Can Yoga help with Anxiety?

Sitting pose
tree pose

If you live in the city, you will have a level of anxiety. City dwellers are in sympathetic overdrive most of the time – rushing to work, stuck in traffic, abuse by other commuters, work deadlines and the list goes on. A regular yoga practice can help alleviate feeling of stress and anxiety. Taking the time out each day for some ‘me’ time, will allow your body and mind to reset. This article will cover the many components of yoga that can help you settle feelings of anxiety and other negative emotions.

Upward facing dog

Movement

Exercise in general, improves your physical and mental health. The combination of strength and stretching in yoga will increase your stamina but the difference in yoga compared with other forms of exercise, is that it is linked with your breath. This is a very powerful technique of calming the nervous system. In addition, as concentration is often required, your mind stops the chatter that causes anxiety. You come to the present moment and see things as they really are. A meta-analysis of 17 studies found Hatha yoga to be effective in reducing anxiety(1). Effectiveness was associated with the total number of hours practiced. Some other studies did not find such a clear correlation with anxiety. The level of anxiety can be so varied amongst different individuals, a personalized approach is best.

If you are a beginner in yoga, start with the simple poses and try to link your breath with the movement as instructed. That is the secret to getting the most out of your yoga practice.

Table top and cow pose

Basic poses that can help alleviate anxiety

Alternating Cat and Cow poses

Start in table top position on all fours. Your hands should be placed at the same width as your shoulders and arm straight, perpendicular to the floor. The knees are directly below the hips and at the same distance apart. the thighs should be perpendicular to the floor. Inhale, face forwards, expanding the chest towards the ceiling and dropping the belly towards the floor to cow pose. Exhale, rounding the back like an angry cat, flex the neck, bringing your chin towards the chest and look down to cat pose. Inhale moving back to cow pose and repeat 5 rounds. Once you get the rhythm, start to extend the length of your exhale to be twice as long as your inhale(eg. Inhale to cow for 2 counts, exhale to cat for 4 counts).

Baddhakonasana

Bound Angle Pose (Baddhakonasana)

To get into this pose, sit upright and bend the legs so that the knees come up, then open up the hips so that the knees move away from each other toward the floor. Place the soles of the feet together, facing each other. Allow the hips to open up comfortably – don’t force the knees towards the ground. Open up your chest and inhale for 3 counts, exhale for 6 counts. Take 5 rounds of breathing and notice the stillness of the mind with this pose.

child's pose

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Sit on your calves and inhale. stretch the arms in front along the ground as you fold forwards until the face is against the mat. Take 5 slow breaths. This is a resting pose that stretches and lengthens the spine, relieving any strain on the back and neck. It has a calming effect on the mind as the body is relaxed. It can melt away feelings of anxiety.The hips, thighs and ankles are gently stretched. The arms can be stretched out in front or placed on either side of the body.

Utthita Trikonasana

Other poses that help reduce anxiety include:

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Staff pose (Dandasana)

Extended Triangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Camel pose (Ustrasana)

Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani)

Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Meditation

Pranayama and Meditation

The use of breathing techniques such as Alternate Nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) and meditation techniques to clear the mind can do wonders to reduce anxiety. Both of these can be done on their own or following an asana practice. ISHTA Kriya meditation is a more complete meditation that can benefit both physical and mental health issues – contact us if you think you can be helped with a personalized yoga and meditation program.

Why Everyone should be doing Yoga

Older yogis

Age

If you haven’t done any yoga in the past and you are in your 60’s or 70’s, you may be wondering, is it too late to start a yoga practice? There really is no age limit to yoga. Where ever you are at, is where you start. Most yoga poses have modifications and you will find over time, there will be an improvement in strength and flexibility. There is a growing movement to introduce yoga to kids. They are a lot more flexible and agile, but they also benefit with improved concentration, focus and attention span.

