Best Self Help

Use Yoga to Help Conquer Fear and Anxiety

How Yoga Can Help You Cope With Fear and Anxiety

Yoga is generally thought of as a fitness program. It’s true that yoga helps improve strength, flexibility and endurance. However, yoga also helps with many other mental, emotional and spiritual elements in a person’s life. In fact, yoga can be very effective to help you cope with fear. Here’s how:

#1 Yoga teaches focus and awareness.

One of the reasons fear is so destructive is that it can overwhelm logic. It takes over other senses too. One small fearful thought can snowball until it encompasses every thought and action. With yoga you learn how to focus on the present moment. You also learn to become aware of your thoughts.

When you’re aware of your thoughts they begin to lose power over you. You can change your thoughts. You can find a positive thought and focus on that. You can find gratitude and focus on that. Yoga teaches very powerful principles that can be embraced in simple ways.

#2 Teaches you to push your limits.

As you progress with yoga you’re going to try new poses. Some of these poses can be very challenging. You’ll be moving out of your mental and physical comfort zone. This is great practice. You can apply the same boundary stretching lessons to your daily life. When you push your own emotional boundaries fear can become less of an issue for you.

#3 Fear management.

One of the core elements of any yoga practice is breathing control. Controlling your breathing helps you control your body and quiet your mind. This can be applied when fear is overtaking you. You can remember to control your breathing and quiet your mind. Thus, you’ll be able to manage your fear.

#4 Yoga Poses for Fear

There are actually a few poses you can embrace in your yoga practice or when you’re experiencing fear that can help.

Easy Pose – To perform easy pose simply sit cross legged on the floor or your yoga matt. Palms up, rest your hands on your knees. Keep your entire body relaxed. Keep your back straight. Breathe deeply and slowly for a count of seven. Inhale for four and exhale for a count of three. Stay in this position until you feel more calm and focused.

Standing Forward Bend – Stand with your feet a comfortable distance apart. No wider than shoulder distance. Slowly roll down until you’re hanging from the waist. Your head and shoulders, hips and legs should stay relaxed. Breathe through your nose. If your hands reach the floor, great. Let them relax there. If not, consider using a pillow or a bolster to rest them on. You want to be comfortable. Allow your face, neck and back to relax. Continue to hold the pose as you breathe deeply for a minute or two. When ready, slowly roll back up. Take care to not move too quickly after this pose. You may feel a touch lightheaded.

Yoga can help you find your center. It can help you manage fear. It can also help you push past your fears. If you struggle with fear consider starting a yoga practice. You will be amazed at the many benefits yoga provides.

Yoga Styles – Don’t know your Invengar from your Vinyasa? Read this.

If you’re considering taking up yoga, you may feel overwhelmed. There are many styles of yoga. Understanding them all and knowing which one is right for you can be complicated.

Instead of trying several different styles of yoga, use this guide to help you make a choice.

Hatha
Most yoga styles are Hatha based. In fact there are more than 90 different types of Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is based on poses or asanas, cleansing techniques and breathing. If you’re looking at a yoga class or practice chances are it is a form of Hatha yoga. Ha and tha mean sun and moon. It’s a forceful type of yoga that can be physically demanding. However, when most people talk about yoga they’re referring to Hatha yoga. It’s the most popular type of yoga.

Ashtanga
Ashtanga is a type of Hatha yoga. It is physically demanding. You’ll move quickly through series of postures. This type of yoga is designed to build strength, flexibily and endurance. If you’re a beginner, take an Ashtanga yoga class only if they offer beginner instruction classes. Consider starting with a basic Hatha yoga class to learn the postures and breathing first.

Kundalini
Kundalini yoga is more focused on the breath and release of energy than other forms of yoga. In a Kundalini class you’ll likely see the same classic poses you’d find in a Hatha yoga class. However, you’ll spend more time focusing on breathing and coordinating your breathing to your movements. You’ll also likely spend a bit more time on meditation than in a standard Hatha yoga class.

Power Yoga or Power Vinyasa
Power yoga is often also Hot Yoga, meaning it takes place in a heated room. Most rooms are generally around 100 degrees. The goal is to eliminate toxins from your body through sweat. Power yoga is more active and physically demanding than other yoga styles. Generally the goal is to improve strength and flexibility however you’ll move through the poses quite quickly.

Take a beginner’s course if you’re not familiar with standard yoga poses. In a power yoga class you certainly won’t have time to figure out what the instructor is doing before they move onto the next pose. It is important to be somewhat knowledgeable so you get the most out of the class.

Also, if the course is taught in a hot room make sure it’s safe for you. If you have high blood pressure or other conditions spending ninety minutes in a 100 degree room while exercising may not be good for your health.

