Yoga is an ancient practice that combines breathing exercises, meditation and various body postures. It has multiple applications, and can be very useful to enhance relaxation of the body and mind.
Yoga for anxiety is one of the many facets of this habit , and it is useful to get away from stress. In this article we will see its key elements and we propose 4 yoga postures for beginners.
Yoga is a discipline, a practice and a philosophy of life, which helps us connect body and mind. It is also a lifestyle for many. We find its origins in India, a country where it is widely practiced.
On the other hand, yoga includes a wide variety of exercises that combine different postures with meditation and conscious, slow breathing Through yoga many people manage to reduce their stress levels, become aware of their breathing, their body and their thoughts, and relax.
In the next section we will focus on yoga practices for anxiety useful exercises to reduce stress.
Yoga for anxiety
Yoga, as we have seen, yoga is used for various purposes: relaxing, connecting body and mind, gaining awareness of the body and breathing, learning to connect with thoughts, but also to escape, etc.
On the other hand, Anxiety consists of an altered psychophysiological state that causes various symptoms These symptoms can be dizziness, tension, body discomfort, gastric discomfort, migraines and headaches, nausea, vomiting, overexcitement, nervousness, etc. In addition, anxiety also includes cognitive symptoms (negative thoughts, loss of concentration, memory difficulties, irritability, feeling of going crazy, etc.) and behavioral symptoms (impulsivity, agitation, hyperactivity, avoidance behaviors, etc.). That is, it is a state that brings together elements of the body (physical) and the mind (cognitive).
This is why yoga can help relieve this type of discomfort, since this practice works with the body and mind to achieve balance and a feeling of peace. And, precisely, the feeling of peace is what one seeks when feeling anxious.
In short, yoga for anxiety can be very beneficial, as we will see below.
How does yoga act on mild anxiety?
We have seen how yoga for anxiety can be a good technique to use when we are going through a stressful time or with certain levels of overload and stress. Here we will focus on talking about yoga for cases of mild anxiety , since in cases of moderate or severe anxiety it is advisable to attend psychological therapy, sometimes combined with psychopharmacological treatment. In any case, you can also use these last two options in cases of mild anxiety.
But… how does yoga act on anxiety when it begins to be a factor that damages our well-being? Basically through body movements, physical exercise, breathing and meditation:
1. Body
Yoga for anxiety can be useful because it connects with the body, just like anxiety. The body is the main tool of yoga (along with meditation and breathing exercises). In this way, through it we perform the different postures. As we gain some practice and know a little more about how our body works, we can improve the exercises and practice more difficult exercises.
The body connects directly with our physiological state, and an altered or hyperaroused physiological state is the basis of anxiety. That is why through the body (and yoga) we can improve our anxiety levels.
2. Physical exercise
For many people, youga is practically a sport; Furthermore, although the physical exercise performed with yoga is not particularly intense (at least if we compare it with sports such as basketball, soccer, fitness, etc.), physical exercise is performed. Physical exercise is good for health, and health and anxiety are antagonistic That is, when we have anxiety we are not “healthy,” in the sense that our body and mind are suffering, they are not “resting.”
In this way, with the physical exercise that is done with yoga our levels of mild anxiety can also decrease slightly (and more with practice).
3. Breathing
Finally, breathing is another key element in yoga, which is essential to reduce stress. When we suffer from anxiety, our breathing tends to be more agitated (especially in the “peak” moments of anxiety). Many times it is difficult to realize that our breathing is accelerated, simply because we do not pay attention.
But try doing this exercise when you’re especially agitated: listen to your breathing. As simple as that. Once you detect that this is accelerated, try to breathe more slowly, inhaling deeply until your stomach is full and exhaling all the air little by little.
Practice these steps a few times and you will see your breathing slow down and you feel more relaxed. It’s incredible how by controlling our breathing we can feel much more relaxed!
Thus, since breathing control is a central element in yoga exercises, with a lot of practice it can help us reduce mild anxiety.
4. Meditation
In this case, we talk about mind control. Meditation allows us to relax, let our thoughts flow without dwelling on them and, ultimately, learn to escape for the benefit of the body and mind.
As we have seen, when we suffer from anxiety our mind becomes overactive: we feel overwhelmed, overexcited and in a state of alert. In addition, we tend to have negative thoughts or constant worries in our heads. Therefore, yoga meditation can be beneficial for our anxiety.
We have seen how yoga for anxiety can work, reducing our stress levels through breathing, body, physical exercise and meditation.
Now we are going to see 4 simple yoga postures that can help us reduce mild anxiety. Logically, They will be useful with practice and in combination with other yoga exercises
1. Downward Facing Dog Pose
This is one of the typical yoga postures, ideal for beginners. It consists of leaning the trunk downward by stretching the arms and resting them on the ground, with the legs slightly apart. Our body has to be in the shape of an inverted “V”
2. Downward facing dog pose with raised leg
This second position is an evolution of the previous one; thus, we lift one of the legs up We do this by first separating the foot from the ground and progressively elevating it.
We will have to remain like this for a few seconds, with the leg fixed and strong.
3. Warrior Pose
In the warrior posture, we will stand with our legs slightly open, one in front of the other. The trunk and back must remain straight. We inhale deeply and exhale; We bend the right knee forming a 90º angle, and raise both arms with hands intertwined and upward
4. Cow Pose
In this position, we will stand on all fours on the floor (mat) (with our knees and hands touching the ground). Your hands should be placed just below your shoulders, and your knees below your hips. Head straight forward, and feet stretched out.
We must lift and round the spine; We will put the tailbone in and push the butt out. We look at the fact, breathe in and breathe out.
