Yoga For Anxiety: How To Overcome Anxiety With Yoga

By Author: DevvratYoga
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With each passing decade, the 5000 year old science of Yoga is gaining popularity as the best natural remedy for managing (in certain cases, treating) various conditions, both mental and physical. Yoga has also made its way to research work and published papers at places like Harvard, who have acknowledged the natural healing benefits of yoga. Today, even experts and doctors recommend the inclusion of yoga for managing anxiety. You can check out some of these links for digging deeper into the benefits of yoga for efficiently managing the symptoms of anxiety.

How Do I Know If I am Anxious?
Some of us are not even aware that we are experiencing anxiety. We just assume that it is nothing but constant stress that is burning us down. However, anxiety is much distinct that being stressed or being moody. Here are the major symptoms that you can watch out for to rule in anxiety.

• Inexplicable discomfort
• Apprehension or Sudden Self-Doubt
• Sadness
• Feeling ill at ease
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Lack of focus
• Too much worry
• Feeling triggered or agitated
...
... • Shortness of breath
• Feeling a sudden surge of panic

How Does Anxiety Impact Us?

Anxiety is full of negative effects that happen to our body and mind both. An anxious body and mind can even go through some serious health conditions if the anxiety is not managed on time. Some of these conditions are heart-related such as hypertension, even stroke. On a mental note, an anxious person can even travel into a state of depression if they do not treat their anxiety. Needless to say, anxiety is a major cause of people falling into a state of depression across the globe.

Owing to this, most of us resort to anti-anxiety and antidepressants chemical drugs that help with managing the symptoms, but fail to address or work on the root cause of it. This just leads us to fall into an unhealthy lifestyle that severely impacts our physical and mental health in the long run.

The Benefits of Yoga for Anxiety Relief
According to a study published at Harvard, when we practice yoga, our body's responses to stress gets significantly reduced. If we include yoga as a part of our daily routine, we can efficiently manage anxiety; even reduce the symptoms of depression along with eliminating stress entirely. Here are certain benefits that yoga offers to us for releasing stress and anxiety.

• Helps release all the stress knots in our body.
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system.
• Trains the body and mind to be more flexible to external stressors rather than be reactive to it.
• Manages a stable heart rate.
• Helps maintain normal blood pressure.
• Calms the nervous system.
• Regulates oxygen flow.
• Calms the mind overall.
• Releases happy hormones
Top Yoga Poses for Anxiety Relief

1. Channel-Cleaning Breath (Nadhi Shodhana)

Prepare your body and mind for yoga by starting with some breathwork. Start with the channel cleansing breathing technique, also known as, the Nadi Shodhana. Sit on the floor, cross legged, or in a chair. Take a few deep breaths through your nose and exhale each breath through the mouth. Now use your right thumb and close your right nostril with us. Take a deep breathe inwards through the left nostril. Next, close your left nostril using your forefinger or ring finger and release the air through the right nostril. Repeat this for a few breaths while switching sides of the nostrils. Feel a fresh flow of energy pass through your body and mind.

2. Bound Angle Yoga Pose (Baddha Konasana)
To come to this pose, sit on the yoga mat with your legs extended towards the sides. Bring the bottoms of your feet close to each other while exhaling. Bring them close to your pelvis region while pressing the soles of the feet together. Take a few deep breaths and release the pose.

3. Big Toe Yoga Pose (or Supta Padangusthasana)

To get into this amazing yoga pose for anxiety relief, lie on your back on the floor or the yoga mat with your feet up to 6 inches apart. Lift your right leg up to stretch your quadriceps and hamstrings, point your toe towards the ceiling to stretch it to the maximum capacity. Try to grab the toe of your foot. Exhale. Repeat this process with the left leg. You can use a strap to modify this pose for further benefits.

4. Cat Yoga Pose ( or Marjaryasana)
You can combine the cat yoga pose with the cow pose. Both poses are amazing for releasing stress knots from the spine and easing the abdominal muscles. Reach on your fours and make a table top. Keep your head and neck facing the floor. Take a breath inwards and curve your spine like a bow. Stretch it as much as possible while maintaining a stability in the position of the hips and shoulders. Inhale while returning to the initial position. Repeat these steps a few times. Or you can move to the cow poses and do both poses alternatively.

5. Cow Yoga Pose (or Bitilasana)
Come into a tabletop position like you did in the cat pose. Inhale and lift your chest in a convex curve. Facilitate it by pushing your head back to gaze at the ceiling. While releasing the breath, come back to the initial position.

Perform Modifications Using Props

• Bolsters
• Pillows
• Belts
• Straps

Study Authentic Yoga to Gain Maximum Benefits While Getting Certified as a Yoga Teacher

Practice and learn yoga from its root with a yoga teacher training in India. You can start your yoga journey with a 200 hours yoga teacher training in India and do a 200 hour yoga certificate course in Varkala, Kerala or Rishikesh, Mysore, or Goa, places with some of the best yoga schools on the globe.

We aspire to create a yogic community of dedicated practitioners to keep the ancient wisdom of Yoga alive by studying it in-depth and making it accessible to many people. https://www.devvratyoga.com/