Using Yoga for Anxiety
Using Yoga Therapy for Anxiety
Using Yoga Therapy for Anxiety.
In this complex, fast paced world we now live in, probably most people suffer from at least a low level, if not a medium to high level of anxiety. Anxiety can be described as a conditioned of over-heightened alertness in which fear is the underlying emotion. Anxiety can physically manifest itself in the body in many different ways including severe muscle tightness, pain, stiffness, headaches, insomnia, and high-blood pressure. It can make us feel short-tempered, irritable and in a general negative frame of mind. It is difficult to use wise judgement when fear is what is the basis for decision-making.
A close friend of mine suffered from anxiety for many years, she used pychotropic anti-depressants to feel more in control and calm for a few months. She found that her anxiety was tempered, but it was accompanied by a sense of extreme detachment from her emotions and life. She said to me, "I almost felt removed from myself". She also was not able to think as clearly since the drugs seemed to make her feel cloudy mentally. She had chronic insomnia as well and as a result of not getting proper rest night she felt tired and spacey all the time.
She was working at the Chopra Center at the time and she decided to embrace more whole-heartedly more of the healing modalities they were teaching. She started to go to the daily group meditations. She attended the yoga classes a few times a week. She started reading some of the books they sold on spiritual growth. She was able to find some level of manageability in her anxiety and depression.
For someone that has a severe case of anxiety, I would recommend a variety of strategies to feel more calm and centered. I would first have them modify their diet. I would recommend they slowly wean themselves from caffeine, sugary drinks and sweets from their diet. They could start to drink green tea instead of coffee to help them transition. I would start to recommend more wholesome ways to sweeten their desserts or drinks such as agave or stevia. I also really love using Suzanne Sommer's non-insulin producing sweetener made from mung beans that is great to bake with and has no funky aftertaste. The only downside about it is that it has virtually no retail presence in the local or even speciality grocery stores and you have to order it online.
I would recommend they try this tactic alone for one week and just notice how they feel. I would recommend that they do not eat any junk or fast food but choose wholesome foods mostly of vegetables, fruit and whole grains with dairy products and meats used sparingly, ( if at all).
I would then recommend that they start some breathing exercises such as Pranayama and alternate nostril breathing in order to have the brain and emotions feel more balanced. I would recommend they do 10 minutes in the morning as they wake and then in the evening before they go to bed.
I would also encourage them to start listening to some Chanting music such as Deva Premal, Krishna Das or Jai Uttal and sing along to them. They would find them to be uplifting as well as peaceful. Ideally, they would participate in a group satsang (group chanting circle) to have the benefit and support of a community.
I would also recommend they keep a journal as this could help them clarify their fears and worries. I have kept a journal for most of my adult life. I enjoy rereading my journal years later so I can appreciate how I was able to overcome any challenges I had and notice how I grew and evolved from the experience.
I would also recommend they do yoga poses. I would recommend a practice that starts off very vigorously energizing and then transitions to a very calming and restorative practice so they can get some very deep rest.
I would also recommend they find some daily affirmations to say out loud every day. They should be simple yet powerful. I have often used affirmations in my own life in order to manifest my desires. Some past affirmations I have used are: "I am here to impact the evolution of human consciousness. "I am in a fulfilling relationship with a wonderful and successful man. I earn $100,000 a year in a highly rewarding profession that I love. "One of my favorites ones is, "I am powerful beyond measure." When I feel that my life is out of control and beyond my ability to handle, I sometimes just remind myself with a simple affirmation of, "I am responsible for my life".
A reporter once asked Personal Growth Guru, Tony Robbins, if he had one tool to give people to turn their lives around what would it be and he responded that it would be incantations. Incantations are similar to affirmations in the language they use. The difference between them is an incantation is yelled at the top of one's lungs with an incredible amount of feeling and passion. It can be tricky to find an appropriate environment to do this in due to lack of privacy. I used to do incantations in my car driving to work every morning with the radio on very loud so that almost no one would hear what I was doing. Occasionally, I think the person driving next to me was wondering what I was doing, but since I knew I was never going to see them again I did not worry about their reaction too much.
I would also encourage them to not watch the news since it is almost always negative and filled with stories about the worsening economy or death, destruction or despair. How much time a week would you save if you didn't watch or read stories about death and destruction? What kind of impact would that have on your mood? I would encourage them to read or watch things that are inspiring or uplifting.
I would also encourage them to evaluate their peer group. If it was a group that was run by fear and anxiety, I would encourage them to place limits and boundaries on people that were run by fear and instead seek out people that were positive, centered and nurturing. People tend to rise to the expectations of their peer group, so choosing who you spend your time and energy with can make a tremendous difference in how supported you feel in pursuing your dreams.
I would also encourage them to spend some time in nature every day since it can be quite cathartic and healing to simply walk on the ocean or take a walk in the woods. This would do more to restore their sense of self and peace instead of just going to a noisy bar or watching the TV every night. It would also give them a chance to pause and reflect and simply "be" instead of "do". One of the most powerful things my house-mates and I did about ten years ago was, we chose not to have cable television. We found that we were much more productive in our careers and much more connected socially since we didn't focus on the tv when we got together. A side benefit was that we saved some cash each month as well. We did choose to have a DVD player and we watched a movie about once a week. Since it was a treat we were able to really relish watching our weekly movie together.
Lastly, I would encourage them to start donating their time to serve others at a charity, such as at a homeless shelter, their church or temple or volunteer at a local group that is committed to serving others that are less fortunate. Love and service lift the heart and dissipate the self-absorbed, obsessive thinking inherent in anxiety. The service you do opens your heart and you feel more loving. And as you feel more loving, you naturally want to serve more. When we act without practice to the outcome, or without any expectation of renumeration, we are truly on a path toward peace and enlightenment.
Using Yoga for Anxiety
By: jacklook722
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