Managing Anxiety: Using Yoga and the Breath
Managing Anxiety Using Yoga and the Breath
Does this sound like you? You are lost in thought, your gaze is fixed on something intangible, and your heart is racing. Your mind is a swirling tornado of words and sounds, and you are out of breath. You simultaneously desire to step off this hamster wheel of thoughts yet are compelled to remain.
Most people will experience anxiety at some point in their lives, drawing their full attention to a uniquely stressful situation. For most people, once the crisis is over, the feeling of anxiety ends as well. However, for some, anxiety can feel like a full-time emotion that leaves us feeling powerless over our thoughts and regretful of overreacting to events, whether real or perceived.
How Can Yoga and the Breath Help?
Anxiety draws our attention to an event in the past or future, keeping us from being in the present moment. And even though the act of thinking happens now, the forward or backward looking keeps us from being with what we are feeling, seeing, hearing, and physically sensing presently.
Whether practicing static postures or moving with the breath, yoga poses help us discover the mind-body connection. Static poses draw our attention away from intrusive thoughts and towards any physical sensations, including the space we occupy in this world. The stillness of static postures offers us the opportunity to be aware of our bodies and keeps us grounded in the moment. Movement in yoga is generally aligned with the breath and reconnects us with our active self, rediscovering our range of motion and, in time, accepting any limitations. Additionally, there are yoga sequences that focus on movement while breathing within a specific breath count. This movement or state of flow can lead to a transformative connection within ourselves using the mind, body, and breath.
Similarly, breath awareness practices commonly used in yoga help us instantly focus on the present moment because to focus on the breath is to be in the present. And yet, even when we become aware that our attention has moved away from the breath, it is in that precise moment, we are in the present.
Breathwork Practice You Can Try Now
Try this breath awareness practice. You can do this with your eyes open or closed.
Find a comfortable yet supported seat, close your eyes, bring your awareness to your breath and observe your neutral breath. This is the breath that is happening without trying to change or manipulate it in any way.
Do this for five rounds
Pay attention to the pause between the breath.
After your natural exhale (no straining to exhale), become aware of the pause after the exhale and before the inhale breath.
Inhale when you are ready and see if you can observe the space that occurs as the inhale becomes an exhale.
If you find it comfortable to stay in the pause (don't force yourself to hold your breath), allow that to happen, reminding yourself that you are in control. And when you are ready to take the next breath, you can, and you will.
Repeat this for 5-10 rounds. Or for as long as you like!
This practice is an example of changing your focus to a present moment activity. You can practice this anywhere and at any time without anyone noticing! Yoga and breath awareness practices are not a cure-all, however, we can add yoga and breath awareness to our arsenal of self-care practices, which may also include therapy.
At Repose, we offer many services specializing in anxiety, from an online group to a private yoga class designed to meet you where you are today. If you would like more information about experiential therapies Repose offers, reach out to us today. You are not alone. You can manage your anxiety and we are here to help.
Learn more about the Repose studio here. Learn more about other experiential therapies offered at Repose here.