How to avoid negative thoughts using Yoga

Depression is one of the very serious problems affecting people across the society. There are lots of people around us who feel very depressed or tied down with the weight of negative thoughts.

Personal Experience

In the winter of 2004 I was in US working on an software consultancy assignment and I also went through depression. I cannot pinpoint the exact reason, but the major factor was being away from the family, which was back in India and on top of that I was facing the infamous Midwest winter for the first time. It is difficult to explain the feelings but I used to be constantly bombarded with negative thoughts and I was crying a lot internally. It was difficult to concentrate on the work. Every thing I heard, I used to take in negative terms. The appetite went down drastically. I was thinking in the direction as if there was no meaning in life. Since I did not go to the doctor for this I do not know if this could be categorized as depression, but I am pretty sure I was pretty close to this state, if not medically depressed.

Coming out of the Negative Phase

In my free time I started searching for techniques which could help me overcome my mental condition. I read that meditation helps in calming the mind. But my mental condition was such that it was difficult for me to meditate as all.

Asanas
I started practicing certain asanas which help in case of mental stress. I think one of the important asanas is Sarvangasana which encourages the blood flow to the brain and pituitary gland which changes the thinking pattern.