Before starting to talk how yoga can help reduce anxiety, I would make a small parenthesis. As perhaps you know or have experienced, yoga is a way of living life and is much more than posturing. Is also breathing, meditation, mindful eating, relaxation and how you open yourself to the present moment in every moment. Is Consciousness and Love.’s Liberation from the shackles of the mind. It’s more … it’s much more than posturing …

And now I think it’s a good time to start with the issue today

“I remember when I started getting goosebumps, I realized that it was very bad: I had tremors in parts of my body, I teased noises, smells, lights. I felt dizzy, I went sideways and I could not sleep well. Fortunately, life put me before a doctor friend who diagnosed me quickly what was happening to me. I was going through a deep state of anxiety “

Thus she began her email a friend of MindYoga4U, who had asked me to tell their experiences of how she managed to reduce anxiety, knowing that there are many people like her who suffer from this problem at some point in their lives. So we  wanted to have the opportunity to help through my page, which in his words, is a “planchette of salvation for many people.” That friend, whom I will call Sonia, has become a student and collaborator, and his personal experience is the gift that I am glad this day.

We continue with Sonia

“While I was an analytical to rule out certain diseases, my friend was commenting to me that this condition affects millions of people around the world throughout his life, but many do not go to the doctor and taking medication on your own, or even use drugs and other addictive substances.

Other symptoms of anxiety

Although there are many more, these can be characteristic:

• – Tachycardia
• – shortness of breath, loss of control or knowledge
• – Perspiration
• – Vomiting or nausea
• – Muscle stiffness or weakness, restlessness
• – Difficulties in communication
• – negative and obsessive thoughts, etc.

Reviewing what lived

“When ‘I fell’, fortunately, in the hands of someone who knew what was happening to me, he had suffered already discouragements, had no desire to go to work and know that I could lose my job I generated more anxiety.”

“All the time I had negative thoughts, lived in the past or in the future, was always worried, hurried to come did not know where, looking for pretexts to continue caring, self-esteem on the floor, a lot of fear, almost panic, and the same I felt aggressive than defeated. Thus, my body became really sick and gave me the first signs. “

Diagnosis and treatment zero

“The test results arrived and with them my friend the doctor confirmed what most knew with certainty that all my suffering came from a deep state of anxiety.

” I confess that at first I agreed to take the medications dutifully prescribed me because I wanted to get rid as soon as possible what had made me feel so bad. But while on his way to the pharmacy, something lit up inside me and made me react. How was I supposed to trust some pills to relieve me , without trying other less invasive ways for my physical body? In short, he was terrified of being trapped in a medicated life and preferred to take a chance on finding something more natural. “

The remedy around the corner

“He was very young, almost a newcomer to Madrid, as previously lived in Avila, and one of the places where I liked was going to the park of El Retiro. Therefore, without realizing it, instead of going straight to the pharmacy my steps headed toward the place, but first take ‘casually’ to go through a place where yoga classes were given. The light returned to light my and I ended up going into that place, simple and welcoming, where a very kind teacher informed me that he had the best medication for anxiety that I was suffering and to trust the intuition that had brought me there. “

“I told the teacher at that time, which I could see from the first practice: the great effectiveness of yoga in the treatment of depression and anxiety as a tool of natural medicine that works the mind-body union”

Yoga, a powerful “medicine” against anxiety states

Let’s stop at the moment Sonia, because I want to increase information about this sense it is important that you know.

The first thing I say is that when you start practicing yoga regularly, gradually begin to ease your deepest-rooted fears, getting a sense of improvement. Yoga calms the nervous system, reduces heart rate, soothes the mind and teaches you to slow your breathing and relax your body.

Through yoga emotional blocks that prevent us lead a healthy life and helps to restore mind and body harmony are eliminated.

Navigating the origin

For me it is essential to always go to the origin of any illness, I feel it always appears to tell us something that until now had not known how to understand. That’s why I try to go to the source, to what caused the problem and there are several people who have done studies on the subject. Here is some offered by Lisa Bourbeau.

Anxiety is a fear for no reason. The person who suffers lives in the painful waiting for an imprecise and unpredictable danger.

Anxiety has the effect on the person who suffers blocking the ability to live the present moment. He worries constantly. Talk much about his past, what he learned, he lived, or what happened to another. This person has a fertile imagination and spends much time imagining things that are not even likely to occur. It keeps on the lookout for signs that prove they have reason to worry.

As soon as you feel you enter a crisis of anxiety, it becomes aware that it is your imagination that takes power, which prevents you from enjoying the present moment. Decide to not have to prove anything. Be yourself, with your mistakes and qualities, like everyone else. Let go of the unknown, confined to know your intuition guide you if you give it a chance. You may also find beneficial rely more on people around you. Let them help in their own way.

How the yoga to cope with this condition

A pilot at the University of Los Angeles, California, research has studied the effect of yoga in people with generalized anxiety disorder.

According to research, yoga relieves anxiety by inducing the relaxation response. First, the most active asanas stimulate the sympathetic nervous system; while the calmer mobilize the parasympathetic nervous system. The effect is a rare moment of calm that is healing the anxious mind as the practitioner is performing the asanas, and that effect will accompany you for a period you will agree that while performing practice again. In this link you can listen to a radio program where I delved into this subject.

