Healing Depression with Yoga – Guest Post by Maria Rainier

The West’s traditional method of treating depression involves psychotherapy and medication, but with the rising popularity of yoga across the world, it’s become more difficult to ignore yoga practitioners’ claims of uplifted moods and eased ailments.  Scientific research on the benefits of yoga for those suffering from depression remains sparse and generally comes attached with a cautionary warning that the findings may be unreliable.

Yoga and the Scientific Community

Have a heart-to-heart with any devoted yogi—not just someone who’s in it for the cute pants or the weight loss—and you will hear a train of praises for the physical and psycho-emotional benefits of the art.  In fact, in 2004, the University of California, LA, conducted an experiment that involved 28 mildly depressed young adults on campus who participated in two hour-long sessions of Iyengar yoga weekly for 5 consecutive weeks.  “Subjects who participated,” reports the abstract, “demonstrated significant decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and trait anxiety. . . .  Changes were also observed in acute mood, with subjects reporting decreased levels of negative mood and fatigue following yoga classes.”  (See the abstract of the study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15055096?dopt=Citation.)  The study was typical in its findings as well as its call for greater level of scrutiny, which remains underway today.

Yoga and Your Body

On a (mostly) physical level, regular practice of yoga can alleviate depression by reducing the physiological manifestations of stress.  This means easing cramped shoulders, stretching tight hips, and triggering the release of endorphins—the happy hormone.  Even slower and less physically strenuous versions of yoga (such as Iyengar and Anusara) can help the body release toxins by providing deep muscle and organ movements as well as strength and flexibility.  Individuals suffering from low self-esteem or feelings of weakness (such as after the loss of a loved one) can benefit from feeling powerful through yoga, which tones muscles and encourages deep breathing.  Sun salutations, shoulder stand, and the warrior poses are particularly powerful, ego-boosting poses that involve upward motions and stretching or wide stances and feelings of grounding.

Yoga and Your Mind

Yoga has psychological, emotional, and—for some—spiritual effects, too.  Yoga often entails meditation, which encourages shedding of stress and earthly concerns in favor of intense awareness of things beyond the self, often provoking a feeling of universality and nothingness at once.  Practitioners of course experience varying sensations and bring different philosophies to yoga and meditation, but mindfulness, being in the present, and loving kindness to oneself as well as others are key points in both practices.

Yoga as a Tool to Heal from Depression

This is not to say that severe depression or chemical conditions such as bipolarity can be utterly solved through yoga—many cases still require professional aid.  Mayo Clinic and other institutions now admit, however, that yoga may be a complementary method of treating depression.

Yoga holds a few advantages over traditional methods of treating anxiety and depression.

  • Personal practice is free, and even lessons and books cost less compared to medication or therapy
  • No need to depend on someone else’s schedule; a yoga practitioner may heal whenever he or she wishes.
  • Healing without medication and through the power of the self may provide increased self-esteem.

Make sure to join a class or study yoga and its safe execution before attempting its regular practice.  (Improper training can result in physical injuries, however slow the style of yoga.)  If you suspect you suffer from severe depression, do not attempt to self-treat.  Remember that yoga is not a cure-all but simply a helpful, soothing, and invigorating tool to get you back on your feet.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where recently she’s been researching the highest paying associate degrees versus the lowest paying associate degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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Reconnective Healing-Strings, Strands, Light and Information

What is Reconnective Healing?

Let me first quote from the material on the official brochure created by the Eric Pearl’s organization at thereconnection.com.

“Reconnective Healing tends to be a life-changing experience. Now, for the first time, you may access a new, more comprehensive spectrum of healing than has been attainable at any point prior to now, one that not only includes yet expands beyond any and all known forms of “energy” healing. The Reconnective Healing spectrum is comprised of the full healing and evolutionary continuum of energy, light and information. It allows for healings that are not just physical, not just mental, not just emotional… yet go beyond that to bring you healing that includes the evolution of your very being and essence! Vastly different than Reiki, Johrei, Jin Shin, Qi Gong or any healing “technique” ever encountered, Reconnective Healing allows you to transcend technique and its limitations.

Your interaction with these highly palpable energies is initiated during your session, and they continue to work with you long after you’ve left your Reconnective Healing Practitioner’s office. Following your sessions, you will be attuned to a more comprehensive and evolutionary healing frequency than ever before.”

