It is a surprise to me how little I breathe, normally. It's like I've forgotten to breathe or am adapted to a biorhythic habit of scarcely breathing. When I do a gentle home yoga practice, focussing on the breath for 40 minute, however, I feel positively giddy with happiness. Now, is this the profile of a depressed person, or is it just the profile of someone who has forgotten to breathe? Whatever the reasons for slowing down of vital breathing, it's clearly not a necessary part of me.
Related to depression, however, it certainly is, and the problem is that when in the depressive state, one forgets the happy state to the point that, without a taste of it, one has no appetite to direct one to the needful thing. Translation: when I feel depressive, I don't feel any desire for the practice that will make me happy because I have no feeling memory of it. I am fortunate to have found that for me, yoga absolutely heals my depression, but once back inside it the way out cannot be felt. Therefore, I recognized that it is vital to create a bridge from depression's somber tones, to yoga's happy ones. Anything that can tempt me is a cue: a dedicated space, clothes I like, music, lotion, aromatherapy, and today some Read My Lips black tea with pink peppercorns, chocolate, peppermint, and little candy lips. I promise myself this new delight in order to get myself feeling like being on the mat. I will not listen to my mind. I am too much of a rebel.
Action Step: Think about what kinds of cues you can provide for yourself to get yourself feeling like doing the thing you need to do.
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