Picture the posture of a teen suffering with depression. Often they are slumped, chest closed, head hanging forward. It’s the posture of someone attempting to protect their heart from pain, yet the posture keeps the heart steeping in that pain it’s trying to avoid.
Now, picture the posture of a confident, thriving teen, full of vigor and life. The chest is open and lifted. There is strength in the core and spring in the step.
Here are three postures meant to indicate the journey from a depressed posture to an uplifted one.
1. CHILD”S POSE (Balasana): An oft-quoted phrase in the yoga world is: “Start where you are.” This could not be any more true than in the case of depression. Thrusting open a timid heart too quickly can be disconcerting and do more harm than good. Child’s Pose is a gentle place to start by honoring “what is” and allowing teens to utilize the tendency to close off as an actual starting point toward healing.
“You are all things.