Breathing overcomes depression and anxiety depression can come from many sources, such as work, school and family.
It’s important to fight depression because if you feel sad or unhappy often, it’s hard to focus on anything else.
One way to combat depression is to regulate breathing: practice deep breathing.
This article will teach you how pranayama can help treat depression and which pranayama can help you deal with specific situations.
What is pranayama? Pranayama (also known as yoga or yoga breathing) is a deep breathing exercise that helps reduce stress and restore balance to the mind.
Pranayama includes many different techniques, but they all have one thing in common: they involve controlling your breathing.
When it comes to Pranayam, the meaning of prana is very important.
In yoga philosophy, prana refers to the vitality energy in our body.
By controlling our breathing, we can more effectively manage this Prana Flow throughout the body, which helps to avoid depression! How does the pranayama work? Many people believe that improving oxygenation will improve your mood, because there is no better way for blood and nutrients to reach every part of your brain than deep breathing: breathing is like a whole-body exercise for your brain.
It is also very beneficial to your mental health.
It is also a good way to lower blood pressure, activate the parasympathetic nervous system and enhance sustainable energy (unlike caffeine or other drugs).
Personally, I have found that any form of deep breathing can help me calm my mind and control negative emotions throughout the day.
This is also a good way to prepare for meditation classes.
The best pranayama exercises for depression I recommend three types of pranayama breathing exercises to help reduce anxiety and depression: nadishodana, kapalbhati, and the three-stage breathing technique.
1.
nadishodana if you want to overcome depression and anxiety, one of the best breath regulation methods is nadishodhana, also known as alternate nostril breathing (also known as anulomaviloma).
This technique can reduce stress, help balance emotions and improve attention.
The function of this exercise is to remove excess oxygen from one side of the brain and allow more blood to flow into the brain – so as to better concentrate! It’s great because there are no complicated hand movements – just breathe through your nose and block your nostrils one at a time.
Nadishodhanapranayama is also well suited to eliminate fatigue caused by depression because it stimulates the right side of the brain, which controls the body’s energy level.
You can do this whenever and wherever you feel stressed or tired! It is even recommended to practice twice a day in the morning and evening.
How to do it: next time you find yourself doing too many things at the same time or feeling panic or anxiety starting to rise, please take several rounds of alternate nostril breathing.
This is a wonderful way to reset your mental state.
Sit in a comfortable and high seat, keep your spine straight and open your heart.
Place the palm of your left hand on your knee and your right hand in front of your face.
With your right hand, place your index and middle fingers between your eyebrows and gently use them as anchors.
The thumb and ring finger will be the most used fingers.
Close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply through your nose.
Close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand.
Inhale slowly and steadily through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with the ring finger while keeping both nostrils closed; Hold your breath at the top of the inhale for a short time.
Open the right nostril and exhale slowly from the right side; Hold your breath for a moment at the bottom of your exhalation.
Inhale as slowly as possible on the right side.
Keep both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb).
Open your left nostril and slowly release your breath through the left side.
Stay briefly at the bottom.
Repeat 5-10 cycles, focusing on inhaling and exhaling.
Steps 5-9 are a complete alternate nostril breathing cycle.
If you finish the sequence slowly, each cycle should last about 30-40 seconds.
When you feel nervous, anxious or need to reset, you should go through at least 5-10 cycles.
Note: consistency is important, so try to keep the same length of inspiration, pause and exhalation.
For example, you can inhale to five, hold for five seconds, and then exhale to five.
As you become more familiar with the process, you may gradually increase the count.
2.
kapalbhatipranayama is closely related to nadishodhana.
This kind of breath regulation for depression is very good because it helps balance the nervous system, makes you feel relaxed, calm and happy, and helps to control any negative emotions.
Kapalbhati, also known as “skullshining” breathing, is a fast and powerful exhalation exercise.
The abdominal muscles contract very quickly.
This pranayama for depression focuses on clearing the old air while strengthening the lungs.
How to do it: so how do you do kapalbhati pranayama? This is a simple way to get started: if you feel better, sit up or stand up.
If standing, keep your feet hip width apart.
Place your hands on your thighs (palm down) and close to your hips / knees.
Keep them here throughout pranayama.
It’s all right to put them where they feel most comfortable! You can also try putting your hands on your upper thighs or hips.
Take a deep breath through your nose..
