“Meditation, visualization, and focusing on breathing can help with letting go of worry and fear. The overall practice of yoga can elicit the relaxation response, allowing both the body and mind to gain a sense of calm and ease.” Katharina Star, Ph.D. Counsellor Specialising in Anxiety. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will understand the best yoga for anxiety.
Yoga and mindfulness have become popular topics in the mental health field.
In recent years, a great number of studies have come into the showcase, that yoga can be the best adjunct for a set of mental as well as physical disorders. As per the WHO, in past years, around 450 million people were showing the adverse signs of clinical anxiety and depression.
“More than 40% of countries have no mental health policy and over 30% have no mental health program. Around 25% of countries have no mental health legislation”
Clearly, the need for self-regulation and treating anxiety inside and outside of the therapy office are needed to treat the person as a whole. Using yoga for anxiety is one method that is affordable and can be beneficial for people of all ages.
-How to Learn relaxation techniques you can do anywhere.
-Identify anxiety in yourself and others.
-Learn how to better react to situations and set a firm foundation for dealing with stressful situations.
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What are Anxiety Disorders?
An umbrella term we can use to define anxiety disorders is the state of being emotionally lost, restless, and worried all the time. This is when the HPA axis is overstimulated in a fight-or-flight state for an extended period of time.
As per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there are multiple anxiety disorders found in people with minor or major differences and symptoms.
These are other anxiety categories and trauma disorders that contribute to anxiety – social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, illness anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and phobias.
Apart from some serious emotional traumas, Anxiety can be triggered due to an intense fear of anything, including height, water, ghosts, space, or being alone.
It is often accompanied by some common symptoms such as:
Insomnia
Palpitations
Increased heart rate
Extreme sweating
Tightening of the chest
Rapid breathing
Intestinal problems
Restlessness
Hot and cold flushes
Nausea
Dizziness or trouble concentrating, etc.
Plus, it can appear to any person of any age group despite their physical attributes. If left untreated, it can turn worse and can even lead to suicides sometimes.
How does Yoga Help With Anxiety?
The body holds onto and remembers painful and traumatic events. It also holds tension and when you feel tension it can affect your mood. Yoga helps improve circulation and release tension held in the body. Yoga also incorporates deep breathing and mindfulness techniques to help treat anxiety.
Yoga improves the mind-body connection and allows you to use your body to release tension correlated to traumatic events. One aspect of trauma treatment often times includes physical movement to help an individual feel like they can get away from the event or series of events they still carry around.
Benefits of Yoga
Before exploring anything about Yoga, firstly it is important to know that Yoga is a scientific system and getting practiced across the globe and doesn’t include any magic. Now moving on to our aim, let’s find out what exactly yoga does?
“Yoga leads to a cessation of the fluctuations of the mind” – Patanjali
If we go deep, Yoga can be defined as a set of efforts contributing to every aspect of the human body to stay in a state of relaxation, balanced, fit, and constant.
It is found that in more than 56 % of people overcame their anxiety by regular participation in meditation and yoga.
In fact, in many cases, Yoga can be applied as primary treatment. Plus, it is the safest and inexpensive treatment option with additional benefits that anyone can adopt.
While keeping your mind and thoughts calm, yoga supports overall physical fitness. In addition, it stimulates and maintains the right level of neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Yoga promotes lean muscles & flexibility heals lung capacity while reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and back pain.
Further, a study undertaken by the London – based Biomedical Trust found that of the 838 people tested, reporting with anxiety, 98% of them said their condition was helped by yoga.
This is interesting to compare with the statistics on CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). You can also refer to this link describing many kinds of research why Yoga can be the best anxiety killer?
But, as yoga has a vast extent, knowing which yoga poses are beneficial for surpassing and alleviating anxiety with the right strategies is crucial for the desired output. In our next section, we will be letting on some of the recommended Yoga Asana or poses which are considered the best to dispel the symptoms of anxiety.
Knowing the right strategy to perform a particular yoga pose is equally important as its duration of practicing that yoga for greater benefits. Therefore, while reading out the list, pay great attention to procedure steps as well.
