Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an intricately interwoven aspect of every yoga practice. 🧘♀️
When you practice connecting your breath to your movements, you are being mindful.
When you listen to your body through poses, you are being mindful.
Being mindful is all about being fully aware in the present moment. It sounds simple enough and yet, in our daily lives, we are constantly dwelling over past experiences or worrying 😟 about future ones. This steals our attention from the only time we are truly alive–in the now. Learning how to be fully present ‘in the now’ helps to reduce anxiety.
Yoga Poses to Reduce Anxiety
In a moment of anxiety, overwhelm or stress, take a few minutes ⌛ and do a yoga pose or two. You can save the longer practice for another time. Right now, just choose a favorite stress-relieving pose like child’s pose or a simple cross-legged position. Simply choose your desired pose, then close your eyes and focus on your breath.
Inhale peace, exhale tension. 🌬️
You may even want to turn that into a mantra, repeating ‘inhale peace, exhale tension’ as you breathe deeply.
Any yoga pose can potentially help with anxiety, but some have more relaxing 💆 qualities than others and will give you a bit of an edge against anxiety. Here are a couple to try any time you are feeling anxious.
Child’s Pose
If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you most assuredly have dropped down into child’s pose at least once. Forward folds of any kind can be very restorative but there’s something extra special about child’s pose. 🧒
There are several variations but, for reducing anxiety, try the extra soothing version done with knees together, resting the belly on the thighs, forehead to the floor and dropping the arms beside you, palms facing up. Take 10-15 slow, deep breaths here.
Waterfall Pose
Also known as ‘legs-up-the-wall’, waterfall pose can be done literally against the wall or using a block under the hips. For the wall version, scoot your hips close to a wall and walk your feet up until your legs are supported by the wall.
For the block version, which I personally prefer, lie on your back and place a yoga block underneath your sacrum. Lift your legs up the in the air and hold for 10+ breaths.
Give these a try and let me know how you feel! 💜
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