Yoga for Managing Anxiety

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I wrote a series of posts earlier this year about applying yoga philosophy to life, and I’m excited to start a new series about incorporating the physical yoga practice (Asana) and breathing exercises (Pranayama) for mental, emotional, and physical benefits. You may have already heard that yoga is helpful for reducing anxiety and stress. I learned in my yoga teacher training that balance poses are useful in particular for managing anxiety, and as a result I try to include them whenever I teach. Anxiety is a common mental health condition that affects millions of people, and events like the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact on anxiety levels worldwide. In this post, I’ll share specific examples of my favorite poses and exercises to alleviate anxiety, with both audio and written guidance. 

How it Works

Part of the benefit of yoga is mental - putting your body into the shape of a pose and holding it directs your attention to your body, getting you out of your head. Balance poses in particular are helpful for managing anxiety because they improve your concentration and focus and make you feel more grounded. 

In addition, yoga can have physiological benefits through stimulating the vagus, a pair of cranial nerves that regulate internal organ functions and pass through key organs like the heart, lungs, and liver. These are the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which helps the body enter a state of relaxation and recovery. The PNS works in opposition to the sympathetic nervous system, which causes stress or anxiety, or the fight-or-flight response. So when you stimulate or tone the vagus, it has a regulating effect on your body and mind and manages anxiety. Certain yoga poses like inversions, where the feet are higher than the heart, and breathing exercises are believed to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Practice

Here are a few examples of yoga poses and exercises for you to try for yourself.

Balance Pose: Meditative Tree

A popular balancing pose that can easily be modified to all levels is Tree pose (Vrksasana, pronounced “vrik-SHA-sana”). 

Start by standing tall with your weight evenly balanced between your feet (hip distance apart), palms together in front of your heart with shoulders relaxed. Stay here for a moment and try closing your eyes. This might already be enough of a balance challenge for you, and if so, you can stay here, Mountain pose (Tadasana).

If you’re ready to try tree pose, start to shift your weight into your left foot and come on to the ball of your right foot, bringing the right heel to the inside of your left ankle with the knee angled outward. Keep the right big toe on the ground to help you balance. Try looking upward and notice how this affects your balance. If it feels okay, try closing your eyes. Take 5-10 deep breaths, then open your eyes again and repeat on the other side.

If you’re familiar with traditional Tree pose, you can do that instead or in addition to Meditative Tree for the same benefits.

Inversions: Legs up the Wall

While the most commonly known inversions in yoga are probably headstand and shoulder stand, Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) is a gentler inversion that is more accessible. In addition to helping with anxiety, it can help with leg swelling and improve circulation. 

If you have a wall space available, you may want to place a yoga mat or blanket on the floor by the wall for padding. Start by lying on one side with your knees bent and move your hips toward the wall until your seat touches. Rotate your body 90 degrees with your legs straight so they are stacked directly above your hips and your back is flat on the ground. You can rest your hands on your belly, or hold them out to the side by the hips with palms facing up. Stay here for a few minutes (or up to 20 minutes), closing your eyes if you’re comfortable. To come out of the pose, gently roll to one side and lower your legs. Take your time as you slowly come up to a seated position. 

You can also do this pose without a wall. I find it easier to hold with hips slightly elevated. Lie on your back with a yoga mat or blanket underneath for comfort. Place a folded blanket, small cushion, or yoga block underneath your sacrum, the flat bone between your low back and hips, and raise your legs into the air so the feet are directly above the hips. If you need to keep a bend in your knees, that’s fine. Hold anywhere from 2-3 minutes up to 20 minutes.

Breathing Exercises: Alternate Nostril Breathing

Slow and deep breathing can have a calming effect on the mind. One of my favorite yoga breathing (pranayama) techniques is Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodana), which also takes some concentration. 

Sit tall in a comfortable seated position with your hands resting on top of your thighs (I like to sit cross-legged on top of a folded blanket or yoga block). Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale completely. Fold the index and middle fingers of your right hand toward the palm and use your right thumb to gently close the right nostril. Inhale deeply through the left nostril, and then use your right ring finger to close it. Hold the breath and then release the thumb from the right nostril to exhale. Then inhale through the right nostril and hold with both side closed, exhaling on the left side. Repeat this entire cycle several times, keeping your breath smooth and continuous, and then release your right hand.

If you’re familiar with Ujjayi breath, you can also do that instead, taking deep inhales, holding the breath for 4 counts, and extending your exhale as long as you can (or at least longer than the inhale). Repeat several times, for at least 4-5 rounds.

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By practicing balance poses, inversions, and breathing exercises, you can reduce tension in your body and calm your mind. These are simple exercises that you can do anytime and anywhere, either as a regular practice or when you’re experiencing stress and anxiety. If you try them out, let me know what you noticed, while you were practicing and afterward, in the comments!