Need support, really struggling

[Crankin]

To answer your question, Indy, there are a couple of reasons I recommend yoga to treat both anxiety and depression. The first reason is that yoga works on calming the physical manifestations of anxiety by decreasing neurotransmitters that raise your anxiety. Recent research done here at BU shows that yoga actually can do the same thing as some of the medications that are prescribed. The other reason is that yoga is actually a system of psychology in the Eastern tradition. Here, we see it more as exercise; we hold feelings and memories in the physical body and yoga can release these feelings. This is why you might cry in a yoga session or why you feel better. It's also why there is a lot of work being done with vets to treat trauma, using yoga. One of my goals is to become a certified yoga therapist.

[indysteel]

To answer your question, Indy, there are a couple of reasons I recommend yoga to treat both anxiety and depression. The first reason is that yoga works on calming the physical manifestations of anxiety by decreasing neurotransmitters that raise your anxiety. Recent research done here at BU shows that yoga actually can do the same thing as some of the medications that are prescribed. The other reason is that yoga is actually a system of psychology in the Eastern tradition. Here, we see it more as exercise; we hold feelings and memories in the physical body and yoga can release these feelings. This is why you might cry in a yoga session or why you feel better. It's also why there is a lot of work being done with vets to treat trauma, using yoga. One of my goals is to become a certified yoga therapist.

Thank you for that explanation; it certainly mirrors what I've experienced in yoga, especially during the first year or so of my practice.

When I first started my practice in 2006, I was going through a difficult relationship/breakup and I admittedly cried during a lot of my classes because many of my emotions were pretty close to the surface. At the time, I had a teacher who offered a reading at the end of class. It might be a passage from Rumi, for instance; I wasn't always sure of the source material. A lot of what she shared had to do with self acceptance and self love. The passages often resonated in a way that prompted tears on my end. There was also a lot of things we did during class that offered a very tangible sense of release and that, too, often prompted an emotional reaction in me.

With or without tears, I often left class feeling less burdened and more joyful. I also started to feel a growing sense of gratitude for the various experiences--both in the present and in the past--that I'd had in my life and a growing trust that I could cope with whatever came my way. Yoga helped me tie together a lot of the things that I'd been working on in CBT for a long time.I've never spent much time trying to understand why it did what it did. I just know that I loved it and still do. On it's more superficial level, it offers a weekly dose of stress relief, but I truly believe there wa more to it than that.

[Triskeliongirl]

I have been married for 28 years, and I can tell you in all that time that I have learned that *its not always about you*. You are interpreting your boyfriends withdrawing from you emotionally to mean there is a problem with you and your relationship with him, but the most likely thing is that he is just dealing with his own grief in the best way he can. I think you are doing all the right things, getting counseling, seeing that he gets counseling and medication, but beyond that, I think you just need to disengage a bit from this emotionally yourself, give him the space he needs to heal right now, and don't stress yourself out by assuming the worst. Whenever I have had to go through stressful events in my life, I have always gotten a lot of relief from physical activity, so even simple things like riding your bike can help to keep your brain chemistry in check. I am sorry that you are going through this, but just try be calm, and only worry about your boyfriend leaving you if he says that is his intention.

[goldfinch]

My whole life I also have tended towards being an anxious person so I empathize. For a period of time I took an antidepressant which helps for generalized anxiety disorder. It helped. Keep in mind most of them take a few weeks to start working. After I retired and had less stresses in my life I gradually stopped taking them. I still once in a while take a Xanax (immediate acting tranquilizer). I don't tend towards addictive use of drugs so the Xanax works for me. I figure my brain chemistry is a bit out of whack so if chemicals can help me I am willing to try. Just like my blood pressure is high and I need drugs to help with that. It seems like the best medicine has to offer right now is trying both the drugs and the cognitive therapy. Use of meditation and yoga may make sense too. For me, meditation never worked as I have an odd problem of relaxation induced anxiety. Movement like yoga, or dance or even biking is more helpful to me.

[badger]

To answer your question, Indy, there are a couple of reasons I recommend yoga to treat both anxiety and depression. The first reason is that yoga works on calming the physical manifestations of anxiety by decreasing neurotransmitters that raise your anxiety. Recent research done here at BU shows that yoga actually can do the same thing as some of the medications that are prescribed. The other reason is that yoga is actually a system of psychology in the Eastern tradition. Here, we see it more as exercise; we hold feelings and memories in the physical body and yoga can release these feelings. This is why you might cry in a yoga session or why you feel better. It's also why there is a lot of work being done with vets to treat trauma, using yoga. One of my goals is to become a certified yoga therapist.

is there a particular type of yoga that is recommended? I've tried this and that over the years but never got into it mostly because they're so expensive. Is there any study or something documenting it's better to do it in a class with other people, or can you do it at home? I do have a couple of yoga dvds.

[OakLeaf]

See if you can maybe find a studio that has one or two classes a week that are donation-based. It's not uncommon. I would recommend either Anusara or Iyengar because of their focus on alignment. Any practice that overlooks the foundation is inviting injury, and I include everything in that, not just yoga - ordinary American-style strength training, CrossFit, Pilates, etc. Anusara might serve your particular needs best because of their emphasis on opening the heart.

As far as the energetic aspects, I'm a big believer (and have tons of experience) in collective energy, so from that point of view I prefer a class. But if you get a really good teacher to show you the basics four or five times so you really have a sense of what to do, then there's nothing wrong with practicing at home, since you can keep your teacher's alignment cues in your head regardless of what the DVD is telling you to do - and then it's whatever works best for you on an emotional and energetic level. For some people it's easier to tune out distractions when they're alone.

[Crankin]

I would recommend a class first, to learn the basics and have someone monitor you as Oakleaf says. I like simple hatha yoga (Kripalu style), but I am not an expert in the different traditions.
Of course, I did it the opposite way, but at that time, I was doing yoga mostly as a flexibility complement for cycling. When I went to a class, I knew the basic poses from the DVD I had, and the instructors at my former gym were really good. However, when you are doing yoga more as a calming strategy, I think having supervision is even more important. You might not want to be alone if it brings up a lot of feelings. Even if it's not specifically a yoga therapy class, it's good to have the support of the instructor if things get overwhelming. They are used to this.

[indysteel]

Badger, a lot of studios offer a reduced fee community class. I go to one myself that costs $5. You might check around. At least in my area, most studios don't focus on any particular type of yoga. Most classes are billed simply as hatha or vinyasa. My main studio offers a few Anusara classes each week, but everything else is pretty eclectic in terms of style. I would love to try some Kripalu classes, because I think it incorporates what I'd like to get out of my practice. But it ultimately comes down to the teacher. Some are better than others at teaching and leading a class, and some give off vibes I find more appealing than others. I tend to think you might gain something emotionally from practicing in a class setting, too.

[Miranda]

Pedaling is my Prozac. Ironically the shrink I've seen in the past is a cyclists as well. She said that many times while she is riding she works out her own problems, or comes up with answers for her clients. That was kinda nice to hear.

The biggest and first thing she taught me was that I could not control/change another person. I was only in charge of myself. That is so simple, yet so huge, once you really get that.

Can't add much more than what's already been said, other than know your struggles are felt, and hope you continue to make progress (((hugs))).

[Penny4]

The biggest and first thing she taught me was that I could not control/change another person. I was only in charge of myself. That is so simple, yet so huge, once you really get that.

So true, and so important to remember!