Suffering from depression? Let meditation rescue you!

Sadness is normal. Prolonged sadness is not. Depression is a serious mental concern that impacts various feelings. The negative mindset leads the affected person to overthink and overanalyze the situation. Since the person is just stuck on something, it becomes really difficult for the person to come out of the situation. The person lives in their mind far away from practical situations and reality. Either the thinking ability stops or it is too irrational and impulsive. This has a great influence on the daily activities and decision-making abilities of the person.

There are many reasons for depression. There are times when you feel there’s no solution or nothing is going to work. But don’t worry, it will. We are here for you and this blog will help you a lot by sharing you with the knowledge of Meditation. But before starting it, let’s know the possible causes of the disorder.

Nobody’s life is perfect, and if you think in that manner, then here you are wrong. Without any doubt, everyone is going through something in their life. So buck it up and believe everything is going to be okay and it is going to be okay!

You never know, maybe a person is having limited social group, living alone and suffering, has marital conflict, has job stress, has a child with special needs or health problems, dealing with death or separation of a loved one, undergone physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, diagnosed with some chronic illness, facing family disputes, getting divorced, are retired, or have some other personal issues. The list can go on and on.

Furthermore, family history, age, and gender of the person also become the reason for the depression. People living in a family which already has previous records of mood-related disorders are more prone to it. Similarly, women and elderly people are at more risk. 

Although it is related to a mental state in severe cases it affects the overall health too. Your daily life routine is hindered and it may also cause you to be vulnerable to various serious diseases.

Based on which type of Dosha is involved, depression has three types:

• Vata type depression: This type involves emotional abuse history. The affected person may experience laziness, sluggishness, fear, and anxiety which might result in insomnia. 
• Pitta type depression: It is severe among all the three Doshas. Here, the cause may be because of physical or verbal abuse. It is expressed in violent forms like aggression and anger. Moreover, the affected people are more likely to cause harm and are often suicidal.
• Kapha type depression: In this type of depression, the person is more likely to be obese, have eating disorders, and sleep excessively. They may suffer from mental exhaustion and worthlessness.

The various symptoms of depression are:

1. Being low most of the times
2. Exhaustion
3. Loss of appetite
4. Not socializing 
5. Zero energy to get out of bed
6. Distorted thinking
7. Physical body pain
8. Insomnia
9. Trouble concentrating
10. Low sexual drive

Meditation for Depression

As depression is related to mental health to attain peace and comfort, meditation is the best choice as it helps in the rejuvenation of the body, mind, and soul. So we will learn more about meditation today with this blog!

Everybody has pretty much heard about meditation, but very few people are aware of the method and steps to perform meditation. Don’t worry if you are one of them, as this blog will share a lot of knowledge that will help you in learning about meditation. Also, don’t forget, the only way to learn how to meditate is by meditating!

Meditation is a practice that is based on focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity. This enables an emotionally stable state. The disturbances present inside the mind are accepted to achieve calmness. It is a practice that works holistically to provide relief to the body, mind, and soul. Moreover, it brings spiritual awakening within.

With an enormous amount of benefits, let’s get to know more about it. It is no doubt a little hard to get started but eventually, it becomes easier with time and practice. Initially, it is difficult because the mind wanders a lot and you have no control over it. This happens unintentionally and unknowingly as it is difficult to control the thoughts. Here, meditation comes to the rescue!

Simplifying it, the technique is all about sitting in a comfortable position and regulating your breath levels. It’s okay if the mind wanders as many times what is important is you return to the position where you have been regulating your breath. In the beginning, even five or ten minutes are sufficient and you don’t have to feel bad about it because with time and practice you will be able to push aside the negative thoughts and help yourself.

Meditation helps you to distinguish between thoughts and feelings. Feelings are temporary, but thoughts aren’t. So when you can differentiate between them it becomes easier for you to tackle the situation and accept it. 

Method to perform Meditation

• The first and foremost step is to find a peaceful and comfortable place to sit down. Look for your happy place where nobody can disturb you. As meditation is all about yourself prefer a place where there is no noise and you can easily focus on yourself.
• Everybody has their comfort level, but prefer to sit on the ground on the mat, folding your feet. The location can be your home, garden, or anywhere you like. You can also choose add ons like scented candles or incense sticks. Now that you are comfortable, close your eyes!                    
• Now, after closing your eyes, take deep and slow breaths. After this, pay whole attention to your breathing pattern. Concentrate on how you feel while inhaling and how it feels when you exhale. Now of course you can also hear the sound of your breathing. Give your full focus on the breathing part.  
• After a while, you will see your thoughts will wander away from this thing, and you do not have to worry about it because it is normal. It is normal because the brain tends to think about things. But one thing you have to keep doing is coming back to the original state.
• At times it will be frustrating for you as you will feel you are not able to focus and you are getting lost in the thoughts again and again. But there’s another reminder to tell you that it is perfectly fine and you do not have to be hard on yourself!
• Eventually, start shifting your focus to the various parts of the body. This step is called a body scan. Since meditation is all about you, this step can also be the way you like and whatever suits you. Well, some prefer to start from the head region while others from the feet, hands, or any other region of the body. 
• As you choose the point of origin i.e., the body part to focus on, begin by noticing how your body part feels while you breathe. Now, start shifting your awareness to other parts of the body. While doing this, feel if any of the body regions is tense or is hurting. If there is some kind of tension or ache in any region of the body, you will have to begin with the other step.
• Okay, so if you have come this far, this is probably all you need to release the pressure and discomfort present in the body. This step is called a visualization exercise. So here we go!
• This is the imagination phase; you are supposed to send the relaxing breaths to that portion of the body that is tensed. Now, that you have sent those relaxing breaths start visualizing that the tight muscle is loosening and your pain is reduced. This part is tough, but you need to believe and keep faith that it is going to work. It’s all about positive thoughts and affirmations. When you are finished doing the visualization part, go back to where you started; the breathing exercise part. Try staying there for some more time and finally when you feel like just not doing it. Stop and open your eyes. You will feel calm and peaceful. It will soothe the mind and soul. 

Wasn’t it easy? Well, it will take time to learn, but the meditation session will provide you relief and calmness. Even if you are not able to devote much time, then also there’s no big issue as this period will soothe the nerves giving you the desired results. But for best results do meditation daily.

See, depression is really disturbing and at times you may feel nobody understands you and nobody is there for you. But don’t get disheartened as Ayurveda is there for you and we are here for you! If you need any kind of assistance and consultation, do not wait and contact us! Because we are here for you and your depressive mind. And don’t forget WE CARE!