Quick yoga hacks for anxiety
Anxiety can feel overwhelming and lead to getting stuck in a loop of worry and stress. There are several yoga techniques you can use if you feel yourself becoming anxious and overwhelmed…
Flip yourself upside down! Either sit on a chair with your head between your knees, fold forward at your hips maybe using a wall for support or lie on the ground and put your legs up on a chair or against a wall. All of these activate a reflex in the body which helps the heart and breathing rates slow down.
Breathe! But do it mindfully. Take longer exhales than inhales- perhaps count in to 4 and out to 6. If you can manage to hold your breath at the bottom of your exhale for 2 seconds even better. Ideally your out breath will be twice as long as your in breath.
Feel your feet- send all your attention to the soles of the feet. Feel them on the ground and notice the temperature or texture of whatever you are standing on (or the feel of your socks or shoes). Spend a moment with all your focus there- and maybe even use the breathing technique above while you do it.
Use a mantra. A mantra is a repeated phrase that you say over and over to yourself in your head or out loud. This can be anything but a good one to use for anxiety is “I am anxious, this will pass”. You can say the first part whilst you are breathing in and the second on your exhale, combining two techniques at once.
Anxiety is on the rise for all people- but if you are hitting perimenopause or menopause it’s likely you’ll experience it to some degree. For more tools and techniques to help manage symptoms subscribe below.
Yoga therapy & perimenopause
A regular yoga practice can help support you through the ups and downs of perimenopause…
Necessity being the mother of invention led me to use my yoga therapy background to navigate perimenopause. I was having a rough ride with insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, hair loss and more. I knew that many of the women I was working with were experiencing similarly difficult situations even though our symptoms were wildly varied and different. I was also struggling to find good care at the time- Doctors experienced in menopause care are incredibly rare beasts. Elektra Health estimates that there is 1 menopause specialist for every 32,556 US women aged 35-64.
Knowing that there is good scientific evidence to support the fact that yoga can help support good mental and physical health I designed a course of lessons to help myself and other women manage their own perimenopausal symptoms. It includes movement, breathing and meditation to help with a range of issues women commonly face at this transitional time of life. Although yoga isn’t a magic wand and can’t replace other treatments it can help you befriend the array of feelings that you might experience at what can be a tumultuous time for many.
Want to learn more? Listen to the podcasts below for more information or, better still, get in touch for 1-1 yoga therapy and start owning your menopause journey today.
https://heatherhirschmd.com/podcast/216-yoga-therapy-for-midlife-and-menopause-with-fiona-jalinoos/