By Denise Everheart
Looking for a way out of depression? Here’s why breath meditation works, and how you can easily learn SKY Breath Meditation and feel better from day one.
You no longer have to be a prisoner of your own emotions! It is possible to shed the dark cloak of depression and receive a free ‘get out of jail card’ and start to feel like yourself again! Depression doesn’t have to be a life sentence! Breath Meditation is the key.
Meditation, in general, has gained the respect of both the medical and scientific communities. Not just for helping a wide range of mental health issues like depression, social anxiety, and even chronic pain, but for the fact that there are no side effects. If anything, there are many, many side benefits!
Let’s look at some of the benefits of meditation for depression before we do a deep dive into the SKY Breath Meditation program.
Benefits
Back in the early ‘70s, Transcendental Meditation, a mantra-based technique, gained popularity in the U.S. TM was the first to bring a scientific perspective to the mystical world of meditation to the west. Over time it became clear that there was more to meditation than just temporary inner peace. Today scientists everywhere are researching the positive effect of meditation on mental health issues. Here are just some of the ‘side’ benefits of meditation:
Reduces stress
Controls anxiety symptoms
Increased self-esteem
Enhanced mindfulness
Better focus
Improved sleep
Helps control pain
Normalized blood pressure
The miracle of SKY Breath Meditation for depression
My personal experience as a SKY Breath Meditation instructor has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I will never forget when my brother, who suffered from major depression and suicidal thoughts, took his first SKY program. After just a few days of practicing SKY, he said all of the suicidal thoughts disappeared! I knew SKY would help him but had no idea that it might be possible to see such immediate results. His experience and so many others continue to validate the very real-life benefits of a SKY practice.
According to Dr. Newman, an award-winning researcher and Director of Research and Health Promotion for the Art of Living, “Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) has demonstrated beneficial biological changes in the brain and hormone functions from the very first sitting…these techniques are non-evasive, self-empowering, they simply use the breath. SKY is as clinically effective as electroshock or standard drug therapy. Yet it is completely free of negative side effects. It only produces side benefits such as increased lung capacity, increased blood flow to the brain, increased joy.”
Why does SKY Breath Meditation work so well for depression? One aspect is that SKY increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels while also decreasing serum cortisol levels (stress hormone). These two factors are why SKY practices have a profound antidepressant effect.
To learn more you may also like to read these two studies published on the benefits of SKY:
Yale- To improve students’ mental health, Yale study finds, teach them to breathe
BIDMC (the teaching hospital at Harvard)- Yogic breathing improved university students’ response to stress
Insights
Many things can contribute to depression, especially in terms of making depression more difficult to overcome. In particular, when your energy levels are low it can feel as if there is no way out from the grips of depression. There are 4 main sources of energy that if attended to can make a difference in your mental health.
Food gives the energy we need to move through life, but if that food isn’t fresh and vibrant with life-giving energy, sometimes called prana or chi, then it becomes easier to stay depressed. Avoid leftovers, canned and fried foods. Favor fresh, colorful, and unprocessed foods.
Sleep needs to be just the right amount, not too little or too much. Sleep is also one of the biggest challenges for anyone suffering from depression. A breathing exercise like Victory breath (also called Ujjayi breath) can be used to help you fall asleep. While alternate nostril breath (ANB) and Yoga Nidra (a special guided meditation for deep relaxation) are excellent tools if you happen to awake in the middle of the night. You can also read: Sleep Solutions to Help You Rest Well and Face the Day: A to Zzz.
A calm meditative mind can also contribute to that subtle life energy, prana. How do you get that calm meditative mind? Listening to an inspiring speaker, taking a walk in nature and sitting next to a stream, spending time being creative in the kitchen, or painting a picture, and of course a guided meditation or other meditation practice. What sounds good to you?
Your breath is perhaps the easiest and most powerful way to affect your prana and emotions. If you think back to how we breathe when we are upset compared to when we are calm, there is a distinct difference in the rhythm of the breath. Anger increases the speed of breath and it becomes more shallow. In contrast, when we are calm the breath is elongated and slower. The reverse is also true! We can affect how we feel by using breathwork.
Other ways to support your journey
Beyond positively affecting your prana levels there are other ways to support your journey back to yourself. Think of your existence in terms of layers. There is the physical body, the breath, mind, intellect, memory, the ego, and the self. One way to purify these layers is to practice what I sometimes refer to as a ‘sound experiment’. Singing in Sanskrit, an ancient language from India which has positive effects on the environment and our mind-body complex is uniquely helpful in many challenging situations, like suffering from depression symptoms.
Om Namah Shivaya is the recommended mantra to sing as it connects vibrationally to the five elements from which we are made of...earth, water, fire, air, and space. In fact, Om Namah Shivaya purifies all of the layers of our existence. And here’s some great news! There’s a recording led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living, which you can follow along with 1-3 times a day. I personally find it very soothing! Here is the link.
Five other ways to support your journey are:
Every day write down 5 things you are grateful for. It could be in the form of a journal or even sticky notes you can place somewhere in your home. You choose how you want to log your gratitude.
Practice 3 acts of kindness every day, for other than friends and family whenever possible. If you miss doing all 3 one day, that’s ok. Aim for 3 each day and be gentle with yourself. Want to take it to the next level? Look for community service opportunities and give of your time to causes you care about.
Praise yourself every day. Acknowledge your successes however small they might be. Also, praise your physical traits and skills or talents- every day.
Do a little yoga every day, as in Sukshma Yoga which means subtle yoga. Think of it as loving your body very dearly. As you start to feel better you can try other kinds of yoga.
Give yourself the gift of having guided meditations at the tips of your fingers with a meditation app, The Art of Living Journey app.
Time to dive in!
You can register now for a SKY Breath Meditation program by clicking this link. You can also attend, free of charge, an introductory session online, called Beyond Breath. You will learn more about SKY and learn an easy breathwork exercise plus enjoy a guided meditation led by a SKY instructor.
If you’re tired of feeling depressed, learn the best breath meditation for depression- SKY Breath Meditation, and take back your life today!
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, SKY Breath Meditation instructor, party planner, veg chef, and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
Disclaimer: This content on the Art of Living Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, Any links to third-party websites are provided as a convenience only and the Art of Living Blog is not responsible for their content.
