Yoga for depression

I have been reading Sally Brampton's account of depression. For anyone who has experienced depression, it is a very honest and vivid account. I was so sad when she walked into the sea a few months ago.

In the book she talks about the benefits of yoga: 'Together with walking, if there is an exercise that is helpful to someone suffering from depression, I believe it is yoga. It must, though, be done properly and with some persistence. That may seem horribly difficult when you're very ill, but yoga is such a forgiving discipline that even lying on a yoga mat and practising deep, rhythmical breathing is helpful. From there you can build up to five minutes of gentle poses and from there to ten, to twenty and so on.'

I would encourage anyone suffering from depression or any type of anxiety to take up yoga. Don't go for anything too strong such as power or ashtanga yoga or Bikram or hot yoga. Look for something more gentle and laid back (you often see Hatha in its description). Teachers are only too happy to be contacted to discuss the type of class they teach.

If you are free on a Thursday afternoon from 2.30 to 3.45, come along to my Gentle Hatha Yoga class at In the Moment. You can find out more about it here.

---