Yoga and anxiety

5 ways why Yoga can help Anxiety.

Anxiety is a difficult emotion and mental state. It has an impact on every area of life.

Anxiety in its natural state is a way to let us know that a situation is or could be dangerous. Then when the event or threat has passed our bodies return to a calm state.

However, if anxiety persists or becomes chronic then over time our world begins to shrink and we are robbed of the joy and freedom that is our right.

Yoga is all about joy and freedom.

1 Yoga’s most effective way of helping anxiety is through breath work. It’s the body’s natural sedative. Shallow breaths cause stress responses and this can be a real or imagined threat. Deeper breathing soothes the nervous system. Yoga is a practice all about regulating the nervous system.

2 It’s well known the effects of moving the body. Fast or slow movement releases endorphins and hormones that lift the mood.

3  We become focused not on thoughts of past or future but on the moment by moment effects of the postures on our body, breath and sensory input.

4 Yoga encourages us to undo what is untrue. Most of our worries are imagined or are hang overs from a previous moment. They aren’t based on facts or reality.  The Yoga nidra (relaxation) element in classes demonstrates our natural ability  control our  thoughts and relax our bodies.

5  Yoga let’s us shed our outer skins. We roll out the mat and return home. The philosophy of Yoga has observances for living. Being kind and compassionate to self is the 1st.

Anxiety can take away our confidence, practicing Yoga, the postures, breath, mediation, learning to love and forgive self and others will lead to joy, peace and freedom.

In love & light

Jeanette