Spring has begun, which means that people with an unstable psyche may experience exacerbations of seasonal spring depression associated with:
- with vitamin deficiency;
- serotonin deficiency, deepened during winter;
- chronic diseases, also worsening in the spring.
You can, of course, try to avoid attacks with the help of antidepressants, but there is nothing worse than the habit of stimulating your mental state and mood with pills. You can get used to medications, and then there will be eternal dependence on them and a further deepening of depression if you give up stimulants.
There are more effective and simpler, and most importantly useful, methods to stay in a great mood without destroying your health.
These physical exercises cure depression because they stimulate the production of endorphin (a hormone produced by the pituitary gland) and the neurotransmitter hormone serotonin. They give people feelings of joy, pleasure and happiness.
How to Identify Symptoms of Depression
To determine if you are depressed or just in a bad mood, look to see if you have the following symptoms:
- Constant fatigue and low energy (you get tired quickly).
- Poor memory, inability to concentrate and make decisions.
- Increased levels of anxiety and restlessness (constantly feeling like something terrible is going to happen).
- Pessimism and hopelessness (you are sure that everything will be bad).
- You constantly feel guilty and lack self-confidence.
- Apathy towards everything (not interested in films, books, entertainment, sports and sex).
- Something constantly hurts: headaches and digestive disorders are especially common).
- You have bulimia (overeating) or, conversely, an aversion to food.
- Sometimes I have thoughts of suicide.
- Sudden mood swings (from complete depression to euphoria)
Exercise against depression
But let's start with yoga.
"Exercise against depression"
Exercise is the most effective treatment for depression and anxiety disorders.
1. Slow inhalation and exhalation. To begin, take a slow breath, counting to 4, then when you count to 4, hold your breath for 5-6 seconds and exhale slowly. Repeat this exercise 5 – 6 times. You can also do this exercise before bed to make it easier to fall asleep later.
2. “Breathing” with the stomach.
The first thing to do is sit in a position that is comfortable for you. Straighten your back and lift your chin slightly up.
Take a slow, full breath in through your nose, filling your stomach first and then your chest. Hold your breath for a moment.
Then, as you exhale, first relax and lower your chest, and then slightly draw in your stomach. Perform 10–15 cycles, while trying to inhale as deeply as possible.
3. Inhale and exhale through different nostrils.
Take a relaxing pose and close your eyes. This exercise is very simple.
Plug your left nostril with your finger and inhale through the right, hold your breath and exhale through the left, while plugging the right nostril. Then keep your right nostril closed and inhale through your left nostril.
After inhaling through the left nostril, exhale through the right nostril, while closing the left nostril. Repeat this exercise several times.
It is not recommended to do this exercise before bed.
Yoga is the best remedy for depression
It would be hard to call it simply exercise. This is a way of life and worldview built on contemplation, inner peace, and dissolution in the space of the Universe.
By charging with the energy of the cosmos, plunging into yourself and dissolving at the same time, you are distracted from vain thoughts, and all troubles cease to exist.
In addition to philosophy and spirituality, yoga is an excellent training and healing tool:
- Static exercises, regardless of their complexity, are practiced for spinal hernia, arthrosis, arthritis and are relatively safe (unless you immediately try to tie yourself in a knot).
- The concentration with which you need to learn asanas and depression are simply incompatible.
Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)
Try to learn this asana called Vrikshasana (tree) first.
In the picture below you can see this pose:
It is important to maintain balance in it, which is completely impossible if your head is filled with depressive thoughts or everyday nonsense.
To avoid falling if you lose your balance, perform the exercise with your side to the wall.
Mentally imagine:
- roots stretch down from the supporting foot, materializing unity with the power of the earth, strength and balance;
- hands are branches that straighten the trunk (spine), symbolizing growth and upward gravity;
- our fingertips are leaves that feed on the life-giving energy that the Universe gives us: it saturates us from our tips to our very roots.
Feel the reverse movement of this energy (prana) from the branches (arms) along the trunk (spine) to the roots (foot).
Breathing in Vrikshasana pose should be as follows:
- When taking the asana, inhalation is combined with stretching the spine and raising the arms.
- exhale is directed down to the “roots”: with it we press our feet to the floor and lengthen our fingers.
You need to hold the pose for five cycles of breathing (one cycle - inhale-exhale), then perform the asana, changing the supporting leg.
Gradually the number of cycles can be increased.
