Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Chakra Energy to Deal With and Heal Depression



There are many successful treatments for depression. Many of them are non-conventional and require no medical or psychological assistance.  There are many things you can do on your own to learn how to deal with depression and eliminate it form your life.  One such method is called chakra.
7chakrastest.blogspot.com

Our body and mind need energy to grow, think, work, play, listen, emote and climb out of depression.   Depression sucks the energy out of us causing us to feel sad, fatigued, lethargic, anxious and many other negative feelings.  Fortunately there are many sources of energy we can draw from to help overcome depression.  We have control over the energy we feed ourselves thus controlling our depression.



One such source of energy is color.  Scientists have proven that color can calm the mind, stimulate activity and help us deal with depression.   Science has also proven that throughout our body we have main energy channels that are connected to our organs.  Each energy center is referred to as a chakra.  Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel.  Basically each chakra is a spinning wheel that sucks in what we give it and transfers it to our glands (which produce and secrete hormones that boost mood) and the rest of our body.  Each of our seven chakras draw in coded information from our environment.  Coded information such has color vibrations, ultra violet rays, or another person’s aura.   When all seven chakra's, channels of energy controlling our entire body, are flowing smoothly, we feel great physically, spiritually and emotionally.  But when one, two or three of our chakra's are disturbed or filled with negative energy, we feel weak, out of sink and depressed. 

The sun is the ultimate energy source.  It sustains all of life and the Earth.  Without it, we would not exist.  Using the sun or certain kinds of light is actually a very effective treatment for depression that we will discuss in later posts and pages.  But for the sake of chakras, understand that the sun has very powerful visible light rays that can be turned into colorful light.  If you place a prism in front of the sun, we get the seven colors (light rays) that make up the chakras.  And since we know that light and color are effective treatments for depression and chakras are energy channels in our body that feed off the energy derived from color, light and other sources, we can effectively use color to help treat depression.    The goal is to feed all seven chakras with positive energy thus helping us cope with depression.  Since each channel is connected to specific glands that produces and secrete certain hormones, we know which chakras to treat for depression and what colors to focus on to help us deal with depression.

 If you look at the depiction and corresponding chart below, you see that it is important to focus on all seven channels in order to effectively cope with depression.  Specifically, the 1st, 2nd and 7th channels, Red(physical needs) , Orange (emotions) and Violet (understanding), are especially important to feed positive energy as you learn how to deal with depression and eventually rid it form your life.  

The Red channel is connected to the Adrenal Gland which is responsible for producing adrenaline.  As you know, people who are depressed lack adrenaline, motivation.  If we can find ways to tap into the Red channel and thus the adrenal gland, you can learn to create the adrenaline necessary to produce the motivation needed to combat depression.


The Orange channel is connected to the Gonad Gland which is responsible in part for helping produce the hormones that regulate emotion and energy; testosterone and estrogen etc..  A depressed person naturally is in the low spectrum of mood and has a difficult time climbing out of depression.  By feeding the orange channel positive energy, one can learn to produce the hormones necessary for us to climb out of the depressed mood spectrum and into the high end, happy mood spectrum.  

The Violet channel is connected to the Pineal Gland which produces the serotonin derivative melatonin.  Melatonin is the hormone that makes us feel sleepy and regulates our sleep patterns.  Depressed people often feel sleepy during normal wake times, thus unmotivated to act and crawl out of depression.  Essentially they are producing too much melatonin, they are feeding the Violet channel/chakra too much negative energy, thus producing too much melatonin.  Melatonin is used to treat seasonal mood disorders such as depression.   By feeding the Violet Channel positive energy one will theoretically decrease the production of melatonin, feel more energetic/less depressed and  regulate their sleep patterns.  

 Continue to read beyond the depictions below to learn how to feed your chakras positive energy thus effectively learning to cope with and treat depression.







