Yoga for anxiety

Hello

I've been doing yoga once or twice a day for the past two years. Recently I've been looking on You Tube and google for poses and routines specific ally geared to anxiety and there seems to be no consensus on this at all. In fact pretty much every pose you could think of is covered.

I've therefore decided I'll just do the poses I find easy. Is that good or bad? Would be grateful for other opinions.

I actually have to force myself to di yoga but that applies to everything else too unfortunately.

Hi,
Yoga moves are based on sequences. Each sequence of moves is designed to compliment the other. One pose is designed to open up and engage various muscle groups in preperation of another move. This not only makes progression more efficient but also safer.
My sugestion would be to focuse more on finding sequences that feel within your capacity as opposed to making up your own list of moves.

Alternatively you could research tbe anatomy of yoga and how to safely create your own sequences. Books will go into more detail on this subject.

How to create your own sequences is where its at. Each sequence will also be more effective for different energy states.

Hope some of that makes sense.

Exscuse typos as typed from my phone.

Wishing you all the best.

Hi Ponder

Yep that makes sense. I used to take yoga classes but just blindly followed instructions.

Does anyone know of any good online sequence for anxiety?

Thanks

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Edit - I'll include some text ... I hit enter too soon

These are simple postures that aim to bring movement to your body, stretch out any tightness that may have developed over your day, help you relax, and keep you committed to the practice.


You can practice these poses by themselves for a short period of time or do them all together in sequence. However you choose to practice them, make sure that you pay attention to the fundamentals: Find the balance between strength and ease, and continue to breathe in a slow and conscious manner.


When it comes to poses that stretch your body, you never want to overdo it. Find that happy medium in your stretch and breathe through it. If you cannot breathe in a slow and controlled manner, you have gone too far and you should back off the stretch.
________________

1. Easy Pose – Sukhasana


PURPOSE:
Sukhasana is meant to be a grounding pose where you can meditate or practice breath work.


INSTRUCTIONS:
Sit evenly on your sit bones and cross your shins in front of you. There should be space between your calves and your thighs. Once in the pose, relax your shoulders. Sit up tall. Take any extreme arch out of your back by using your abs to draw your lower ribs back into your spine.


BREATHING:
If you want to practice ujjayi breathing here, close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply in and out through your nose. Remember to fully fill up your lungs. Once you get the hang of it, aim for a nice, even breath so that the length of your inhale matches the length of the exhale. Try to do this for a minute or longer.


MODIFICATIONS:
While this is called Easy pose, it isn’t always easy for everyone. Depending on the bone structure in your hips, this might be fairly difficult, but do not fret, because there is a modification for you. To help ease the pose, sit on something that raises your hips. This can be a bolster, blanket, or pillow or two.




2. Seated Twists - Parivrtta Sukhasana


PURPOSE:
Twists are said to wring out the toxins in the body and stimulate the digestive system. When it comes to twists, you always want to twist your torso to the right first and then to the left, following the direction of the digestive path.


INSTRUCTIONS:
To begin, stay seated in Easy pose. Take your right hand and place it behind your right hip. Put your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Inhale and sit up a little taller. Then, as you exhale use the placement of your hands as anchors to help you twist a little deeper. Hold for at least five breaths. Repeat on the other side.


MODIFICATIONS:
To modify this pose, you can place a block under your right hand so that you don’t lose the upright nature in your spine. If you were seated on a blanket or a different prop in Easy pose, then continue to stay on that prop here.

⦁ Bound Angle Pose - Baddha Konasana


PURPOSE:
This is a great pose for opening your hips and releasing your lower back, especially if you’ve spent all day sitting at a desk.


INSTRUCTIONS:
From Easy pose, uncross your shins and draw the soles of your feet together. If this is a lot of stretch for the outsides of your hips, then place your hands behind you and sit up tall to support yourself. You can also sit on a blanket here as well. If your knees are far from the floor, you can also place blocks or pillows under them for support. This will help ease any strain you might feel on the outside of your legs.


MODIFICATIONS:
If your knees are fairly close to the floor and you want to deepen the stretch, bend over your legs and draw your forehead toward the soles of your feet and your torso toward the ground. Keep pressing your knees to the ground, but relax your shoulders and your neck. Hold for at least eight breaths.
⦁

3. Bound Angle Pose - Baddha Konasana


PURPOSE:
This is a great pose for opening your hips and releasing your lower back, especially if you’ve spent all day sitting at a desk.


INSTRUCTIONS:
From Easy pose, uncross your shins and draw the soles of your feet together. If this is a lot of stretch for the outsides of your hips, then place your hands behind you and sit up tall to support yourself. You can also sit on a blanket here as well. If your knees are far from the floor, you can also place blocks or pillows under them for support. This will help ease any strain you might feel on the outside of your legs.



MODIFICATIONS:
If your knees are fairly close to the floor and you want to deepen the stretch, bend over your legs and draw your forehead toward the soles of your feet and your torso toward the ground. Keep pressing your knees to the ground, but relax your shoulders and your neck. Hold for at least eight breaths.



4.Cat - Cow - Viralasana

PURPOSE:
This pose helps to keep the spine supple and preps the body for moving with the breath.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR COW:
Come to your hands and knees. Place your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. As you inhale drop your belly. Let your tailbone reach toward the ceiling and keep your chest wide. This is Cow.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR CAT:
To come into Cat from Cow, exhale. Press into your hands evenly and round through your upper back. Imagine someone has his or her hand between your shoulder blades. Draw your chin to your chest and round through your spine as if you were trying to push the hand away.