Pranayama
It can be defined as a nostril breathing exercise that mainly strengthens our respiratory system. Pranayama is the practice of controlling the breath while working as an intermediate to connect your mind with breath. It helps support in boosting the influx of happy hormones in your body and calming down an overactive stress response system.
Whenever you feel anxious, hold this pose for 10-30 seconds and repeat this numerous times. To help relieve your anxious mind and relieve muscle tension, causing more anxiety.
How to:
Step 1: Choose a peaceful space with no distraction or noise to sit comfortably with a straight spine. Step 2: Now, allow a steady breath using both nostrils. Make sure you inhale until you reach your lung capacity. Note: Do not lose your spine. Step 3: Next, try to hold your breath for 10 seconds and then exhale slowly through both nostrils.
Step 4: Repeat the steps 1-3 up to 20 times.
When will this help me?
Try practicing with an empty stomach in a comfortable environment that feels safe to you. Practice daily or a few times per week to begin noticing the benefits of yoga for anxiety.
Big Toe Pose (Padangusthasana)
This pose helps relieve stress, headache, and insomnia. Plus, it improves digestion too. Since it includes stretching it supports flexibility in hamstrings and calves. Additilay, it promotes the function of the liver and kidneys.
How to:
Step 1: Use a sturdy met to avoid slippage. Stand upright over it with your inner feet parallel and about six inches apart.
Step 2: Bend forward with a semi upper body to touch your toe using hands. During this process keep your legs completely straight. See also Reclining Big Toe Pose
Step 3: With an inhalation, back to your previous standing position slowly. Keep your forehead relaxed.
Step 4: It is good if you can hold your toes while keeping your toes straight, however, if you’re facing any difficulty to do so, keep your hands on a downward position that can lead easily. Stay in this Pose for at least a minute. If you’re a beginner, you can start with 30 seconds.
When will this help me?
Do it on an empty stomach or 4 hours after you finish eating.
Is there any precaution?
Avoid, if having lower back or neck injuries.
Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
This pose is loaded with great health benefits. If you’re in your early stage of depression or anxiety, it can help to dispel the symptoms of mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
Further, it helps in aiding asthma, high blood pressure, sciatica, menstrual discomfort, and abdominal issues related to ovaries & prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys.
How to:
Step 1: Find your easy place and sit with your legs positioned straight out in front of you so that it would be raising your pelvis on a blanket Likewise, pull your heels toward your pelvis. Step 2: Now try to grab your heels as close to your pelvis as per your comfort or to that extent your body allows up to. Step 3: Keep your posture stretched and firm. Step 4: sit in this pose for at least 4-5 minutes. And then inhale back to your original pose.
When will this help me?
In the morning or evening; with a light stomach.
Are there any Precautions?
Do not perform if you’re pregnant.
Similarly, there are many other effective yoga poses to reduce anxiety. To know, you better head to this link. Moreover, you can also enroll in yoga classes or hire a personal yoga trainer if you’re a busy pie. Also, never forget to talk to their existing clients to know why you should choose him or her over others.
Final words
“Mental illness is not a personal failure. In fact, if there is a failure, it is to be found in the way we have responded to people with mental and brain disorders,” said Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of WHO.
This quote is clearly telling how a positive approach towards people suffering from depression or anxiety can bring great changes to them.
So if you or your loved is going through the toughest time of their life, be their healer with great peace of assistant and mental support.
Find this blog to learn why to choose yoga to kill Anxiety, depression, and other disorders for a happy, fulfilling, and joyful life.
Hello! My name is Megan Santiago, B.S in Psychology, I have a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling and I am currently seeing clients as a Mental Health Counselor Intern. I am the Owner and Founder of Holistic-Momma.com.
A little bit about me, I am OBSESSED with all things holistic health. I believe we can heal our physical bodies if we first heal our minds. I am a psychology major; I've worked alongside Naturopathic Doctors, Chiropractors, and numerous practitioners. I was a health educator for a well-known supplement brand, and now I share my experience and knowledge. I hope you learn something while on my site, and feel free to contact me with any questions!
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