static postures with isometric movement (helps improve the muscle mass, the strength, the flexibility, the joint mobility); Pranayama (where the right breathing technique will breath out all the stress and depression) – would be able to easily deal with all kind of psychosomatic issues, which have sprouted as a result of today’s misaligned lifestyle. Following these, one can manage to lead a normal depression free life.
Yoga, in its subtlest form
Yoga, however, is not about asana & pranayama alone. It is a lifestyle. Understanding and then, following it in its entirety would make us reach our highest potential. There are various classifications of yoga. However, all the forms guide us to the same destination i.e. Self-realization.
When one reaches the stage of self-realization, one becomes self-contained. We begin to accept ourselves with our strength as well as weaknesses, devoid of any outside influence. All the external factors, responsible for depression begin to lose ground and the very source of depression is buried forever.
Complete acceptance of ‘SELF’ and complete surrender to ‘NATURE’, which comes with Yoga practice annihilates the root of depression forever.
Discover Yoga Discover Yourself
For any query, write to “Contact” on www.shammisyogalaya.com
Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.
बधाई शम्मिजी,। निसर्ग