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
If Vrikshasana fails, start with the preparatory asana - Tadasana (mountain pose):
- Stand straight, bringing your feet together parallel, straining your toes as if they were growing into the floor, and pulling your kneecaps up.
- Straighten your spine and pull your stomach in
- There should not be a strong arch in the back with the lower back moving forward.
- Three options for hand position: lower along the body,
- extend forward with palms up;
- fold in front of you in a Hindu and Buddhist prayer position (namaste) - in this position it is best to ask the Universe (Shiva, Buddha or Jesus Christ) for healing from depression.
Breathing in yoga
It is important to always breathe correctly when performing exercises if you want to master not just “naked” yoga (its physical backbone), but a complex of everything (physical exercise, mental state and proper breathing), that is, hatha yoga.
Breathing in yoga is generally given great importance - it is a source of energy. There is a whole science called pranayama, which teaches full breathing (upper, middle and abdominal).
Unlike real yogis, we breathe mostly shallowly (only with upper breathing), and also through the mouth, which is fundamentally wrong, as it leads to the development of adenoids and thyroid problems (breathing through the mouth is the same as eating through the nose).
- Shallow breathing in those who constantly sit - in general, this is how most Europeans breathe.
- Medium breathing is considered more complete - it is used by those who are accustomed not to sit, but to physically work and move.
- Abdominal (diaphragm) breathing is instinctively used in a state of sleep or when leaving a musty room into fresh air - and healthy people and athletes constantly breathe with it.
You need to master pranayama in relaxation asanas, for example, Shavasana (corpse pose).
Shavasana pose
This pose is practiced at the end of the day (preferably before bed).
- You need to lie on your back, spread your legs and arms slightly to the sides (hands with palms up).
- We just relax and focus on breathing fully, without thinking about anything else.
- Breathing can be carried out, for example, according to the formula 4 - 7 - 8 (the given formula is not from pranayama): inhale for four counts (do not go all the way, leave a little reserve in the lungs);
- at seven - holding your breath;
- at eight - exhale.
Relaxation and deep sleep will soon follow.
Just don’t overdo it so as not to turn into a real corpse:
- start with one minute, gradually increasing the duration of classes to 10 - 15 minutes.
The following video gives an idea of full breathing in yoga:
Video: Full breathing.
Attention: Doing pranayama breathing exercises on your own can be life-threatening!
How can breathing exercises help with neuroses?
Breathing exercises for neuroses allow the patient to additionally influence the causes of functional disorders of the brain without the use of any medications. It is important to understand that this way of influencing the disease can only be done in combination with other treatment methods, the course of which should be prescribed only by a doctor.
How are neuroses treated?
So that you do not think that breathing practices alone can achieve the desired effect, get rid of neurosis at the initial or severe stage, let us turn to how this pathology is treated. If the neurosis is at the initial stage, pain is moderate, then doctors limit themselves to the following treatment:
- The patient is required to strictly adhere to the daily routine; during the day he should sleep at least 8 hours at night with a recommended daytime sleep of 0.5-2 hours;
- conversations are held with his family and friends and with him, the purpose of which is to eliminate the reasons that caused emotional overstrain;
- physical and breathing sets of exercises and procedures are performed, the purpose of which is a general strengthening effect on the patient’s body;
- regular and prolonged stay in the fresh air, long walks;
- autogenic training, which the patient conducts independently or with the help of a specialist.
The patient undergoes treatment without being in the hospital. Medicines are practically not used at this stage. Limited to herbal teas and oils.
But if the disease does not go away and goes into a severe stage, as indicated by increased pain, then the patient is admitted to a hospital. From this point on, his treatment changes radically.
Now the doctor prescribes psychotherapy, tranquilizers and antidepressants to the patient.
What does this treatment show? That neurosis is a serious disease that cannot be cured with one pill or a few breaths. And at the initial stage of neurosis, breathing and physical exercises are one of the treatment methods. However, this method is not the main one.
What is more important is that the patient begins to comply with the regime, and that the factors causing his emotional overstrain are eliminated. Walking, physical and breathing exercises for neuroses, autogenic training are of great importance in curing a patient with neurasthenia.
But without proper rest, which would contribute to the complete mental recovery of the patient, without eliminating the source that causes his emotional distress, these methods will be ineffective.
How do breathing exercises have a healing effect on a patient with neurasthenia? Let us turn to the advice that doctors give to patients experiencing symptoms called “neurasthenic helmet”.
