Yoga is a powerful tool you can use in order to best manage your depression and anxiety. It is an effective coping skill that works well in conjunction with therapy and the implementation of a variety of healthy activities. Yoga can be practiced at a local yoga studio, your gym or in the privacy of your home. There are some amazing yoga videos and teachers out there ready to teach you how to utilize yoga in your life to bring calmness and focus.
1. It teaches you to be in the moment
Many clients seek therapy because they are either stuck in the past and feeling depressed or being too focused on the future and feeling anxious. Yoga guides you through a series of movements to help bring your focus to the here and now. In yoga, you aren’t thinking about the last move you just did and you aren’t anticipating the next move. You are focusing on the move you are doing right now. Learning to be in the moment is a skill that can help you move through your feelings of depression and anxiety.
2. It teaches you to focus on yourself
When you are in yoga class, you are never asked to look at your partner’s form. You are encouraged to make your yoga practice an internal one. You are taught to focus on your progress, not comparing yourself to anyone else in the room. By learning to focus on ourselves and not comparing our behavior, looks and material items with other people, we can learn to lead an authentic and fulfilling life.
3. It teaches you to be flexible
In yoga, you are going to stretch your muscles. You will be encouraged to stretch your muscles past the point of comfort but before it becomes painful. Can you imagine what your life would look like if you pushed past your feelings of resistance, outside of your comfort zone and right before pain in other areas of your life?Learning to be flexible is a valuable tool in overcoming depression and anxiety.
4. It teaches you to balance
Many yoga moves promote balance. By learning balance in our body, we can learn balance in our minds. Whenever I am in a yoga class and my mind is racing, I can’t do any of the balance poses. When I am able to focus my attention, I can balance by body and my mind. Bringing balance into your life can bring much happiness and joy.
5. It teaches you to relax
My favorite part of a yoga class is the last five to ten minutes called shavasana. Sometimes this is the hardest part of the class. You are asked to lie quietly, both in mind and body, and regroup. It can be the most relaxing part of the class. By incorporating relaxation into your life, you can better learn to manage your feelings.
Are you ready to try a yoga class today? Remember, we must go outside of our normal range of behaviors and feelings, to that place where it is uncomfortable but not painful, and embrace life.
Yoga is the perfect way to put that into practice.
Namaste
Amanda Patterson, LMHC, CAP , Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counseling Association, decided to become a therapist while attending Nova Southeastern University. She saw the need to help people achieve the life they wanted to live, while creating a life of her own. She completed her master’s in Mental Health Counseling and started a career in the juvenile justice arena. Amanda has been a therapist for ten years and has a private practice in Wellington, Florida, specializing in depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and substance abuse in teenagers and young adults. Amanda is a believer in holistic treatment and she practices veganism, meditation and yoga in her life. Find out more about her practice here.
To schedule an appointment, call or text Amanda at 954-378-5381 or email her at amanda@amandapattersonlmhc.