Watch the video below daily and it will help drive positive energy to your red channel/chakra increasing your adrenaline, providing you with the strength to fight and overcome depression.  Once you hit the arrow in the middle, it will begin to  play.  Once it starts playing, you can make it full screen by hitting the full screen icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video.





Watch the video below daily and it will help drive positive energy to your orange channel/chakra increasing your energy, boosting your mood and providing you with the strength to fight and overcome depression.  Once you hit the arrow in the middle, it will begin to  play.  Once it starts playing, you can make it full screen by hitting the full screen icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video.



 
Watch the video below daily and it will help drive positive energy to your violet channel/chakra decreasing your production of melatonin and providing you with the strength to deal with and overcome depression.  Once you hit the arrow in the middle, it will begin to  play.  Once it starts playing, you can make it full screen by hitting the full screen icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video.





I've included the other four Chakras below as they too can have a positive influence on your depression and overall emotional, physical, spiritual and physiological well being.



3rd Chakra – Yellow Chakra – Solar Chakra
Color Association
Yellow
Function
Personal power–The right to think (The ability to overcome your depression). Balance of intellect, self-confidence and ego power. Ability to have self-control and humor
Imbalances
Digestive problems, ulcers, diabetes, hypoglycemia, constipation. Nervousness, toxicity, parasites, colitis, poor memory.
Stimulants
Taking classes, reading informative books, doing mind puzzles. Sunshine. Detoxication programs. Yellow food & drink. Yellow gemstones and yellow clothing. Using yellow oils such as lemon or rosemary essential oils.



















Watch the video below daily to help drive positive energy to your Yellow Chakra.  By doing so, you will drive the energy necessary to your 3rd Chakra to develop the thought patterns necessary to deal with depression.  Additionally, you will increase your memory and help prevent the above mentioned imbalances.


                                 



.
4th Chakra – Green Chakra – Heart Chakra
Color Association
Green
Function
Relationships–The right to love. Love, forgiveness, compassion. Ability to have self-control. Acceptance of oneself.  Ability to control your emotions, feel, forgive and thus deal with depression.
Imbalances
Heart and breathing disorders. Heart and breast cancer. Chest pain. High blood pressure. Passivity. Immune system problems. Muscular tension.
Stimulants
.Nature walks, time spent with family or friends (being with others is a proven method of overcoming depression). Green food & drink. Green gemstones and green clothing. Using green oils such as eucalyptus or pine essential oils



Watch the video below to help drive positive energy to your green Chakra thus creating the energy necessary to love, forgive, accept yourself, be with others and ultimately overcome your depression.






5th Chakra – Blue Chakra – Throat Chakra
Color Association
Blue
Function
Relationships–The right to speak. Learning to express oneself and one’s beliefs (truthful expression). Ability to trust. Loyalty. Organization and planning.  Learn to express yourself and you will assuredly learn how to deal with and overcome your depression.
Imbalances
Thyroid imbalances, swollen glands. Fevers and flu. Infections. Mouth, jaw, tongue, neck and shoulders problems. Hyperactivity. Hormonal disorders such as PMS, mood swings, bloating and menopause.
Stimulants
Singing (in the shower), poetry, stamp or art collecting. Meaningful conversations. Blue food & drink. Blue gemstones and blue clothing. Using blue oils such as chamomile or geranium essential oils.


Watch the video below and drive positive energy to your Blue Chakra. By doing so, you will learn how to effectively and efficiently express yourself thus giving you the power to control your feelings and depression.






6th Chakra – Indigo Chakra – Brow Chakra
Color Association
Indigo
Function
Intuition–The right to “see.” Trusting one’s intuition and insights. Developing one’s psychic abilities. Self-realization. Releasing hidden and repressed negative thoughts.  Once you learn how to accept and then release your negative thoughts, you are well on your way to coping with and overcoming depression.
Imbalances
Learning disabilities, coordination problems, sleep disorders.  Plenty of sleep has proven to balance our mood and make us feel happy and less depressed.
Stimulants
Star gazing. Mediation Indigo food & drink. Indigo gemstones and indigo clothing. Using indigo oils such as patchouli or frankincense essential oils.


