Letting Go of Fear & Anxiety

 We hold stress in our body Welcome to [title]! I’m so happy you’re here. As any yoga teacher will tell you, we hold stress in our bodies. What do I mean by that? Often we attempt to push unwanted feelings—such as irritation, fear, sadness—out of our awareness. We associate such feelings with hopelessness or powerlessness. So, in an effort to blot them, we forcefully engage in denial or repression. We drive them out of our consciousness and deny our emotions. Instead of acknowledging, processing, and releasing these unwanted feelings, we bottle them up. This can result in mysterious aches and pains in hot spots like the shoulders, lower back, neck, and hips. How are your shoulders, neck, back, and hips feeling right now?

Yoga Accessible and accepting Yoga is beloved by so many because of its ability to meet everyone where they are in life. Unlike other methods of exercise and training that require space, special equipment, or a special skill set, practicing yoga can be as simple as sitting down and breathing. Beginners might look at an advanced practitioner in a handstand and think, “I can’t do yoga.” But that’s not true. Yoga has modifications to fit everybody and skill level, and it’s all about improving and growing at your own pace, a little bit at a time.

Staying Connected Yoga is rooted in the belief that every being on Earth is interconnected. Many asanas—or poses in yoga—are based on animals (down-dog, cat-cow, sleeping pigeon, frog pose) because people have realized that the movements animals make in nature are beneficial to them, and in turn, are beneficial to us too. Yoga is also based on the concept that the human body and mind are connected. Therefore, the practice of yoga is really all about taking the time out of your day to recognize that connection and build upon it in a way that serves each practitioner spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Yoga as Self Care Westerners turn to yoga as a way to tone their bodies and build strength. What many people soon discover is that the practice of yoga not only improves your outward appearance but also improves your mental state.

Yoga recognizes that each day is different, and that’s why we call yoga “practice.” No matter what your energy level, mood, or ability, there’s some type of yoga that can serve you, all you need to do is get to your mat.

Some days you won’t be able to stand on one leg, and other days you might be able to hold tree pose for a full five minutes. Some days you’ll feel strong in Warrior pose, and others you might not. No matter what, yoga encourages you to accept where you are in each moment.

After familiarizing yourself with this process of fluctuation, you’ll learn to be kinder to yourself off the mat too.

Yoga and Your Mental Health According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, yoga is an effective process to modulate the stress response and cope with mental health.

“...for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent.”

Does anyone in the group already practice yoga regularly? If so, share how you feel yoga has affected your mental state.

Yoga and Meditation Through yoga practice, you’ll acquire two important requirements for meditation practice: concentration and relaxation. When you’re able to reach a state of meditation and mental stillness by bringing the body, mind, and senses into balance, your nervous system will, in turn, relax. Looking for proof? Check out this article: https://bit.ly/2QR0vxx

Yoga Meditation and Stress What do yoga and meditation have in common? They both encourage mindfulness.

Our mind wanders all the time, either reviewing the past or planning for the future. Mindfulness trains you to pay attention to the present and come back to your breath. As a result, it’s a place to settle our minds and calm the nervous system. Check out this study https://bit.ly/2UosI0Y

It’s about how mindfulness leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density—in other words, mindfulness reduces stress, improves attention and memory, and promotes self-regulation and empathy.

Engaging Your BreathIn yoga, one of the most popular types of breathing is called Ujjayi (ooh-JAH-yee), which is performed by filling your lungs while slightly contracting your throat, then exhaling through your nose with your mouth closed, as if you’re fogging up a window.

This technique of breathing is great on AND off the mat. Try a couple of rounds now and use the technique next time you’re feeling stressed, angry, or overwhelmed.

Yoga and CirculationAdult humans spend most of their life repeating the same positions with their bodies: sitting, standing, sleeping.

Yoga encourages us to twist, bend, stretch, and flow in ways that help blood circulate and bring more oxygen to our cells. Inversions reverse blood flow from the lower body to the heart and brain, twists bring fresh blood to our organs, and the cardio we get from practice keeps our heart healthy.

Morning Sun Salutations Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskar, can be a complete practice in and of itself. The 12 or so poses linked in a series to breathwork can lengthen and strengthen, flex and extend many of the main muscles of the body while distributing energy through the body. Whether you’re only up for a quick flow before hopping into the shower or you’re ready to do a long series, sun salutations are a great way to get familiar with the benefits of yoga. Check out this demonstration: https://bit.ly/3as8n0u

Perfecting Downward Facing Dog Downward-Facing Dog energizes and rejuvenates the entire body. It deeply stretches your hamstrings, shoulders, calves, arches, hands, and spine while building strength in your arms, shoulders, and legs.

This pose is crucial to understand in order to get the most out of yoga and can be more difficult to perfect than it looks. But don’t worry, once you have it down, you’ll find yourself getting a lot more out of your practice. My favorite tip is to push the mat away with your hands!

