I invite you to come into a comfortable seated position as I explain this body-based or somatic approach to navigating depression.
Thank you for trusting me during this difficult time.
If you need more assistance,
Please seek help from a health care provider.
Depression can often be like a dark cloud hanging over you,
Weighting you down.
I will be inviting you to energetically free up space to invite that cloud to lift.
We will focus on breathing,
Standing postures,
And a heart opening meditation at the end of our practice.
Even if you don't have much energy now,
Give these sequences a try and notice how they make you feel.
Now close your eyes if that feels comfortable and just notice how you're doing below the surface.
With a sense of loving compassion,
Acknowledge how you feel.
Anything that you're feeling is perfectly fine.
Now we'll begin our breathing practice.
Inhale deeply and open your mouth,
Exhaling with a ha sound.
Again at your own pace,
Inhaling,
Open your mouth,
Exhale ha.
One more just like that.
We're shifting to a breathing practice just for depression.
Breathing in and out through your nostrils now with a focus on the inhalation.
So take a deep full inhale with me and pause and just exhale.
Inhaling,
Taking the biggest inhale you've taken all day long,
Pause and exhale.
Continue with the emphasis on inhaling a huge whale breath.
Keep this up with a sense of taking in the energy that you need in your body.
This breathing practice is very stimulating which is what we need for depression.
But if you happen to be anxious,
Please inhale and take all of your focus on elongating your exhale.
That will calm the nervous system.
Depression and anxiety are often bedfellows,
So you may waffle between one or the other.
Knowing what is correct for you on a given day is very helpful.
Breathing is a great tool for depression.
Now let go of this breath and I invite you to step to standing.
Clear the space around you so that you can move your arms freely.
Inhale as you raise your arms in front of the body.
Exhale with that ha sound as you bring the arms down and back behind you.
Inhaling,
Bringing the arms up in front of the body.
Exhale with that big ha sound as you bring the arms down,
Perhaps bending the knees.
Continue this on your own.
This is a very vigorous practice that helps you release stuck energy.
It's stimulating,
So not a great practice for anxiety.
We're freeing up space in our auric field around us,
Which can be weighted down with heavy energy.
Now let go of this practice and just notice how you feel.
Now take a moment just to stretch anything that feels good,
Freeing up space in the body.
Now we'll do a yoga practice called Shake It Out.
Begin to bend your knees softly again and again.
We're inviting the body to shake.
Just keep bending your knees slightly to feel that gentle shake throughout the body.
By bending the knees,
We invite in the shaking vibration that energetically shakes us free from whatever is holding us back.
Just keep up the slow,
Pulsing bend of your knees and keep breathing.
Just shake it out,
Shake it off,
Let it go.
Allow the breath and the vibration to fill you.
If you feel a bit silly,
That's okay.
Just shake.
This really works.
And have fun with it.
You may begin to get a little more animated and shift your arms around or move your shoulders,
But keep bending your knees softly and repeatedly.
Whatever feels good here,
Just like you're slowly dancing with yourself,
Just keep up that slow,
Repeated bend of the knees that creates this vibration.
Fill your body with the breath.
We do this practice for two minutes to receive the full benefits.
You could put on music and do this practice to release tension.
Now stop and notice.
Do you sense the resonance of the vibration still in your body?
And for the final part of this practice,
I invite you into any comfortable position.
This is a heart awakening practice.
Often with depression,
The heart is involved.
The heart can be very guarded.
So close your eyes,
Wiggle around,
Adjust yourself until you feel at ease.
Acknowledge the energy moving through your body.
We just did some stimulating practices.
Take a deep breath in and pause,
Flushing your attention out throughout your entire body.
Exhale as you're ready.
Become aware of the body being supported,
The back body resting against the support.
I invite you to notice your heart space at the center of your chest.
Sense that large sternum or breastbone plate and get very curious about this space.
Shift your attention now to the soles of your feet.
Can you hold the heart and the soles of your feet within your awareness simultaneously?
Acknowledge that you're here with your body,
Your mind,
And your spirit.
Now cross both hands,
One on top of the other,
At the center of your chest.
Relax your elbows and begin to slowly circle your hands,
Breathing and noticing this heart area.
Become aware of how soothing and calming touching this area can be.
Now rest your hands against your chest.
Notice the warm resonance of your sacred heart space.
Now let your hands relax alongside your body or on your thighs,
Palm face up if possible.
We'll be doing a circular breathing practice to awaken the heart energy.
Exhale completely,
Inhaling from the left fingertips up the left arm to the heart space.
Pause.
Exhaling down the right side of your chest,
Down the right arm to the right fingertips.
Inhaling,
Breathing up from the left fingertips and arm to the heart.
Pause.
Exhaling down the right arm and through the right fingertips,
Creating an energetic circle.
At your own pace,
Inhaling up the left side to the heart,
Perhaps lingering in the pause,
And exhaling down the right side.
Give your heart permission to release,
Noticing perhaps that sense of peace that comes with an open heart.
Let go of the breath.
Let go of all doing and simply just relax into your body.
Rest your attention deep within your heart space.
Travel inward,
Exploring your sacred heart space.
Become aware of what you perceive.
The space gives you a deep connection to the highest part of yourself.
Notice what it feels like to touch your spirit.
Your eternal spirit is in,
Around,
And through you.
But the heart can give you access to this connection.
Perhaps noticing this profound support within.
Making contact with your living light.
Inviting this light and vibration to expand throughout your body.
Whole body vibrant,
Open.
Perhaps inviting this vibrance to surround you in an energetic cocoon.
I invite you to rest here in this space.
Sending so much love,
My friends.
Namaste.
