Exercise in general is really good for your mental health but one specific way to increase good mental health is yoga. Yoga is a great, natural tool for dealing with anxiety. The act of breathe work and movement of your body helps to teach your nervous system to keep you calm. Rather than using the normal response to situations, "fight or flight", you will start to use a new response that allows you to access the situation first. This new response can help improve your anxiety and stress. This is why yoga can be so beneficial for people who struggle with anxiety and stress. That same breath work and body movements can help clear your mind of thoughts. It allows you to focus on the moment you are in and let everything else in your life go on "pause". This lets those anxious thoughts to be put on hold while you tend to your practice. So, let's get into some specific poses that can help you deal with anxiety.
Certain poses are better than others when it comes to dealing with anxiety. These poses are calming poses that allow your mind to breathe while you get to take a breath from life too. The poses below are a list of beginner level yoga poses that are great for dealing with anxiety. We have provided pictures of the poses for you to get a visual of each.
All of these poses are great for starting off your morning when you know you have a stressful day ahead. They are also great for closing off your stressful day at night and bring yourself to a calmer state of mind.
Just take a deep breath, get into the pose. Then breathe deeply a few times while closing your eyes and letting your mind focus on the good, the positives, and your practice. Allow your body sink into the pose, holding each pose for 1-5 minutes, depending on your practice. Then slowly let your body release the position.
A LIST OF BEGINNER POSES FOR DEALING WITH YOUR ANXIETY
1. Child's Pose
2. Legs up the wall pose
3. Butterfly Pose
4. Extended Triangle Pose
5. Bridge Pose
6. Cow Pose
7. Cat Pose
8. Seated Forward Bend Pose
9. Standing Forward Bend Pose
10. Camel Pose
Each of these poses can be done in the morning, night, or throughout the day. They can be added to your current yoga practice or you can create a practice using these poses. It is important to know your personal max and not to push yourself too far if you are brand new to yoga. If some of these poses are outside of your practice, take it slow and work towards the pose. Let yourself focus on the breath work in your practice. Remember the point of doing these poses is to calm yourself and calm your anxiety. We hope you have a wonderful day and a calming, anti-anxiety yoga practice.
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