Reconnective Healing first came through Eric Pearl, then working as a chiropractor, in the early 90’s. You can read his experience with these frquencies in his informative and entertaining book, The Reconnection. In simply reading this book many of us have experienced a transmission of these frequencies. As stated in the quote above, these frequencies go far beyond what we normally consider energy healing. One of the remarkable stories Eric tells in his book is about the over 50 patients who spontaneously went into a trance during their session with him, and all channeled the same 6 phrases:

  • We are here to tell you to continue doing what you are doing.
  • What you are doing is bringing light and information onto the planet.
  • What you are doing is reconnecting strands.
  • What you are doing is reconnecting strings.
  • You must know that you are a master.
  • We’ve come because of your reputation.

While these phrases are certainly open to interpretation, many believe strands refer to DNA and strings to String Theory in Physics. Whatever happens when these frequencies show up is certainly complex and beyond the practitioner’s or client’s knowing as to what specifically is happening. My experience is that these frequencies “arrive” in the room and both the client and I are interacting with them throughout the session. They also “arrive” quite spontaneously at times during my day, and I suspect they do also for clients who have been exposed to them.

They also seem to work as powerfully remotely as when the client is in the room. Remote clients report the exact same experiences as those in the room with me.

What can you expect to receive during a session?

Everyone’s experience with Reconnective Healing is unique. A saying often used by Eric is “If you’re lucky, your healing will come in the form you anticipated; if you’re really lucky, your healing will come in a form you haven’t even thought of, one that the universe has in mind specifically for you.”

  • You may or may not have powerful sensory experiences.
  • You may have a physical healing, or the work may be on the level of DNA or quantum physics with no outward change during the session, or you may experience healing in some other area of your life which unfolds over time. Each healing is unique.
  • This is Universal intelligence doing whatever needs to be done in that moment.
  • To me it is very sacred work. I feel I am being used as an instrument to help “tune” the client to these frequencies.
  • It’s evolutionary in my view and we receive whatever is next for us in our particular evolutionary path. For me personally these frequencies have been as much about spiritual awakening as physical healing. Others may feel they are about something else.
  • We all receive whatever “light and information” is needed at that time.
  • This “light and information” can continue to work with you long after your session.

For more information about Reconnective Healing visit the official site at http://www.thereconnection.com.

If you are interested in a session, please contact me. I specialize in remote sessions, so where you live is not important. The exact same process will happen whether you are on a table in front of me, across town, or across the nation (I’ve done all three and the reports from my clients have always been the same no matter the distance). I would be honored to fascilitate a session for you.

What “light and information” do these frequencies have for you?
Schedule a session and find out!


Testimonials

“The Reconnective Healing sessions with Atmara have been very helpful. My sleep patterns improved which is so essential for good health. My lower back had a big adjustment while I was on her table – I had been going to network 3 times a week and to a gentle chiropractor and neither had facilitated that. It was the initiation of a deeper unwinding that is happening with my body. It helped me get my focus so that I can continue to learn the language of this body and respond intelligently to its signals for balance. Thank you so much Atmara! I highly recommend this. Just see what happens.” – Lisa Schumacher, Oregon

“I just spent a (distant) hour with Atmara Rebecca Cloe experiencing The Reconnection. I read the book and was excited about trying it! It took only a few minutes to feel the tingles in my hands, which traveled up my arms and soon put me into a state of calm relaxation. I could feel different sensations at different times and different… areas … See More throughout the session… gentle massaging in areas that needed it. Somewhat difficult to explain, but definitely visceral and well worth doing! I’m still feeling it as I write this, especially in the third eye and the heart. Many thanks, Atmara!” – Dana Weekley, New Jersey

“I had a distance session with Atmara about five days ago and it was Wonderful! I woke up and actually received the energy at 4am, six hours before the session. It just popped me out of bed and I sat in an ocean of still and radiant energy. When the session began I melted into the deepest level of rest and calmness I have …ever experienced. I have a very agitated nervous system so this was super nourishing to me. The really good news is the energy is still available! I can just rest and absorb it whenever I want ~ it is making a big difference in my energy and abilities throughout the day. During the session I felt as if tiny hands were working gently within the cells and organs of my body and since the session I can feel them still working to open up new levels of healing and awareness. I highly recommend this work!” ~ Barbara Shepard, California