How Yoga Helps Anxiety

It seems like our minds are always on overload nowadays. Because of this, many of us suffer from high levels and anxiety and are constantly looking for ways to relieve it. Some take routes that are not as healthy as others, maybe because they don't know there are other options. But there are, take for example yoga. Yoga can help with anxiety immensely, as the mind and body are connected more than many people realize.

Yoga helps you disconnect from the fast-paced, hectic world we all live in that is causing that anxiety. On top of that, the major principles of yoga teach you breathing techniques that allow you to curb your anxiety during stressful situations. Other than that, yoga also helps bring about mental clarity and allows you to build skills that keep you in the present.

All of these skills that you learned during yoga along with the physical activity and the improvement of blood circulation is how yoga helps with your anxiety. Now let's take a more in-depth look at what anxiety is and other benefits and tips that might help you build out a better and more consistent yoga practice to address your anxiety.

Anxiety: Why Do I Have It?

Before we jump into looking at how yoga helps with anxiety, it's important to understand where your anxiety comes from. This answer is going to be different for everybody. But there are some common stressors that we all confront on a daily matter.

Anxiety is a natural response of your body to situations that make you feel uncomfortable. It is part of our fight or flight system, and everybody has some level of anxiety. However, some have consistent anxiety that often leads to psychological disorders.

These individuals, deal with anxiety every single day, and oftentimes at heightened levels. There are of course a wealth of factors that contribute to this, including genetics and environment.

For most of us, the most common places when it comes to the environment that creates high levels of anxiety for us are:

• Work
• Personal relationships
• Financial problems
• Serious health issues
• Side effects of prescription medication

A Look at How Yoga Helps Anxiety

Understanding what anxiety is and the triggers that can bring it on can be the first step in really addressing the issues. Having the ability to do that whether it is a one-off situation or something that you're dealing with regularly can bring about a lot of change.

But it may not be enough, and so utilizing alternative routes might be a great option for you. Yoga is one of the best ways to address anxiety and stress because it works with not only the body through the physical exertion of the poses, but also the mind due to the meditational and philosophical practices attached to it.

Here are a few examples of just how yoga can help with anxiety:

Disconnect

Though the global connection that has come about through technology over the past several decades is amazing and can be a wondrous tool to have at your fingertips, it can also be too much. Yoga allows you to disconnect from all of those things that cause over stimulation, leading to anxiety.

Better Breathing

Breathing techniques are a core principle in yoga. Learning how to breathe better can help control your anxiety. It also allows more oxygen into your body, which brings better circulation and helps the brain work better.

Stability

Many people, when they are feeling over-anxious, will find themselves dealing with panic attacks that have symptoms such as dizziness and unsteadiness in the body. But yoga, through its poses and meditational works, allows one to create better stability. This keeps the individual grounded to the earth, which in turn can help give them more balance.

Mental Clarity

Anxiety feeds off of lack of focus and sometimes the inability to work through difficult situations. Through the breathing techniques and philosophical pillars of yoga, one learns how to clear the mind of all the negative thoughts, thereby allowing a clearer view of any situation that could potentially create anxiety.

Being Present

Anxiety partially comes from worrying about things that have happened and things that haven't. By consistently going in your mind over the past, you're never allowing your brain and spirit to heal. This is a continual agitation of your system, which therefore leads to anxiety. Through the mindfulness practices within yoga, one begins to build skills that allow them to stay in the moment thereby reducing that anxiety.

Keep This In Mind! Things to Remember

It's important when you are looking for a route to dealing with anxiety that you understand how yoga can help with that anxiety. Once you've decided to go that route, though, we think it's great to have a few things to think about as you're deciding which path to go down and what practice to incorporate into your life.

So here are a few pieces of advice and tips that we think could help you make a better decision and find the right yoga style and routine for you:

Keep It Short

Many people, when they begin looking at yoga to help them with their anxiety, look at these sessions and think “oh I can't do that because it is so long”. But the truth is to get started it's always better to start small and build. So just take 10 minutes a day, and you'll see great results.

Explore

There is a multitude of different yoga styles. Some are going to benefit some people more than others. So make sure to try a couple of different types, so you can find the perfect one for you.

Serenity

For those looking to do yoga in their home or even in a classroom setting, make sure when you find this space that you feel comfortable there. Any type of outside agitation or uncomfortable situation can trigger anxiety, so finding a place that is serene and calm is ideal.

Be Patient

Rome wasn't built in a day, for sure, and neither will you find your serenity. Understand that instituting a yoga practice into your daily life is not going to be a quick fix. You're going to need to be patient, as it's going to take time for you to develop the skills to combat that anxiety.

Positive Vibes

Instituting a yoga practice into your daily life is most definitely a great way to combat anxiety. But you have to continue the skills and practices outside as well. In order to combat the anxiety, you need to surround yourself with things that you love and people that give you good vibes. This will help amplify the results from your yoga practice.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of different ways that yoga helps with anxiety. Through physical exertion, allows for better circulation and improved breathing techniques. This will help you work your way through stressful situations.

When it comes to spiritual and mental benefits, it allows you to really balance your energies and be able to build a better relationship with both the inner world as well as the outer world. No matter what, utilizing yoga to help with your anxiety is definitely a smart step when it comes to your wellness journey and finding your way to a happier, healthier life.

Community Questions · 0