Depression is a term that is familiar to most of the people. Person suffer from depression in various phases of their lives due to various reasons. There are several reasons which cause depression, ranging from emotional imbalances to politics at workplace. At the end of the day, you need to fight off depression to maintain a sound body and mind. There are ten such yoga postures that enable you to maintain a good condition of your mental state of mind.
Sleep more:
The more you sleep, the more energy you get. Sleep also calms down your brain and thus reduces stress and depression.
Eat balanced diet:
Eating a balanced diet not only helps you in fighting depression but helps to maintain a healthy body free from all ailments.
Cobra pose yoga:
This is one of the important physical activities that that help to fight off depression. In order to do this pose, you have to start from the child’s pose. Now, move forward from where you had ended the pose and bend forward. Lie on the floor on the chest. Now, you need to press your forehead and toes slowly against the ground. Keep the arms lightly on the ground and make the fingers point forward. The entire strength of the body will rest on the shoulders, which will keep the rest of the body in position. The elbows should be close to the ribcage of the body. When you inhale, lift the chest from the heart. Make sure that you press little on your palms and the shoulder should take most of the pressure. Soften the shoulders and lift the hands from the floor. Broaden the shoulders and collarbone, and breath deeply.
Downward facing dog pose yoga:
You need to start this pose from where you had finished the cobra pose. Rest your body on all the four limbs. Separate the knees and move them a bit apart and move the wrists slightly towards the shoulders. The, curl the toes. When you exhale, spread out the fingers wide as you can. You need to press evenly on your palms. Lift the knees and reach out to the hips. The knees should be slightly bent and point towards the ceiling. In order to make the body look like an inverted V, push the tops of the thighs backwards. Now you have to straighten the legs without locking the knees. Move the upper part of chest towards the thighs, till your ears, are in the same line with your upper arm. Keep the hips away from the wrists.
Warrior pose yoga:
The continuous process of exercises to beat depression includes the warrior pose, which is a continuation of the previous poses. Start off from where you had finished off with the downward facing dog pose. Now you have to pivot the left heels the floor, facing downwards so that the toes point towards the left. Between the hands, step the right foot forward and line the front heel with your back. Now inhale and lift the arms upwards. The palms should face each other, and the shoulders should be wide apart. Keeping the hip bent towards the right leg, exhale out and the right knee should be bent at ninety degrees.
Reverse warrior pose yoga:
Start off from the warrior pose and turn the hips so that they face the sides. The right knee should be kept bent at the ninety-degree angle. Now slightly lower the left arm and touch the left leg. Turn the right palm, pointing to the ceiling. Move the hand behind you without moving the feet. The left hand should slide along the left ankle. You can look up at the ceiling and take a long breath. Repeat the process four to five times.
Bridge pose yoga:
This is one of the best poses to boost up mental health through physical activities. Start off from the child’s pose and move to a seated position. Sit on the floor by dropping the hips to the left. Then extend the legs straight out in the front and roll back on the back. Then you have to bend the feet and place the feet close to the butt, lying flat on the floor. Make sure that the palms face down. As you lift your hips, keep on inhaling, and interlace the hands beneath your body. Press the upper arms and shoulders on the floor. Now lift the hips upwards and point the tailbone towards the knees. Then squeeze the thighs close to each other and breathe deeply.
Mountain pose yoga:
Stand straight with legs apart in a natural posture. Lift the arms upwards and straighten them. You will have to lengthen the fingers and toes. This is one of the best ways to fight off depression and keep your mind contented.
Handstand:
Lie close to a wall and keep the hands six inches close to the wall. Bring two legs close to the wall and kick them up one by one. Stand on the hands and lift the entire torso upwards, resting on the wall. Look at a point between the two palms.
Chair backbend:
Take a folding chair and spread a folded blanket on the seat. Bend the knees while you sit on the chair. Lift the chest while you hold on to the back of the chair. Lie on the chair in such a way that it supports the upper back. Straighten the legs and lop the arms through the rugs at the bottom of the chair.
All these activities will help you to fight off depression on a long-term basis. You will definitely feel much better as you follow these physical activities for a couple of weeks.