They have a painful sensation that their head seems to be tied with a rubber band and they continue to tighten it. To get rid of these symptoms or ease them, it is recommended to massage the head with your fingers or a massage brush.
As a result of these actions, blood flow to the muscles increases, they relax, relieving spasm.
Breathing exercises help improve blood circulation throughout the body, including the brain. But they achieve a greater effect than with self-massage:
- By forcing blood to move throughout the body, and not just in the head, exercises can better relieve pain, and the achieved effect lasts longer.
- With the help of breathing exercises, more oxygen enters the blood, which improves the functioning of the brain and all other body systems.
- Focusing on breathing exercises allows you to relieve mental stress and get rid, even temporarily, of emotional experiences.
- In combination with physical exercise, it allows you to release the hormone of joy - endorphin - into the blood, which lifts your mood and allows you to experience pleasant emotions.
For example, performing breathing practices in a static position, when the whole body is at rest and only inhalations and exhalations are performed, forces the muscles of the body to remain in a tense state. The number of calories burned when performing them is even greater than with dynamic exercises.
The exerciser requires a lot of effort, which provokes the release of endorphins. Such practices allow you to achieve a good psychophysical state. The patient who deals with them stops thinking about the disease, because the symptoms appear less and less.
But thanks to these exercises, the work of all internal organs and tissues becomes more active. The patient's health is strengthened comprehensively.
Before moving on to the exercises, you need to master the breathing technique. To do this, sit or stand so that your back is straight. Shut your mouth. You need to breathe through your nose. Take a deep breath, and feel that the air penetrates through the respiratory organs into the stomach, stretching it as much as possible. The main thing is not only to imagine that the stomach is stretching. It should really stretch.
As soon as the abdomen has reached its maximum volume, imagine that air begins to fill the areas located above.
As a result of this, the area in the area of the lower ribs begins to fill with air, thereby trying to push these ribs to the sides.
After it is filled with air, which makes further movement of the ribs to the sides impossible, begin to fill the area of the chest with air, which begins to expand to its maximum limits.
Having reached the maximum, hold your breath for a few seconds and begin to exhale. It must be done in reverse order. First, the air comes out of the chest, and lastly - from the abdominal cavity. This type of breathing is called full, and you need to practice it.
Most modern people are accustomed to breathing through chest breathing, when only the chest space is filled with air. This breathing is shallow and significantly limits a person’s physical capabilities.
In the East it is called the breath of sick people. Practice the full breathing technique several dozen times. If this makes you feel dizzy, that's normal.
This is how your body reacts to the supply of large amounts of oxygen.
Try to exercise in the fresh air or ventilate the room and stand near a window. Stand up straight and begin to inhale while raising your arms up. Finish raising your arms by bringing them together above your head. Stay in this position for 5-10 seconds and, starting to exhale, lower your arms down. Repeat arm raises 3-5 times.
Spread your legs wide. As you inhale, raise your arms in front of you to shoulder level, and then spread them to the sides. Palms facing down. Holding your inhalation at its maximum point, tilt your body left and right as far as your flexibility allows. When bending, your legs should not move.
After bending 2-3 times, exhale sharply through your mouth while lowering your arms. You immediately want to inhale. Inhale, raising your arms again and repeating the exercise 3-5 to 10-12 times.
Take a lying position on your stomach. With your palms on the floor, lift your torso and bend your back. In this position, perform 5-7 cycles of full breathing. From this position, take a lying position, hold for 5-10 seconds and return back. Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.
Stand opposite a wall, rest your arms against it with your arms extended at shoulder level. Begin full breathing while slowly bending your arms. As soon as you touch your forehead to the wall, sharply straighten your arms and return to the starting position, exhaling sharply through your mouth. Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.
Stand up straight, relax your legs, placing your hands on your waist. Take a deep breath and hold the final position for a few seconds. As you exhale, gently bend forward. Bend over as much as possible, begin to take a deep breath, raising your body to the starting position. Repeat the exercise from 3-4 to 7-8 times.
The exercises are easy to learn, easy to perform and do not require special preparation.
You can, after consulting with your doctor, add other options for yoga exercises or other breathing practices.
Source: https://1popshiatrii.ru/nevroz/dyxatelnaya-gimnastika-pri-nevrozax.html
The role of respiration and CO2 in the occurrence of depression
The main danger of shallow breathing is that it leads to CO2 deficiency in the body.
