Anxiety can be a real pain in the ass to live with. You constantly worry about the simplest things and/or live a hermit lifestyle because the thought crowds of people or talking to strangers scares the shit out of you. If you’re already on medication for your anxiety, that’s fine. Keep taking it. If you’re not, I would recommend taking something to help ease your anxiety.
But, honestly, I’m not here to talk about how crappy it is to have anxiety or to recommend some anxiety medication. I’m here to talk about yoga (yes, yoga) and how it can greatly help your anxiety.
Yoga is for everybody and every BODY
(Image: Dave Contreras/Unsplash)
Have you ever felt like the only people who are good at yoga are those that are in great shape and super flexible? Well, you’re absolutely wrong.
Yoga is something that everybody and every BODY can do. It’s very easy to start a yoga practice no matter what shape you’re in or what your body looks like. More importantly, for anyone that has anxiety, yoga can be an absolute lifesaver.
How Yoga Works with the Anxious Mind
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According to an article on Yoga Journal, yoga is good for the anxious mind because it brings the mind to the present (whereas anxiety sends your mind to the future to worry about crap that hasn’t even happened yet and may not ever happen). This passage from the same article details the effects of yoga on anxiety:
While a single session of yoga or meditation can lower your anxiety in the moment, if you want to reduce your tendency to worry and fret for good, consider making these practices a habit, says Angela Fie, owner of Yoga-Med in Phoenix, a yoga and meditation program that treats anxious people, many of whom have been referred by doctors. “By practicing regularly, you lower your baseline level of emotional arousal so when something bad happens or you have a worried thought, you meet it with presence, curiosity, and patience rather than fearful reactivity,” says Fie.
Basically, you should be practicing yoga as often as you can because it really can work wonders at lessening your anxiety. Over time, with a regular practice, instead of freaking out over situations that always make you anxious, you’ll instead stop and think about them mindfully and rationally.
Getting Started with Yoga: Five Poses for Anxiety
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I’ve been able to get to the point where I practice yoga on a daily basis. The feeling I have after my yoga session is absolutely fantastic: My body feels wonderfully loose, and, more importantly, my mind is calm, quiet, and relaxed. Since starting my regular yoga practice (along with daily meditation), I find myself either getting less anxious at certain situations or, in some cases, not anxious at all. For me, 10–15 minutes of yoga is all it takes.
If you’ve never done yoga, I recommend starting with a series of just a few simple poses that will have you immediately feeling their effects. Don’t worry about keeping track of time at first. Focus on getting lost in each pose and seeing how each makes you feel.
Here are a five yoga poses I recommend that will send you straight into relaxation mode. I’ve included images of each pose as well as links to helpful videos that show you each pose in action.
- Extended Child’s Pose: https://youtu.be/eqVMAPM00DM (Yoga with Adriene)
(Image: Yoga Studio App)
Extended Child’s Pose is great for relieving stress, and this will obviously calm you down. It also stretches your shoulders, lower back, hips, thighs, and ankles. Any time you have trouble holding a yoga pose, feel free to go back to Extended Child’s Pose until you’re ready to resume.
2. Reclined Goddess: https://youtu.be/Ay_s_a7L9T4 (Yoga by Candace)
(Image: Yoga Studio App)
This pose is one of my favorite poses because it really opens your hips. I tend to hold a lot of stress in my hips, and after this pose my hips are loose. If I’m really stressed, I find my hips are actually a little sore after doing Reclined Goddess because of all the stress contained in my hips.
3. Downward Dog: https://youtu.be/j97SSGsnCAQ (Yoga with Adriene)
(Image: Yoga Studio App)
Downward Dog offers numerous benefits, including calming your mind as well as stretching and strengthening your body. This pose is awesome because it works so much of your body and mind. Downward Dog can be a little difficult at first to hold, so don’t hesitate to drop into Child’s Pose if need be.
4. Forward Fold: https://youtu.be/g7Uhp5tphAs (Yoga with Adriene)
(Image: Yoga Studio App)
Forward Fold calms your mind and is good for stretching your back and hamstrings. It feels great standing in this pose for a minute or two, especially if you bend your knees as much as you can.
5. Pigeon Pose: https://youtu.be/0_zPqA65Nok (Yoga with Adriene)
(Image: Yoga Studio App)
Pigeon Pose can be tricky to execute, so don’t be afraid to use a yoga block for assistance (see the link to the video above). I love Pigeon Pose because, besides sending you into a super-calm state, it really stretches your hips and also your thighs.
Stay in each pose for about a minute or two, or as long as you comfortably can, and don’t forget to breathe. Have poor balance? Try using yoga straps or blocks to help you stay balanced.
Don’t Wait — Get Your Mind In Shape
Living with anxiety sucks big time, but if you take the time to incorporate yoga into your daily routine, you’ll see a gradual decline of your anxiety levels. No matter how long or how often you practice yoga, yoga has a way of always leaving your body feeling wonderfully limber. That, in turn, helps your mind be calm and relaxed instead of perpetually anxious.
Let me know in the comments below how yoga has helped ease your anxiety. If you haven’t started yoga yet, why wait?
Chaotically Yours,
CC