Check out this video to learn about the subtle movement and adjustments that can bring your down dog to the next level: https://bit.ly/2wH5JVS

Hello Core Strength Once you’ve perfected your down dog, work on your flow a little more by floating forward into a plank position, making your body into a sort of wave.

What you’ll find is that the proper distance between your hands and feet in a down dog is the same as the distance between them in a comfortable plank pose. This transition will build strength while simultaneously helping with principles of alignment: https://bit.ly/2UHQns1

Resting in Childs Pose Many people hold stress in their hips, neck, and shoulders, so let’s explore some stretches that will help you reach those blocked up places and work out any kinks.

First off, Child's Pose, or Balasana. This pose helps to stretch the hips, thighs, and ankles while also passively stretching out the muscles of the back torso. Nail the basics of this pose by watching this: https://bit.ly/2JjQgh5

Head Roles and Neck Stretches When was the last time you spent a few minutes rolling your head around and stretching your neck?

Once you start practicing yoga and becoming more aware of your neck muscles, you’ll be doing it a lot more and loving the benefits!

Start out by taking a comfortable seated position, closing your eyes, and taking your right ear to your right shoulder. Next, roll your chin toward your chest, slowly. Then bring your left ear to your left shoulder. Slowly, moving toward your chin, move your right ear back to your right side. If you’re feeling really open, you can try slowly rolling your head back, making a full circle. Go slowly and breathe through any sticky spots.

For a deeper neck stretch, lay on your belly and prop yourself up with your elbows a few inches in front of your shoulders and your forearms pressed against the floor. Roll your shoulders back away from your ears and puff your chest forward. This is called Sphinx Pose. Now, roll your head slowly from side to side and enjoy the stretch!

Shoulder Openers Tight shoulders? Start with Thread the Needle! This twist wrings out the spine and warms up the shoulders: https://bit.ly/2JknkWn

Pigeon Pose Pigeon Pose, a mega hip-opener, is known to be one of the best ways to get deep into hip tension, which can sometimes result in emotions coming up seemingly out of nowhere. Personally, I know of several circumstances when people practicing this asana suddenly burst into tears, because their body had been storing stress and tension in their hips for so long. You can either hold this pose for a few breaths as a transition, or go deep and hold it for 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

Curious? Give it a shot for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQMsyrLowFw

Inversions for a New Perspective When we think of yoga, many of us think of crazy headstands and balances, but in order to get the benefit of inversion, you don’t need to push yourself that far if you’re not ready. The point of inverting is to switch up your regular circulation and get your feet above the heart level. One great way of inverting is to simply lay on your back with your feet up against a wall. If you want to take it off the wall, try a shoulder stand, plow pose, or even a Happy Baby pose.

Finding time to practice The great thing about yoga is that you can use it every day in different ways. In order to get the benefit of practice, you don’t even necessarily have to touch your mat! While sitting at your office desk, take a moment to do some neck rolls. While brushing your teeth, try balancing in tree pose. If you’re about to have a difficult conversation with someone, try a few Ujjayi breaths before meeting up.

Creating Space for Practice To get the most out of your practice, try and create a dedicated space. You’ll want somewhere with minimal noise and distractions, and about six square feet of space. A wall is a great addition, and a mirror can be helpful for alignment but is not necessary.

Try and get rid of any clutter that could distract you from your practice and consider lighting a candle or using essential oils to encourage deeper breathing.

Tools for a Better Practice The practice of yoga only truly requires the body and mind, but there are some props that can help you too.

A blanket - to tuck under knees, prop under thighs, or roll behind your neck as you lay in savasana.

A block or book - to help the ground come closer to you when stretching toward your toes or in other asanas.

A strap, belt, or T-shirt - to bring your toes closer to you while sitting or lying down.

A pillow - to use as a prop for enhanced comfort during poses that you’ll hold longer, like sleeping pigeon.

Today I am Grateful for – Practicing Gratitude A big part of yoga practice is gratitude.

While you might not arrive on the mat with a great attitude, you’ll hopefully leave the mat feeling a little bit better, or at least a little looser. Yoga encourages us to recognize the small things that our body does by paying attention to muscles, tendons, and other areas that we otherwise might ignore if not for yoga. While you practice, you’ll probably think, “Woah, I didn’t know that muscle was there!” During these times, express a little bit of gratitude, for all the parts of your body that you might have otherwise taken for granted.

Namaste The direct translation of “namaste” is, “I bow to the divine in you.” When we use the term to address one another at the end of the practice, we’re expressing gratitude to all the people and circumstances that allowed us to get there. We’re thanking our teacher, the universe, and ourselves.

Right now, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all of you for reading my blog today. I sincerely hope that you’ve gotten something meaningful out of this experience!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions, thoughts, or concerns.

Namaste!

Susan