Patients who collaborated on the research, participated in a six – week series of classes designed by Professor Marla Apt, in close consultation with the teacher BKS Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga. Many of them were new to yoga, attended classes three times a week and answered a series of questionnaires about their emotional states before and after practice. Even in that short time, a significant reduction in anxiety and depression and noticed a marked increase in positive moods and overall energy.

Yoga is effective for acute anxiety disorder and depression natural treatment. Daily practice of relaxation, breathing, physical practice and meditation is essential and would be ideal to form an essential part of the treatment of this disorder.

Another study in 2007 by researchers at Boston, found that yoga increases levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that can help reduce anxiety.

Yoga intensifies and rebalances the hormonal state of the body. Mental focus on postures combined with breathing not only helps stop the destructive obsessive thinking, but also trains the mind to achieve calm.

Perhaps you yourself have experienced: feeling very agitated and for a moment to stop and take a deep breath; a few minutes breathing stabilize the mind and will generate calm.

Even if you do not have much time, few minutes of meditation can make a difference.

8 yoga postures to reduce anxiety

To consider in your practice

When you feel you enter an anxiety attack, first of all try to stop and breathe, at least for a moment. Notes that it is your mind that fast, runs away and almost always present to a future that does not exist. Who knows what can happen in the next second, in the next minute or next year?

The sequence you can put above the every day or when you feel bad. (If you suffer from severe anxiety, consult your doctor before trying this sequence calming). My main advice is to be regular practice as this will help with time, these crises are increasingly sporadic or reach disappear, as has happened to many practitioners of yoga.

• – Hold the pose as long as you can. If possible between 1 and 2 minutes. In the position Viparita Karani (legs on the wall) can be between 5 and 10 minutes and the same for Savasana (Corpse)
• – Listen to your body and do not force it, does not make sense that your practice more stressed out you or cause you more stress. Go slowly, always keeping your attention on your breath. If this is stirred, do less or undo posture.
• – Bring again and again your mind to what you’re doing. Maybe the thoughts keep coming and that the problem that haunts your head again and again. Nothing happens, with kindness and love, when you realize that your mind is distracted, Bring it back to the present moment.
• -. Treat yourself with Love Do not judge at any time. You’re doing the best you can. Accept state where you are and still gives those steps, slowly.

“Unless that man is a light to itself, nothing matters, because if you rely on someone, it is then in a state of perpetual anxiety.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Breathing techniques (Pranayama)

By practicing pranayama enables control over the nervous system and therefore a gradual control over prana or vital energy of mind is obtained. This translates into a body and a calm mind. Regular practice of pranayama gives us concentration, relaxation and inner peace, among many other benefits.

Here are two simple techniques that will help. Practice them after the session of physical yoga or if you do not have much time, it is preferable must prioritize breathing exercises.

1. Simple breathing exercise where exhalation is longer than inhalation. Da Click here for detailed explanation.
2. Anuloma Viloma or alternate breathing. Balance your energy, stabilizes the cardiac action among other benefits you can see in this article.

“While breathing is irregular, the mind remains unstable; when breathing calms the mind will remain motionless and the yogi achieve stability. Therefore be controlled breathing (with pranayama practice). “

Hatha Yoga Pradiprika

Meditation

Meditation has many benefits I prefer to experience for yourself. To each at a different time of his life it serves to something essential. The ultimate goal is liberation, but before you get there you will experience many things as increased awareness in your everyday life and a growing self-awareness. This helps us to act wisely in every situation, with discernment and equanimity, bringing consequently also the connection with the peace that is within you.

“Meditation is the direct path to freedom. A mysterious staircase leading from earth to heaven, from darkness to light and from mortality to immortality. “

Swami Sivananda.

An exercise before bedtime

I leave this video so that you practice in bed, just before sleep. Do so gently, carefully breathing without expectations, you will have a great calming effect on your mind, body and emotions. They are just 8 minutes. You dare?

Once you finish practicing, I invite you to do another exercise, this time mentally. Make a reflection of your whole day. Again without judging. Only see what you’ve done since you got up until you went to bed. And emphasize remember what you have done for others and the things that have made you happy, however small beam. This exercise cleanses the subconscious and helps you to go to bed with more mental calm and good feeling will be reflected the next morning.

The most important step in your healing

If you suffer from anxiety and you followed me this far, congratulations! You might want to implement what we have shared and that has been so helpful to many people like Sonia.

I leave the last words that this friend shared with me for people who go through this situation:

“I congratulate you for agreeing to talk that yoga teacher who came into my life at such an important moment, and for having allowed myself to practice their experience. I’m sure you’ll also make the best choice for your life. So be it!”

I feel that the most important step you have already given: make you aware of what is happening in you and want to fix it. Do not stop now. Follow patience on this path of transformation that somehow you have entered and you will see that not only will relieve anxiety, but your life will change completely.

In my experience after these years accompanying persons using yoga as a tool and my own experiences, I feel that the power to stop and become aware of what is happening within us is vital. Having the ability to accept the current situation, without rejecting it and on the other hand, face her, it has much merit and sooner or later will pay off. You are sowing consciousness in your life. Again, I congratulate you for it!

And you, heart, how do you feel now? What about after experimenting with some of what I share here?

Love,

naylin