The Zen calendar piece for February. < Anti Depressant in the heart of winter >

Written with the journalist Francois Busson from the Swiss magazine L’Illustre.

The connection between the body and the mind no longer needs to be proved.

They work together like yin and yang, or Simon and Garfunkel. In this way modifying our body’s posture can influence our inner state and return us to a state of calm. To allow emotions to circulate again and emerging troubles linked to the <bad> season to dissipate,here are two concrete exercises to work with daily. The goal : to return to that state of tranquility and opening that we have been able to recognise at certain times in our lives.

Lift your eyes to the sky.

When we are overcome by sadness or depression, the space around us has a tendency to shrivel up: a beautiful flower which lowers its head. The painful emotion felt in the body makes us want to fold in upon ourself, as if we would create a protective cocoon,

If, on the contrary, you take five minutes to lift up your eyes to the sky and take your focus out of your unpleasant feelings, what you feel will change.

For this, you really have to look outwards, really let your eyes see the world that surrounds you. Your neural connections receive a different message ( opening, freedom) and adapt the emotion accordingly.

The key : come out of yourself, expand your vision.

In addition : Try to find a large external landscape : a bit of sky, a tree, birds to look at …

Dancing in life…

Of course, when experiencing depression or negative emotions, the last thing we want to do is dance.

And yet ….

By sending your body a paradoxical message, you can free this emotion and completely get rid of it. The idea is simple: no negative emotion can resist a joyful movement. So we have to mime joy, to act <as if dancing> lifting the arms to the sky ( like Usain Bolt when he wins a race) and let the body move in every way. Giving the body fake news, to get it feel differently. Open your arms, turn around, gyrate… Negative emotion can circulate and disappear.

The key : Do this dance and movement for at least 2 minutes, listening to some rythmic and engaging music.

In addition : to allow the calm state you have achieved to remain, ask yourself this essential question before you begin : in place of anguish, what pleasant feeling would I like to have?