Yoga for Anxiety

As a wellness coach, one of the most common features I see in people with anxiety is an overwhelming incapacity to cope with day-to-day life. Daily tasks that were once manageable become insurmountable, decision-making becomes almost impossible, and overthinking takes over. Worries about the future increase in frequency and intensity, alongside physical manifestations such as chest pain, fast and heavy breathing, agitation, restlessness and being in a state of high alert. Modern-day life comes with many worries, about our own lives, our loved ones, our community and our planet. Of course, as humans, it is inevitable that we will feel levels of fear, but fears can often dissipate, while anxiety can be pervasive and insidious. There are, however, many ways to help manage and reframe anxiety and indeed work towards living our lives more positively.  

One of the most helpful ways of managing anxiety on a day-to-day level is to learn to calm the physiological chaos within to help us feel safer in our bodies and as a result feel safer in the world around us. “Grounding” is a technique rooted in staying firmly in the present moment  – rather than being in the future wondering what could happen, what could go wrong, what threats are potentially in the environment, and how we might cope with those perceived threats.  When we practise yoga postures, mindfulness, breathwork and the myriad of practices rooted in the well-being system of yoga, we learn to tune into our emotional landscape and notice what is happening inside our bodies, bringing us into the present moment. Once we start approaching our bodies with curiosity and kindness, we can start to cultivate awareness of what we need to re-orientate ourselves to the here and now rather than fixating on the anticipated future.  

In terms of research, yoga works to inhibit the chemical messenger in the brain that involves the fear-based pathways associated with anxiety. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine have found that yoga immediately increases GABA, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for calming and is low in people with anxiety.

By Rina Modi (Wellness Coach and Shala Teacher Training Consultant)