People mistakenly believe that the more often and deeply they inhale, the more oxygen will be in the blood, which means it is better. In fact, carbon dioxide CO2 is tens of times more useful than oxygen (O2 is just an energy drink):
- he is the source of life (that same prana);
- responsible for the regulation of metabolic processes and the production of hormones;
- dilates blood vessels;
- calms the nervous system;
- synthesizes essential amino acids, etc.
(It turns out that plants feed on carbon dioxide for good reason?)
Lack of CO2 leads to disruption of all biochemical processes, including... oxygen starvation. Thus, hypoxia occurs both with increased and decreased levels of CO2 in the blood.
After physical exercise, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood increases. This is why any depression recedes after a good workout, a person feels good, despite fatigue, and his mood improves.
A small excess of CO2 can lead to euphoria and hallucinations, and its critical threshold can lead to coma and clinical death. Therefore, independent breathing exercises, whether according to the yoga system or the Buteyko method, are always dangerous, since they are based precisely on the saturation of the blood with carbon dioxide.
(The famous Buteyko method is an unconventional method of treating asthma using a special breathing system, used all over the world).
Why does fitness or bodybuilding save you from depression?
Not everyone can do yoga: they require preparation and an appropriate attitude. However, even simple visits to the gym have a magical effect. The main thing is to get motivated:
- eradicate spinal pathologies;
- improve your figure and body;
- pump up the muscles of the legs, arms or abdomen;
- correct the shape of the hips or buttocks;
- banish cellulite and turn into nothing but solid muscles;
- learn to do 100 push-ups;
- master stretching (splits), etc.
Goals can be completely different. And even if there are no strategic goals, but just the thought of taking a break from work and everyday life and coming to work out to music among positive, physically active people, the main goal (victory over depression) will be achieved.
The explanation why bodybuilding saves you from depression is simple:
Bodybuilders are a kind of maniacs: they care about muscle definition so much that every extra centimeter they gain fills them with a feeling of happiness. A powerful release of endorphins plus an increased level of CO2 after a workout can destroy any depression in the bud.
Getting adequate sleep and other treatments
Harvard researchers advise using medications for depression only in the most severe cases. The study of this issue has shown that physical activity has a very strong effect and works on a par with antidepressant pills.
But new research conducted by US scientists shows that exercise affects people differently and it also helps with depression at different levels. More than 1000 people who are students of higher educational institutions took part in the study of the issue. To study the information, scientists needed data on the quality and quantity of hours of sleep, physical activity and the level of depression in the patients. Data were taken for each gender group separately.
Other remedies for depression
Nutrition
You can increase the production of serotonin with a normal diet:
- Eat more foods that are easy to digest: whole grain porridge, oatmeal, beans.
Sun and movement
If the daylight hours are short, get up as early as possible, since serotonin is produced in daylight and especially sunlight.
Running, swimming, dancing, and indeed any sports or hobbies treat depression - the main thing is movement and passion, filling life with joy and pleasure.
St. John's wort against depression
St. John's wort tea is an excellent natural remedy for depression, recognized throughout the world.
- St. John's wort increases the level of serotonin in the blood and at the same time does not have harmful side effects, like pharmaceutical antidepressants, for example, Prozac:
- Residents of Germany buy St. John's wort as a remedy for depression 20 times more often than Prozac.
- At the same time, St. John's wort has powerful bactericidal and antioxidant properties, which allows it to be used in the treatment of many infectious diseases and even cancer.
But St. John's wort also has its contraindications:
- For example, it can increase blood pressure and cause constipation with prolonged use.
- Reduces the effects of certain medications (a decrease in the effect of chemotherapy after treatment with St. John's wort is known).
Don't forget that depression is a major source of illness, so by getting rid of it, you are laying a solid foundation for your physical and mental health.
Why is depression dangerous?
The state of depression negatively affects not only the social sphere of a person’s life, but also negatively affects overall health. Depression can be the cause of a huge number of chronic diseases; it can cause exacerbation or activate sluggish and latent pathologies.
There is quality treatment for depressive conditions, but in practice, almost 50% of people diagnosed with depression cannot receive the necessary therapy because they do not turn to specialists on time or are initially given an incorrect diagnosis. In addition, many people do not consider depression to be an illness and do not take it seriously. There are people who assess the state of depression as a mental health disorder. They are embarrassed that they have this condition and do not want to be compared to mentally ill people.
Typically, for depression, specialists prescribe antidepressant medications. Even though these measures are the latest, often the simplest methods of therapy and self-control help with depression. These methods turn out to be no less effective.
