The general consensus among psychiatrists is that between 10% and 30% of the population is likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder at any one time… Anxiety disorders are painfully debilitating… Those who fail to seek treatment – and many still do – are at a higher risk of committing suicide.
Far from being simply the airy-fairy pastime of choice for hippies, yoga can provide very real benefits for those dealing with mental health issues, including anxiety. Indeed, for thousands of years, yoga’s asanas (postures), pranayama (breathwork) and meditation have been used to relieve stress and create a calm state of mind. I think – at least I hope – that anyone who has ever attended a yoga class will attest to the fact you invariably leave feeling like a lighter more Zen-like version of your pre-class stressed self.
With regular practice, these benefits can become longer lasting. Whilst anxiety is almost always focused on the future – often on the fear of the ‘worst case scenario’ – our focus when practicing yoga and meditation is very much on the ‘now’. This mental shift is obviously very helpful but, beyond this, whilst practicing we are also cultivating presence and patience, and learning to control our reactions and emotions. As we carry these skills over into our everyday lives, they enable us to meet potentially stressful situations with equanimity (or at least something approaching it)!
I have created the following yoga classs to help you to move from anxiety and stress to a place of calm, surrender and relaxation. It is a very gentle Dru Yoga class, with a little Yin Yoga interspersed. The focus is on releasing negative emotions, grounding and finding peace in troubled times.
Another suggestion for helping us to deal with anxiety is the practice of coherent breathing. I have been practising this for 20 minutes every day lately and I find it amazingly grounding and calming. Even my voice changes after practising it! (Of course, everyone’s experience will be different though and it does not necessarily work well for everyone.)
If you are interested in the practice of coherent breathing, the following video is of an interview with Richard Brown and Patricia Gerbarg (two of the leading teachers of coherent breathing and authors of The Healing Power of the Breath). The second video is the ‘timer’ I have been using for my daily practice. On the topic of breathwork, I would also wholeheartedly recommend the book Draw Breath: The Art of Breathing by Tom Granger.