Bikram
Bikram yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury. It is a structures series of 26 asanas or poses and the classes are always in a hot room. This type of yoga isn’t for everyone. Make sure you bring a lot of water and are healthy enough to take this type of class.

Ivengar
Ivengar yoga may be the second most popular type of yoga, second to power yoga. Most of the poses in Ivengar yoga are active poses. You’ll be on your feet. You’ll also use props like blocks and belts to help you adjust the pose to your fitness level and experience. It’s popular because it is welcoming to most all health levels and fitness levels. And instructors are rigorously taught before they receive certification. You know an Ivengar yoga teacher is on top of things! Precise alignment and attention to detail are part of an Ivengar practice.

Vinyasa / Vinyasa Flow
Vinyasa yoga offers more flow between poses than other forms of yoga however, it is still quite rigorous. You’re only supposed to take one breath per movement. So breathing and control are necessary. Yet most Vinyasa yoga classes are considered less traditional than other forms. You may experience a variety of poses, rather than repetition. You may also listen to music during your class instead of meditative silence.

Before starting any yoga class consider what you want to gain and focus on. Are you looking for a spiritual experience? Do you want it to be part of an intense fitness program? Are you looking for a more well-rounded experience? Most yoga studios offer beginner classes and a first class is free option. Take advantage of these. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And if you’re considering power yoga or hot yoga make sure your doctor gives you the okay.

Yoga for Mental Health

Mental health is just as important as physical health. In fact, mental health influences physical health in many ways.

And Yoga can help.

You can use Yoga as a way to strengthen your mind.

It usually takes some psyching out to get people to exercise. They have to “talk” themselves into it. When you don’t feel like having that talk, you don’t get the exercise either. When it comes to yoga, the experience works the other way around.

Yoga was once seen as a religious meditation kind of exercise and not one that worked for the body. If you were trying to lose weight you bypassed the yoga class in favor of something more rigorous. What you might not have known was that yoga could bridge the gap between the body and mind, which is so important for focus in life and experiencing a happier existence.

Yoga is an ancient art that has been practiced for centuries. It is used to enhance the body and mind as well as heal both. Have you ever watched someone practicing martial arts? Some of the moves they perform seem almost impossible or ethereal in nature. That is because of the strong connection between the mind and the body.

Yoga incorporates mental exercises as well as the physical exercises (called asanas). Through it all you are practicing your breathing techniques. The body needs oxygen. As you inhale deeply and exhale slowly through your stretches and positions, your muscles are doing more work than you can imagine. Yoga adds flexibility to your body. Lengthening those muscles also builds them up stronger.

Mentally, you are concentrating on several aspects of yoga. First, you are learning to relax your mind and remove all thought but that pertaining to what your body is doing. Some people immediately see the complex positioning of advanced yoga people and say that they can’t do it. By concentrating on each position and helping your body move into them, you can, over time, achieve the same level of expertise.

So, how is all of this helpful for mental patients or people who want to improve their mental health? The mind goes a long way to deciding what we do or don’t do in the body. When you practice yoga you learn to tap into that mind-body connection. With each new milestone, you gain confidence in your ability to control the body. This is crucial when you talk about building relationships with people and even enhancing your personal growth.

You begin to see possibilities in your life with renewed purpose. Through your meditation and exercise, you develop a more spiritual awareness of who you are in relation to the universe and everything in it. A healthy balance forms between your mental state and the rest of your life.

Practice makes perfect. With each positive step you take, the negative thoughts and emotions are dispelled. And, when yoga is practiced in a group setting, you also begin to foster relationships instead of isolation which can lead to depression.

And you thought yoga was just for kicks. It is a serious form of exercise that brings with it healing to the entire body and the mind.

Resources for Further Study:

Yoga With Linda Arkin: For Physical, Mental and Emotional Health

Max Strom: Yoga – Strength, Grace, Healing DVD

Max Strom: Yoga – Strength, Grace, Healing DVD

Where to buy: www.borders.com

Max Strom is a well-known yoga master who approaches his yoga teachings in a very holistic way to strengthen body, mind and emotions. He is also the founder and director of the Sacred Movement Center for Yoga and Healing in Los Angeles. In this DVD set, he provides a great introduction to yoga with exercises that are designed for beginners/intermediate students in easy to follow steps. You will learn the proper yoga technique and how to do it safely.

I like the variety that the DVD Strength, Grace and Healing has to offer. You can follow 2 beginner yoga practices (one of 90 minutes and one of 45 minutes) where you challenge yourself to various poses as gracefully and intensively as you want them to be. Also very enjoyable and calming are the meditation exercises. Max Strom’s style of yoga encourages inner peace and calm, while at the same time providing you with physical wellbeing.

Overall, the DVD set is certainly worth investing in if you are looking for total relaxation and at the same time a good workout. Max Strom is – in my opinion – a fantastic teacher and this definitely comes across in his DVDs.