If you are looking to go deeper into Yoga, check out House of Yoga

Flexibility

A common excuse for not doing yoga is ‘I am not flexible enough’. Yoga is not about flexibility. With regular stretching and practice, you do become more flexible but that is not the goal. Even if you are very stiff, you can start with the poses that your body allows and build from there. You don’t have to do the pose illustrated on Day 1. But if that is what you want, with time and practice, your will get there.

Start with the foundation poses such as child’s pose, down-dog, Warrior I, II and III, mountain pose, tree-pose, seated twists, baby cobra, upward facing dog and forward fold. Commit to mastering Surya Namaska (sun-salutation), building strength in the arms with chaturanga dandasana before attempting intermediate poses.

Wheel with leg up
Handstand

Yoga is not only for girls

Although yoga is popular amongst women, male yogis can equally enjoy yoga practice and reap the rewards. Yoga can help men develop strength and flexibility, as well as improve mood and concentration. Most of the yoga gurus are male. Don’t be intimidated by the strong flexible females in the class, as men tend to build up strength faster. With regular practice, you will achieve physical fitness and mental calmness.

Yoga Poses – get that healing feeling

Reverse warrior

Heal yourself by re-balancing your mind and body through yoga

Yoga poses along with the flow that connects the poses, breath work and meditation, can help re-balance the body physically and mentally. This puts the body in an optimal condition to heal itself. Some poses and sequences are designed to enhance the body’s healing powers but should only be used in conjunction with advice from your health professional. The following are some examples of conditions that can be assisted in healing with yoga.

If you are looking to go deeper into Yoga, have a look at House of Yoga for training by my yoga teacher guru Mark Breadner

This article is for general education only and is not intended in any way to be medical advice. You should consult with your health practitioner for a tailored program to your specific condition(s). Note that some yogic movements can be harmful if practiced with certain conditions.

Back Pain

Yoga is great for re-alignment of posture, which can help relieve sore back muscles, speed up recovery and prevent further injury in the future. Many of the yoga postures strengthen the lower back muscles and stretch tight ones. This improves the circulation and reduces inflammation by taking off undue stress on the tissues and joints. Regular movement linked with breath work can also relieve soreness and prevent injury with better spinal alignment.

sphinx pose

With new injuries, if the pain is intense and acute, it would be wise to wait until this settles before adding any movement which will aggravate the pain. If there is any weakness, tingling or numbness, it could mean that a nerve is pinched in which case you should seek medical attention before attempting any yoga practice. If the acute pain does not subside after 2-3 days, you should consult your health professional for further investigation.

If the pain is mild and movement can be done comfortable, then you may wish to try these poses: Cat-Cow, Sphinx pose, Cobra pose, Forward Fold, Bridge pose, Downward Facing Dog, Triangle pose, Locust pose, Spinal twist with both knees, Half Lord of the Fishes and Child’s pose.

Gut issues

Following a plant-strong diet and yogic lifestyle, along with regular yoga practice, can help re-balance the autonomic nervous system. Yoga and meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system (‘rest and digest’) improving the digestion and elimination. In the Western world, being ‘on the go’ is the norm and being in a constant state of sympathetic activation (‘flight and fright’) contributes to many gut complaints. Ujjayi and nadi sodhana pranayama both enhance parasympathetic activation, which will help settle digestive symptoms, especially those associated with stress. Meditation will also reduce stress and sympathetic overdrive. A regular yoga flow practice with physical activity can reduce the risk of constipation.

Depression and Low Mood
Meditation

70% of your neurotransmitters are produced by bacteria in the gut. This includes serotonin and dopamine which can have a significant effect on your mood. Regular yoga practice can help re-balance the autonomic system, energize the body, open the heart centre and enhance central nervous system function resulting in better focus and a more positive outlook on life.

Start with a gentle flow and build up your stamina as your mood improves. Include pranayama and meditation to quiet the mind. Yoga poses which can help alleviate mild depression include Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining bound angle) pose, Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog) and Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand).