My Yoga & Meditation Challenge For Better Mental Health

By Avion Anderson

Today is the first day of my week long yoga and meditation challenge. I have taken this upon myself to pursue as part of my holistic self-management approach. It will help me deal with my bipolar disorder and to ward off my anxiety and depressive state of mind.

It might or might not work.

Trying Other Ways To Deal With My Mental Health

I have heard that yoga allay depression by calming our nervous system, decreasing heart rate, lowering blood pressure. It also helps one to have deep and slow breathing and relaxing muscles. Yoga can also boosts our brain’s dopamine level and provides endorphins, which I am all for that.

I am not much of a fitness lover. My only form of exercise is running and/or walking up and down my hill. I had also heard that yoga combined with meditation is easy and a piece of cake. It is my hope my mind and body can take it. I am still debating whether or not to attend that new psychologist session. After that hasty and psychopathic therapy incident, I am still undecided. So I am trying other ways to deal with my mental health.

Yoga Poses Look Easy

I went to bed around two o’clock this morning and woke up at five o’clock. Then I tried to do some push-ups, did about five, found that was enough. I never owned or bought a yoga mat, so I took a small rug and also a beach towel from my bedroom.

Outside is bright and would work well for me, so I am also taking my laptop with me. I am hoping to find some yoga programs on YouTube, or some yoga sites, which I have found. Wow, those yoga poses does not look easy.

Types of Yoga Poses to Try

There are about twenty yoga poses to help anxiety and depression. They can be used as an adjunct to other treatments, as they say that an individual with depression cannot depend on yoga alone. I think that I am going to stick to with some of the “asanas.”

The types I feel will help me conquer my depression are:

Sukhasana — Deep breathing with folded hands. This oxygenates our entire body and boosts our metabolism. It controls temper and allows the mind to focus.

Pranayam — Breathe in deeply through your nostrils and feel your diaphragm move downwards as the lungs expand . This allows more air to come in and collar bones to rise. And then slowly breathe out and feel your collar bones drop, lungs collapse and chest deflate. This disciplines our mind and calms and uplifts our soul.

Savasana (Corpse Pose) — Lie in savasana for five minutes. In savasana, lie on your back and keep your legs apart. Your arms should be resting beside your body and eyes should be closed. Focus on your entire body, this way your entire body will be able to relax.

Allow tension, worries, stress to escape from your body. Keep the muscles relaxed and give your body a much needed break.

Cobra Pose — For Bhujangasana (Cobra pose), slide forward and raise your chest, making a cobra-like position. The shoulder should be away from the ears and the elbows can be bent. Your face should be towards the ceiling.

This awakens the fire within our soul allowing us to concentrate and focus better. It increases energy and allays anxiety as it strengthens the back.

More Poses to Try

Downward facing dog (Adho Svanasana) — To perform the Adho Svanasana, one has to be on the ground on all fours. Arms should be directly in front of the shoulders and knees below the hip. As you exhale, lift your hips up, keep the elbows and knees straight and form an inverted V with your body.

Hands should be shoulder-width apart and feet should be hip-width apart. Press the ground firmly with your hands and look at your navel while doing so. Hold the downward dog and take deep breaths. Adho svanasana helps to awaken the relaxed muscles.

It stretches and strengthens the whole of the body, allowing one to focus better. It also reduces stress and improves health.

Good for the Soul

Warrior Pose (Virbhadrasana) — In Warrior pose, stand straight and turn your right leg in the right direction and push your left leg backwards. Raise your hands and bring your palms together into a prayer position and stretch. Consequently do it with your left leg. This strengthens the core and fights anxiety and depression.

Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrikshasana) — Both the hands should be placed hand distance apart. Bring legs towards the wall, making sure they are absolutely straight. Kick one leg up and then the other. Keep your feet flexed and stretch as much as your body allows.

The focus of your eyes should be on a point in between the hands. This helps to alleviate depression and anxiety. It provides a sense of well-being. It also stretches the belly and calms the soul.

Viparit Dandasana (Chair backbend) — Place a blanket on the folding chair. Sit on the folding chair with your knees bent. Lower your back gradually. Keep in mind that the shoulder blades are not supposed to touch the folded chair. Only the part below your shoulder blades should be resting on the chair.

Straighten your legs and with your hands, hold the back legs of your chair. This pose placates our mind and body. It improves posture by boosting flexibility. It also increases tolerance and strengthens the core.

Uttanasana (standing forward fold) — In uttanasana, stand upright with your feet and shoulder parallel to each other and wide apart. Now breathe out and bend forwards, your hands tightly wrapped around your thighs and your face facing your thighs.

Try to straighten your leg and lift your hip up as much as you can. Uttanasana improves digestion and flexibility. It helps to alleviate anxiety and depression. It relaxes our nerves, soothes our soul and pacifies our mind.

Take the Yoga Challenge

For the others I would need to seek a professional yoga instructor. I don’t think that my mind and body would be able to do all those yoga poses, or even apply them to my daily routine. Those mentioned above look easy to start and which I am planning to incorporate into my daily routine. This way I can see if they help. After this week, I will see what happens.

If you are interested in taking a yoga and meditation challenge, it’s not too late to start. So, why not take that yoga challenge today?

Reproduced with permission, originally posted on avionneslegacy

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