Yoga Therapy Tools for Stress and Anxiety
If you are like me (and most other people I have interacted with), you know the feeling of a racing mind at 2AM about all those little things that keep piling up on your to-do list, or the feeling of your mind not being able to think about anything other than an upcoming important work presentation or high-stakes client meeting. The situations you have experienced will no doubt be different and unique, but the feelings that resonate within your body and mind are shared amongst most humans in this modern-day world.
You may use the word “stress” to define these feelings or sensations that arise in the body and mind. According to Psychology Today, “stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body’s response to it, on the other, which involves multiple systems from metabolism to muscles to memory.” Stress affects many systems of the body, including the brain. What is also important to know is that stress is not necessarily all bad. Stress occurs when a threat is perceived, and in some cases stress is necessary so that we can act on perceived threats; i.e. when we are face to face with a real-life danger, our stress response may allow us to react in a way that keeps us safe.
Let’s set aside the fact that in certain situations, our human stress response can be very helpful and even life-saving. Let’s focus instead on the perceived threats where we are not actually in danger, i.e. those times when we feel “stressed,” but our survival is not on the line (ahem, like that scary client meeting you have coming up). How can we “come down” from these stressful moments? How can we properly discharge the stress and complete the stress cycle? This idea comes from Emily and Amelia Nagoski’s book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, which explains that our bodies don’t automatically finish a stress response just because the stressor has passed. We have to give the body a way to complete it.
Just like an all-you-can-eat buffet, there are many options for how we discharge our stress. The way that I have found to be most helpful for me is through yoga. I do not mean that I deal with stress by going to a yoga class; what I mean is that I draw from the ancient traditions and techniques of yoga and apply them therapeutically to help me manage when I am faced with stressful situations. This is Yoga Therapy in action. Yoga therapy takes the tools of yoga, like breathwork, movement, meditation, and relaxation, and applies them intentionally to support a specific person’s health and well-being. Unlike a general yoga class, it is personalized to the individual and what they need. Sometimes it looks like breathwork, or gentle movement, or moving intentionally, tuned in with my breath. Other times it looks like standing with my bare feet on the grass and visualizing the earth’s energy balancing with my own energy, increasing my own “grounded-ness.” Over time, these tools can help us feel calmer, more regulated, and better equipped to meet stressful moments as they arise.
In yoga terms, what we are looking for is a return to a sattvic state: a state of peace, clarity, balance, and that feeling of “just right,” not too excited and not too dull. In more modern-day terms, this means that we are looking to regulate our nervous system.
The yoga therapy method/technique will change depending on what I feel I need at that moment, but there are a few common methods I turn to that help me reclaim my inner peace and discharge my stress. Below are two practices I turn to often in times of stress or anxiety:
Extended Exhale: Find a comfortable seated or supine position. Place your hands comfortably in your lap, or on the ground if you are supine. Start to become aware of your breath, noticing the breath in and the breath out. Practice this breath awareness for 10 full rounds of breath, without making any changes to your breath. Then count your breath in and count your breath out. Breathe in for the same count, and this time as you breathe out, match your exhale count to your inhale count. Find this 1:1 breathing rhythm. If you feel that you are not getting a full breath in or out, alter or modify it as needed. Do not hold your breath. After 10 rounds of the 1:1 rhythm, increase your exhale by a count of two. For example, if you are breathing in for six counts, you are breathing out for eight counts. Practice the Extended Exhale Breath for 10 rounds or more. Notice how your breath, body, and mind feel after the practice.
Tadasana Meditation: Stand upright with your spine erect and your feet about hip distance apart (or whatever feels most comfortable for your anatomy). Place your right hand on your belly and your left hand on your heart space. Breathe comfortably and naturally. Bring your awareness to your feet, noticing your toes, your heels, and the soles of your feet. Notice the four corners of your feet. Pick up your toes, spread them as wide as possible, and gently lay them back down. Imagine that your feet are connected to the earth beneath you. Feel like your feet have started to grow roots, and the roots are part of the earth’s subsurface. Feel this connection between your feet and the earth. Gently start to let your awareness shift from your feet all the way up your body, recognizing that the rest of your body is an extension of your feet but is also very much connected to and part of the earth.
These are just two tools. In a yoga therapy session, we would explore which practices work best for your body, breath, and nervous system.
In a small group class or 1:1 yoga therapy session, the way that a client can discharge their stress will depend on their unique situation and constitution. My work as a yoga therapist is to stand by the client as they discover or rediscover what they need to bring them into a sattvic state. The client is the one doing the work, and my job is to facilitate and to guide. To start, I will guide the client inward, looking more closely at what is occurring in their body, mind, and breath when they are responding to or in a state of stress. Stress and anxiety live not only in the mind but also show up in the body and breath, though they show up differently for different people. Once we have a better understanding of where the stress is showing up for an individual, we are guided further on a path toward what needs to be done to discharge and regulate their nervous system. The beauty of yoga therapy is that each plan is a collaboration with the client and will change depending on the client’s needs.
If you are experiencing stress or anxiety, feeling overwhelmed with life’s responsibilities, or navigating a life transition, please consider yoga therapy as a tool to help you manage. If you would like to learn more about working with me or would like to book a free yoga therapy connection call, please click the link below.
I am a 500-hour registered yoga teacher and a yoga therapist in training with the Inner Peace Yoga Therapy Program. I work with clients who are experiencing stress, anxiety, and overwhelm to help them regulate their nervous system, reclaim their peace and harmony using the therapeutic applications of yoga. Learn more about me here.
