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Yoga for Depression: Blame and Control

By Paul Jerard

Sometimes blaming others for our problems is easier than finding solutions. Any of us can blame our friends, parents, co-workers, family, and significant other for “our lot in life.” We can also blame “every driver on the road of life.”

Have you ever heard something similar to this? “Everyone over there drives terribly, but not me.” What is the source of all this blame? It is an inherent discontent with life.

Unfortunately, this usually occurs when we quietly blame ourselves for everything on a regular basis. Yoga teaches us to accept our mistakes and to accept what we cannot change.

Some people silently carry blame around with them all of their lives. Others look at past mistakes and agonize over them. Mindfulness is a universal practice, taught in Yoga classes, that will help you live for now.

We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it, and do our best to help those who we have hurt in the past. Mindfulness and Yoga meditation techniques will help anyone appreciate the present moment and the prospects of a brighter future. How is this possible?

Each style of Yoga works on the mental aspects of health. Even the very physical styles, of Yoga, work on the mental component of health. A healthy mind will contribute to your physical health exponentially. As an example of this, look at the recoveries of positive-thinking cancer patients.
Sometimes, we are blamed for something we had no involvement in. Our reaction is to feel bad about it, but we must develop “thicker skin” and avoid those who would make us the “scapegoat.” When you are constantly harassed by someone; it is not good for your mental health to repeatedly expose yourself to anguish.

Another contributor to depression is the desire to control everything. There are so many different possibilities in this life. As a result, life creates circumstances beyond our control. This does not give us the right to neglect everything, but we must learn to accept that we try our best, and that is all we can do. If you do your best every day, forgive yourself for any mistakes.
At the same time we must forgive friends, family, and co-workers for being human. If you learn to accept imperfection, you will be pleasantly surprised, when you see perfection as a rare jewel.
So, what did any of this have to do with Yoga? Yama and Niyama are the first two limbs of Yoga. The second Niyama is Santosha, also known as contentment.

A mind without contentment is also without peace. Do not confuse contentment with riches. The rich can only be truly content, when they share.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 5:23 PM