Continue to move with your breath, alternating between Cat and Cow to create movement in your spine. Do this for at least five breaths.

⦁


5. Low Lunge - Anjaneyasana


PURPOSE:
This pose is meant to open up your hip flexors, the area at the top of your thigh and front of your hip. If you spend most of your day at a desk or in your car or you are an avid runner or cyclist, then these muscles might be particularly tight. This pose will be especially good for you.


INSTRUCTIONS:
From your hands and knees, step your right foot forward so that it lands just inside your right hand. If this is a lot of stretch in your hips and groin area, then take two blocks and place them under each hand to give you some relief. To deepen the stretch, extend your arms up overhead and reach them alongside your ears. Then, allow your hips to drop toward the mat. Hold for at least eight breaths. Repeat on the other side.


CAUTION:
One note of caution here is to not let your front knee go past your ankle. If you sink your hips and notice that this is happening, step your foot forward until your knee lines up directly over your ankle.

⦁

6. Sphinx - Bhujangasana II


PURPOSE:
This pose is considered a gentle back bend and is meant to open your chest and lengthen the front side of the body.


INSTRUCTIONS:
Lie on the mat on your belly. Lift your chest off the ground and place your forearms on the mat in front of you so that your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders. Forearms should be parallel to the sides of the mat. Press your forearms down into the mat and try to drag them backward, thus making the effort to pull your chest through your arms. Your upper body should be doing all the work, and your lower body, especially your glutes, should be relaxed. Hold for at least five breaths.

⦁

7. Childs Pose – Balasana

PURPOSE:
This pose is considered a resting pose. It is a great counter-pose to a back bend like Sphinx. If at any point during your practice you need a break, return to this pose.


INSTRUCTIONS:
Come to your hands and knees. Separate your knees wider than your hips and bring your big toes together. Sit back onto your heels. Walk your hands forward and allow your belly to drop between your thighs as your ribs rest on the inner thighs. Bring your forehead to the mat. Keep your arms extended forward or bring them alongside you. Hold for at least five breaths.


MODIFICATIONS
If it is difficult to sit back on your heels, try placing a blanket or bolster on top of your calves and sit on that. This will ease any back or hip pain.

⦁

...cont

8.Legs up the wall - Viparita Karani

PURPOSE:
This is a great stress-relieving position. Legs up the Wall is an effective stretch for your hamstrings. You can also use it in meditation or for a final resting pose in place of Savasana.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Bring your mat to the wall. Sit next to the wall so that your right hip is pretty close to it and your legs run parallel to the wall. Lean back into your hands so that you can bend your knees and lift your legs up the wall. Lie on your back and straighten your legs up the wall to create an “L” shape with your body. Move your sit bones as close to the wall as possible. Now relax your legs, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Hold for at least two minutes.

VARIATION #1
To deepen the pose and stretch your inner thighs and hamstrings, allow your legs to drift apart from each other and slide down the wall, opening your legs into a “V” shape.

VARIATION #2
To stretch your hips and lower back in this pose, bring the soles of your feet together and press your knees toward the wall. The shape of your legs should look exactly how they looked in Bound Angle pose when you were seated.
Hold each of these variations for at least five breaths.

If you’re looking for a more restorative version of this pose to help you relax, try placing a blanket or a bolster under your hips while your legs are straight up the wall. Hold for at least two minutes.

Finishing the Daily Poses:
When you finish doing these eight poses, slowly make your way up to a seated position. Take a moment to check in with your body and notice any sensations you might be experiencing. Do you feel more relaxed? Less stressed? More open in your hips, back, or legs? Make a mental note of how you feel now, and then use this knowledge to motivate yourself to come back to your mat on a regular basis.

Righto ... that was from a practice I started doing sometime last year. Although for me I found them relatively easy to do, I still had to learn the moves and admittedly got impatient and never followed up the repetition as required over time like meditation for it to really benefit me long term. That said, I did feel intimidate benefits doing those above poses in the sequence as outlined. Very very effective for D-stressing and getting the blood to flow through ought the entire body. They may look simple, but its a really great combination.

It's like mediation ... the more you practice the more effective it is. Also learning the relationship between breathing and the moves is also very important. Very important that fact. That's how yoga can become a meditation in movement. I'm almost talking myself getting back into. lol

I'd like to recommend a book that's more specific to your question ... but have to go find it ... back soon. I'll do a quick post on it before heading off to gym myself. BRB.

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness

https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Spirit-Practice-Moving-Stillness/dp/0671534807

A poetically inspiring book on the subject. Not for those that want to hit and run ... Ironic that anyone would want to enter into this activity like so.
I'll be reading this one next.

Learning how to do Yoga rather than just going through the motions is what this book is all about. Brings meditation and yoga together I guess.

Be sure to check the inside of the book at at Amazon and also read the reviews. There are heaps of them.

I leave you and that others to it now. I got my own stretching to do. ;)


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Forget to hit enter on this one as well. Take care ;)

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Amazon 1$

One of those cheap and nasty books ... but it has 20 moves based on what your looking for. Check out the book once you at the amazon site by clicking above the picture where it says "Look inside book!"

Hi Ponder

thanks for all that great information. will do

BB

I LOVE yoga with adriene
I recommend her free 31 day challenge (or was it 30?)

oh I can't post a link.
she's on youtube, check there.