She was going through a depressive phase. Life wasn't the same for her anymore. Things that would excite her earlier had no meaning or place in her life. Darkness became a constant companion as she distanced herself from kith and kin. A new day didn't sound new anymore, and occasionally thoughts of ending her life would cross her mind. But only because of the love of her parents, she never dared.
"These days, nothing seems to go my way. Life appears dreary and I can't find an anchor to hold on to. The whole world seems to conspire against me and I find myself fighting against the wind. My life, solitary; my dreams, evaporated. I have nothing to live for and many reasons to die. I am lonely; I feel dejected. I can't bear it any more", spoke the diary of a 23-year-old.
In the dark times of depression, there are a few anchors to hold on to. These can be your pillars of strength in trying times. The following are a few trusted and tested ways that can be your best companion and healer in difficult times.
#1 All You Need To Do Is Sit Back & Relax
We understand that depression saps you of the energy to do anything. This might make it difficult for you to take the first step towards healing yourself. Why not begin the healing process with complete relaxation? The best relaxation technique out there is meditation. It not only relaxes you but also rejuvenates you with enough energy to be willing to try other techniques.
It heals you by gradually erasing hurtful impressions from your mind—if you have had a traumatic experience—or by removing stress from your blocked energy channels, which doesn't allow the free flow of energy. It totally recharges you with joy, enthusiasm, and love.
"Meditation can help you calm your mind and make you feel happy from within. Many illnesses can be helped through meditation and breathing techniques. There is a significant body of research that indicates that meditation helps improve conditions and illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, sleep disorders, and nervous system disorders, among others. "I would say that meditation is food for the soul", says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader, humanitarian, and founder of the Art of Living Foundation.
#2 Your Breath Is The Secret To Your Happiness
Your breath holds many untold secrets to your good health. Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) is a unique and powerful rhythmic breathing technique that unravels this secret for your well being.
Sudarshan Kriya not only retains the natural balance of our body without the need for medicines, but also removes 90 percent of the toxins, reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, relieves anxiety, and restores the normal sleep pattern. It gives you a gush of energy through increased production of prolactin (the well-being hormone).
This is the conclusion of a recent study: "Depression was alleviated significantly following SKY therapy. SKY has independent antidepressant effects. And it exerts its antidepressant effects in about 3 weeks. (Research Paper: P300 Amplitude & Antidepressant response to SKY – 3)".
Sudarshan Kriya can be learned from a trained practitioner. You too can learn it. All you need to do is take a few hours out of your life.
Hari Om Meditation To Deal With Depression
While all types of meditation are equally beneficial overcome depression, Hari Om meditation has shown particularly impressive results, as it involves taking attention to the seven energy centers of our body. Depression is the downward movement of energy, while in Hari Om meditation, we bring our focus from the lowermost energy center to the highest one. Each energy centre is associated with a particular emotion. And bringing our awareness to each chakra purifies our emotions by removing the stress accumulated in the past and making us feel light in our being.
You can practice Hari Om meditation sitting at home.
Continued on how to overcome depression...
