Yoga Poses to Combat Anxiety
Anxiety is not a condition that you can simply turn off or should ignore. You might be surprised that symptoms of anxiety can include insomnia, headache, as well as heart palpitations. You are probably not surprised to learn that Harvard Medical School research found that yoga can reduce anxiety and provide additional health benefits. But you may not know which postures are most beneficial to reduce anxiety. Not all yoga poses are challenging and all can be modified to meet you where you are in the moment you are practicing them. Before you begin this sequence, do some warm-ups. This can be as simple as a short walk or walking in place for a few minutes.
Tree pose is a useful posture to combat anxiety because it is a grounding posture. Since it is a balancing posture, it may also bring awareness of how to increase balance in your life. Awareness and breath are first brought to the feet and a connection to the earth. Attention is then moved up the body to the top of the head. The body and mind can thereby experience greater stability.
Come standing with feet together. Find a spot across the room to focus your gaze; this helps you maintain balance. Shift your weight onto your right foot and slowly bring your left foot up and press it against the side of your right thigh. You can modify by keeping the ball of your foot on the ground and only pressing your left heel against your right calf. Slowly stretch arms up, palms facing inward. If you fall out of the pose, simply take a deep breath and start again. This is a balancing pose that helps you feel grounded. It is also an opportunity to break a pattern of self-judgement (when not being able to hold the pose). Begin by holding position for one minute, working up to 3 minutes.
Legs up wall is a simple and effective posture that increases blood circulation and so is a refreshing experience for the body and mind. As a result, it has been proven to decrease anxiety.
Lie in bed or on the floor facing a wall with your seat 5-6 inches from the wall. Lift your legs up onto the wall. Be sure to elongate the neck slightly and place a rolled towel under your neck if support is needed. Adjust your distance as needed. Then allow your self to sink into the posture. It is recommended to hold the pose for 5-10 minutes. To come out of the pose, bring your knees into your chest and then roll to the side. Don’t twist out of the pose.
When we are anxious, we do not breathe deeply. Child's pose is a restorative pose that easily allows you to breathe more deeply. It is also a stretch of the spine and hips, which brings in relaxation as tension is released.
Kneeling on the floor, tops of feet are flat on the floor. On an exhale, bring your chest towards your thighs and the head to the floor. If your head doesn’t touch the ground, place bolsters or folded blankets under your forehead so that it is well supported. Arms at side palms up. For a deeper stretch, extend arms out in front of you. Breathe long and deeply for several minutes.
I always like to have options. Sometimes, I want to be active and other days I want to be more still. So for those days when you are drawn to more still, try one of these breathing exercises from my past blogs- Anxiety Buster Breath and Reduce Anxiety Now. If you’re up for it, practice one of the breath exercises followed by the yoga postures described above and shown below.
If you are concerned about your condition, consult your physician. You know your body and mind best. Take care of yourself so that you can be in a flow of greater ease and joy!