ayurvedic medicine and depression

i’m always looking for more resources about natural medicine and mental health…I recently picked up a great book about ayurvedic medicine and depression called Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way by Nancy Liebler….here’s some notes from it!

ayurveda (oldest system of natural medicine), says that while meds and talking ease the symptoms you must also addresses the imbalance in your body that causes depression. Thinking about what you experience as a depletion or blocking of certain energy not a broken brain or a pathologized ‘profile’ of a depressed person….

each balance of doshas is unique. Depression in each kind of imbalance also looks different.

 

VATA

associated with movement, very attuned to changes of seasons and dark and light. Guides the body’s adjustment to change and communication between internal and external.

Imbalance/depression– loss of enthusiasm and anxiety. Difficulty falling asleep, feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Problem = lack of stability in life patterns, or difficulty in sustaining a major life change. Techniques is to nourish physiology/ nervous system back to stability.

 

PITTA

trans formative processes of mind-body, converts food to energy but also processing of experiences and energy, basis of our metabolism.

Imbalance/depression- metabolic processes are blocked, irritability and frustration can mask sadness, sleep disrupted and internal perception is of having blocked possibilities. Root may be approaching life with extreme intensity and pattern of overdoing, techniques for balance are literally and figuratively cooling off the physiology- deep rest.

 

KAPHA

strength and cohesion, holds everything together from connective tissues to stamina/stability, stability and stamina of our emotions and processing.

Imbalance/depression- feeling weighed down, lethargy, lack of interest and overly sentimental = feeling stuck, excessive sleep, techniques are to overcome inertia by purification treatments.

 

Balance enables you to process emotions and difficulties just like you would food. Doing meditation and yoga to maintain body awareness, and using nutrition to your body’s advantage (what is your disposition?) can optimize what this author calls your “emotional metabolism”

 

Practices that restore balance include:

 

-Breathing: alternate nostril breathing for two minutes because it forces feedback/connection between two parts of the brain….described by a friend in my meditation class also as useful for controlling panic attacks because it moves your reaction from front brain to back brain (or maybe the reverse, I’ll have to look it up.) But basically panic and anxiety come from the reactive survival part of your brain, very deep, and you can balance or calm it by moving your focus to observing details in the present. More cool breathing exercises listed….look up yoga breathing, or humming breath and victory/ujayi breath.

 

-Exercise- restores blocked or stuck metabolism, deeper breathing, better digestion.

For Vatta imbalance focus should be on restorative exercise like yoga, biking, and walking. Like increases like, people want to do what they are pre-disposed to: anxious people like running and hard exercise to amp them up or give them energy to deal with overwhelming schedules. Over-excercise can overheat and exhaust physiology. Vinyasa yoga that holds poses briefly and focuses on breath and being mentally present.

For Pitta cooling activities like swimming are helpful, and focusing on fun enjoyable exercise rather than goal oriented- like a certain number of laps or distance. Dont do super aggressive yoga like hot yoga, smile and have fun with it- not taking poses too seriously, focus on the exhale to release heat.

For Kapha stimulation is needed to break intertia, so lots of music and aerobic activity and weight training are helpful. Focusing on alignment to stimulate your mind and opening heart.

 

-Food: do not eat until previous meal is digested (3-6 hours), avoid large amounts of liquid, lunch the largest meal of the day cause your system is most ‘warmed up’ and not about to shut down for sleep, eat to only 75% full (need oxygen in digestive process), avoid large quantities of raw foods, avoid iced and carbonated beverages, and chew well. Eating when you are present to do so (SIT DOWN and eat slowly), also eating at a regular time is important.