REDUCING ANXIETY WITH YOGA
BALANCING MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT
Attending the Omega Institute’s “Being Yoga” conference was a powerful reminder of how yoga can help create a balance in mind, body and spirit, and not just a means of relaxation which is a common misconception. Yoga is an ancient practice designed to manage our complex minds with exercises devoted to (1) physical strengthening, (2) stretching for flexibility, and (3) deep breathing that becomes a meditation.
We attended a day long Ashtanga Yoga intensive with David Swenson. He reminded us that Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras described the eight aspects of yoga as limbs of a tree. Each tree in a forest has the same goal as all living beings - to reach toward the light and reach its greatest potential. These 8 limbs describe the areas of growth on which we focus to balance our lives. They include:
· ethical disciplines,
· self awareness
· physical postures,
· breath control,
· sense withdrawal or controlling the senses from wandering,
· concentration,
· meditation
· a state of joy and peace.
The physical postures or asanas warm up the metabolism and help burn up the stress hormones. Breath control, which includes deep, diaphragmatic breathing, is the opposite of hyperventilation common with anxiety. Both asanas and breath control also help reduce symptoms.
Using Yoga and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) has proven effective in treating several of the most commonly experienced disorders, anxiety, panic and depression. Yoga teaches that the thoughts and feelings of anxiety must be met with softness by relaxing the body and managing the mind. Yoga masters teach how to approach thoughts and emotions as impermanent and fleeting, rather than truthful, and that these thoughts and emotions do not represent all of who we really are - we are much more than just our minds. Yoga teaches the ability to leave thoughts alone and become responsible for our reactions to them.
Boris Pisman in the ACA Journal offers some helpful tips on accomplishing the difficult task of “letting thoughts be” while experiencing anxiety and obsessions.
Remind yourself that you are not your thoughts.
Focus your attention on the peaceful sensation in the heart center, creating a calming awareness (similar to cardiac coherence exercises).
Refrain from mental dialogue.
Practice to build up your effectiveness. David Swenson’s teacher Pattabhi Jois is fond of saying 99% practice and 1% Theory.
In my experience, I find yoga adds to the quality of life by keeping balance in the 3 aspects of our being mind, body and spirit and can reduce anxiety symptoms.