Watch the video below and send positive energy to your Brow Chakra thus increasing your ability to recognize and battle your negative thoughts.  Once you learn to control your thoughts and not be paralyzed by them, you will surely learn how to deal with your depression and any feeling.

                                 




Monday, August 12, 2013

Exercise or Medication: How to Deal With Depression

Dealing with Depression: Proven Methods to Control and End Depression

One of the most important and effective treatments for depression is exercise. Knowing that exercise will help combat depression and actually getting out there to exercise are two completely different things.

The depressed person is often called “lazy”. The truth of the matter is, the depressed person lacks the drive to do just about anything. Sometimes, getting out of bed is often an insurmountable challenge.

It’s definitely a catch-22. You have depression and you know that exercise will help but the symptoms of your depression (lack of motivation, fatigue, inability to make decisions, etc.) prevent you from exercising. It’s a constant battle between what you should do and what you can do.

Here is why you must find a way infuse an exercise plan in your daily life.

Dealing With Depression: Exercise vs. Medication

James Blumenthal is a neuroscientist at Duke University who specializes in depression. In one of his most famous experiments, published in the Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, Blumenthal gathered 156 adults who had mild or moderate cases of depression.
The patients were split into three groups.
Group 1 was treated with sertraline, an antidepressant drug. You probably know sertraline by it’s trade names Zoloft and Lustral. In 2011, over 37 million sertraline prescriptions were written to treat a wide range of issues, including major depressive disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, panic and social anxiety.
Group 2 used a combination of exercise and medication. They were prescribed the same dosage of sertraline as Group 1. Additionally, Group 2 exercised three times each week for 45 minutes. They followed the same exercise program that is described for Group 3 below.
Group 3 used an exercise only treatment. Three times per week, they performed 45 minutes of exercise. This included 10 minutes of warm up, 30 minutes of walking or jogging at a pace that would maintain a heart rate that was 80% to 90% of their maximum, and then 5 minutes of cool down.
Here’s what happened…
Each patient received treatment for 16 weeks (4 months) under the supervision of the researchers and professional staff. At the end of the treatment period, the researchers were surprised to find that all three treatments delivered essentially equal results.
Treating depression with exercise was just as effective as medication, and vice versa. Furthermore, combining the two treatments yielded the same success rate as doing either one individually.
But then the researchers decided to track the long–term progress of each patient and this is where the study gets really interesting…

Exercise and Depression: The Long–Term Impact

After 16 weeks of treatment, there were 83 patients (spread evenly across all three groups) that were declared in remission and free from depression.
The researchers decided to let these patients spend the next six months without receiving any treatment from professionals. The patients were welcome to continue their treatment on their own or to try something new entirely.
When the researchers followed up with the patients six months later, here’s what they found…
  • In the medication only group, 38% of patients relapsed into depression.
  • In the exercise and medication group, 31% of patients relapsed into depression.
  • In the exercise only group, only 8% of patients relapsed into depression.
You can see the results of the study in the graph below. Notice that over 85% of patients in the exercise only group remained depression free after 6 months on their own.

What made the difference?

