YOGA FOR ANXIETY SINEAD MC KIERNAN LOVE YOGA. Facebook Love Yoga.

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1 YOGA FOR ANXIETY SINEAD MC KIERNAN LOVE YOGA Facebook Love Yoga

2 ANXIETY; a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Many factors can contribute to anxiety or stress. When we allow ourselves to become busy, stressed or worried, we can become tired and fragile. Our systems have to work over time and we can become exhausted. Letting anxiety take over can ruin your life and It can take a long time to recover. The good news is, we can recover and with time and patience, we can get back to feeling calm, happy and healthy. Take control of your anxiety now and don t let it take over your life. Yoga is a powerful way to check in with our bodies and our breath and become more aware of who we are. We have the power and the tools to feel relaxed and happy again. MAKE A DECISION TODAY TO REGAIN CONTROL!! Try some of these POSITIVE MANTRAS to start the day. I am feeling calm, nourished and happy. Every cell in my body oozes calmness and tranquillity. Life is wonderful. I am happy and healthy. I am totally safe. Nothing can harm me. My breath soothes my soul. I am one. I am free from negative thoughts. I am excited about my new beginning. I am free from stress and anxiety. I smile to myself and begin to relax and look after myself. I love myself, I am going to be good to myself. I am gentle with myself. I am loved and cherished.

3 Our time here is short so make a promise to yourself now that you won`t waste one more minute feeling anxious or stressed. It is time to smile and enjoy your beautiful life! BREATHE YOU are in control of your own breath. STOP the shallow, fast and anxious breath. Make a conscious decision to SLOW your breathing down. This is turn will slow your thoughts down and slow your heart rate making you feel relaxed and calm. BE AWARE of your breathing. TAKE LONG SLOW DEEP BREATHS. 7/11 Breathing technique This is one I practiced a lot when I suffered from Anxiety Disorder. Inhale to the count of 7 and exhale to the count of 11. Try to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. If you find it difficult to breathe in and out for that long, just shorten the timing e.g 5/9 inhale to 5 and exhale to 9. Make this technique a part of your natural response to feeling anxious, the faster your physical body will relax and your mind will become calm. Breathing is directly linked to our emotional state. Slow your breathing down and your mind and body will follow. I practiced this breathing exercise everywhere, in queues, in the car, in the bath, in bed. Keep practicing!

4 Alternate Nostril Breathing / Nadi Shodhana In this technique, we close off the alternate nostril to inhale and exhale on one side before doing the same on the alternate side. We can do five on each side. Using the right hand, let the thumb close off the right nostril, and INHALE only on the left sided nostril. Close off the left nostril with your baby and ring fingers, then EXHALE and INHALE on the right. Close off the right nostril with your thumb, then EXHALE and INHALE on the left. Close off the Left with baby and ring finger, EXHALE and INHALE. After alternating comfortably a few times more, you will end by EXHALING on the right side. Don t worry about counting, or getting mixed up. Just allow the technique to help you oxygenate your brain and subdue the agitation of the mind. Nadi shodhana helps to clear the channels and makes people feel more awake. Here is a link to a demonstration of this technique on Youtube with Adrienne. THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BREATHS Simply pay attention to the entirety of the in-breath, then, find the brief moment BETWEEN the in-breath and the out-breath. There may be no pause between the breaths, but rather a moment of transition. In the same way, stay with the out-breath all the way, and try to catch that elusive moment just before the in-breath gets underway. There will be different ways to experience this space between the breaths, either as a real pause or as a flowing transition. The benefit of the practice lies in making the attempt.

5 MEDITATE Be Still What is meditation? Basically, if you can sit still, eyes closed preferably and stay there for a few minutes, YOU are meditating. Find a comfortable position. Sit still. Close your eyes. Imagine your happy place, an item, place or person that makes you feel relaxed. Breathe deeply while focusing on pleasant, positive images to replace any negative thoughts. Let your thoughts pass by like clouds. (or if you are feeling very anxious, sometimes our thought are more like a high speed screechy motorbike!) The idea is to BE STILL and let your whole body relax. Check in that you are not tensing any part of your body. It helps me to SMILE softly to myself. Just being still can help your whole being. Let your thoughts pass by until they begin to slow, slow, slow down and keep bringing your attention to your positive image in your mind. Eventually, with practice, you should feel so relaxed and calm that you will not want to open your eyes. PRACTICE daily. Being still can be difficult for busy anxious minds. I remember finding it a real struggle. If it is not working some days, come back to it. FIND A ROCK by the sea and sit on it. SIT under a TREE and close your eyes. RELAX on your favourite chair with a COSY BLANKET. Being in nature will help. Breathe that delicious fresh air and BE STILL WHENEVER YOU CAN. Try it wherever works for you.

6 CLEANSE Cleanse your body, mind and environment. Surround yourself with only goodness. Feed your body with fresh foods, feed your mind with good news and positive ideas, feed your soul with nature and good people. Eat healthy Drink water Avoid sugar, alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and drugs Listen to calm music Read books with positive messages Surround yourself with good people Avoid harsh environments Avoid aggressive people Drink herbal teas ( Camomile is good ) Get fresh air when you can Be in nature Dip your toes in the ocean Sit under a tree Be still Smile Go easy on yourself Have a bath Burn essential oils ( lavender ) Go for walks, cycles, swims and of course YOGA

7 YOGA POSTURES FOR ANXIETY Name of pose - Padangushtasana Hands to toes pose Benefits - Calms the brain and helps relieve stress, anxiety and mild Keeping your legs completely straight, exhale and bend forward from your hip joints, moving your torso and head as one. With every inhale, lengthen your spine and with every exhale fold over your legs. Place fingers at toes with elbows bent if you can.

8 NAME OF POSE CAT / COW POSE BENEFITS Stretches the back,torso and neck,it provides a gentle massage to the spine and belly organs.start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line. Inhale and curve your spine, looking up to the ceiling. Exhale and round your spine and look down towards the mat. Stay here for as many rounds of these as you feel comfortable.

9 Name of pose Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose / Viparita Karani Benefits Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck Relieves mild backache and Calms the mind Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you. Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.

10 Use some of these mantras, breathing techniques, life changes and yoga poses to reduce your anxiety, be calm, be happy and realise you are healthy and happy. Anxiety does not have to control you, it is simply a part of what makes us human. Be inspired, be free and be well. And Breathe.