Yoga for depression — we know yoga is a great practice for staying connected as well as supporting overall mental health. Yoga teacher and mindfulyogahealth contributor, Jessica Bellofatto put together this sequence of 5 yoga poses for depression.
Downward facing dog
Good ole’ dog pose…truly a cure all. Having the head below the heart makes this pose an inversion, and inversions relax and soothe the nervous system, as well as shift our perspective. When you think of how many times we downward dog, this could be the main pose to use when thinking about yoga for depression.
Plank
From downdog, shift forward to Plank Pose. I included it here because it is an extremely empowering and grounding pose. Straight arms, straight legs, strong belly lifting towards the spine. Yes, a little more challenging, so be easy on yourself and another great pose as we look to yoga for depression.
Cobra
Lower from Plank to your belly and stretch forward into cobra. Backbends are anti-depressant poses. They open the heart and facilitate the breath.
Pigeon
Opening up the hips and pelvis allows us to breathe down into our legs and feet, grounding and stabilizing the emotions.
Goddess Pose
We are all goddesses. Close your eyes and feel yourself to be perfect, whole, and complete.
Sit up, find a comfortable seat and say this mantra: Lokah Samastah Sukhinoh Bhavantu. This beautiful mantra translates to, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, including MYSELF.” Repeat it to yourself or out loud in Sanskrit or English and rest in that vibration.
Depression is now so prevalent in our culture, breathing and connecting are great ways to combat the feeling of isolation that technology can create. We love yoga for many things here at mindfulyogahealth – and we’re thankful that Jessica has guided us through these 5 really beautiful poses if you’re looking to use yoga for depression.