Yoga fix for Depression
My friend just called, and she’s the sixth person that recently told me they were on antidepressants. I’m glad they have something that helps them feel better because depression is so debilitating. But I know there is one basic yoga truth that has proved successful. It worked for me at one of lowest points in my life, and I’ve seen it work for lots of others.
Here’s how it works: we have to take the focus off ourselves with selfless service. That’s right, good old karma yoga seems to work every time.
When I was going through a rough divorce, I had to find a new job, was in a car accident, moved at the same time my daughter became a teenager, and I found myself starting to get depressed. In fact, the marriage and family counselor I spoke with said that anyone else who didn’t know yoga would have been hospitalized as a result of dealing with that amount of stress. What kept me together was taking the focus off myself with selfless service.
I teach at Yoga Center of California, and as soon as I walked in the door to teach, I felt great because, at that moment, I was entirely focused on being an instrument for the students to have a good experience of yoga. Because I saw how quickly my spirits changed, I made a point of doing a small act of karma yoga daily. Some days it would be as simple as carrying a bag for my elderly neighbor who was struggling with her groceries. Or it might be giving a helping hand to my sister who was having financial problems. I tried to do these things with no expectation of reward, which is really what karma yoga is all about. And it worked. I pulled out of the depression and moved back into a more centered place. And I ended up feeling better than before.
A good friend of mine had a similar experience. Her family had financial problems, her kids had problems at school and she had a health problem. She was getting really depressed. Then her mother called and needed help. She dropped what she was doing and spent time helping her mother. She told me that on the way home, she realized that the depression had lifted. That she’d been focused on herself and her problems, and as soon as she put her attention on her mother, with no thought of any gain for herself, her spirits lifted.
Karma yoga is definitely worth a try. It can’t hurt and it has no toxic side effects. Anyone have stories to share? Tell us about the things that have worked for you to lift depression.