Why Exercise Outperformed Medication

Dr. Blumenthal and his colleagues described the differences between exercise and medication like this…
One of the positive psychological benefits of systematic exercise is the development of a sense of personal mastery and positive self–regard, which we believe is likely to play some role in the depression–reducing effects of exercise.
In other words, exercise confirms your new identity to yourself. It changes the type of person that you believe that you are and proves that you can become better. (I’ve previously said that the self–confidence that comes with exercise is one of the biggest benefits of weight training.)
This philosophy directly aligns with our community’s focus on identity-based habits. It doesn't matter if you’re battling depression, working to lose weight, or trying to create work that matters. Your identity — the type of person that you believe that you are — is what dictates how far you’ll go in any endeavor.
When it comes to beating depression over the long–term, this is what makes exercise more powerful than medication. It’s not that medication doesn't work — it does. But exercise does something that medication doesn’t. It proves a new identity to yourself. Each time you finish a workout, you reap the benefits of an increased sense of self–confidence. The cumulative impact of these “small wins” is enormous.
In the words of the researchers, patients who only used medication had the following internal thoughts…
Instead of incorporating the belief “I was dedicated and worked hard with the exercise program; it wasn't easy, but I beat this depression,” patients might incorporate the belief that “I took an antidepressant and got better.”
It seems small, but this subtle shift in empowerment and self–confidence is huge. It’s your identity that carries you to success.
  • If you believe that you’re the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts, then you’re going to get in great shape.
  • If you believe that you’re the type of person who overcomes uncertainty, then you’ll succeed when you face a challenge.
  • If you believe that you’re the type of person who puts others first, then you’ll live a life of service.
But no matter what, it’s your identity that carries you to long–term success. And this is where medication falls short. It treats your symptoms, but doesn’t rebuild your identity.

Cut Your Risk of Depression by Half

As the researchers sorted through the data, they discovered that for every 50 minutes of exercise added each week, the rate of depression fell by half. In other words, if you’re not exercising right now, then adding just 1–hour of walking per week will cut your risk of depression by 50%.
The same holds true if you’re already an exerciser. Let’s say that right now you exercise for 5 hours each week. Bumping it up to 6 hours will cut your personal risk of depression by half.
I’m sure there is an upper limit to this at some point, but the evidence is clear: exercise often and it’s more likely that you’ll enjoy the rest of your life.

Are there Types of Exercises That Are Better for Depression?

It appears that any form of exercise can help depression. Some examples of moderate exercise include:
  • Biking
  • Dancing
  • Gardening
  • Golf (walking instead of using the cart)
  • Housework, especially sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming
  • Jogging at a moderate pace
  • Low-impact aerobics
  • Playing tennis
  • Swimming
  • Walking
  • Yard work, especially mowing or raking
  • Yoga

Because strong social support is important for those with depression, joining a group exercise class may be beneficial. Or you can exercise with a close friend or your partner. In doing so, you will benefit from the physical activity and emotional comfort, knowing that others are supportive of you.


Should I Talk to my Doctor Before Exercising?

For most people, it is OK to start an exercise program without checking with a health care provider. However, if you have not exercised in a while, are over age 50, or have a medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease, contact your health care provider before starting an exercise program.

How Can I Decide What Types of Exercise to Do?


Before you begin an exercise program for depression, here are some questions you should consider:
  • What physical activities do I enjoy?
  • Do I prefer group or individual activities?
  • What programs best fit my schedule?
  • Do I have physical conditions that limit my choice of exercise?
  • What goals do I have in mind? (For example: weight loss, strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, or mood enhancement)

How Often Should I Exercise to Ease Depression?

Try to exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week. Studies indicate that exercising four or five times a week is even better. Take it easy if you are just beginning. Start exercising for 20 minutes. Then you can build up to 30 minutes.


What Are Some Tips for Getting Started Exercising?

When you first start your exercise program, you should plan a routine that is easy to follow and maintain. When you start feeling comfortable with your routine, then you can start varying your exercise times and activities.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
  • Choose an activity you enjoy. Exercising should be fun.
  • Put your exercise routine into your schedule. If you need reminding, put it on your calendar.
  • Variety is the spice of life. Make sure you vary your exercises so that you don't get bored. Check your local gymnasium or community center for an assortment of exercise programs.
  • Don't let exercise programs break the bank. Unless you are going to be using them regularly, avoid buying health club memberships or expensive equipment.
  • Stick with it. If you exercise regularly, it will soon become part of your lifestyle and will help reduce your depression.