HOW YOGA HELPED ME WITH STRESS & ANXIETY

 

 

 

“By practicing regularly, you lower your baseline level of emotional arousal so when something bad happens or you have a worried thought, you meet with presence, curiosity, and patience rather than fearful reactivity” -Angela Fie

I’m like an onion. I have several layers to me that I’m slowly peeling and revealing more bits and pieces of myself. For 2 years, I’ve been suffering with extreme anxiety. It’s been problematic in everything even down to my every day tasks. I always felt like I was in panic mode which is horrible because I can never relax. All my muscles would tighten, I would have heart palpitations, and my arms would get numb. There would be times where I have absolutely no energy to move and would fall asleep in my car at work for a bit or sleep at home all day after work. 

I’ve seen a doctor about it, was prescribed medications, but didn’t want to rely on it. Medication will only help me temporarily; if I wanted to overcome anxiety fully, then I had to think of natural ways of solving it.

Being a young professional & pursuing entrepreneurial aspirations, my schedule is always jammed pack with events, meetings & workouts. I accepted that my lifestyle wasn’t going to change anytime soon, so I needed to add something else to the mix.

I’ve taken yoga before, but was never really consistent with it. I took the initiative to add hot yoga and Soul Cycle to my workout regime and found that I am a bit more at ease with myself physically and mentally.

My anxiety and stress take a physical toll on me, and it usually builds on my shoulder & back muscles, so applying yoga has slowly but surely reduced my knots and pain.

Throughout this healing process, I've learned some key elements that helped me tremendously:

• APPLY YOGA PHILOSOPHY IN YOUR LIFE - STAY POSITIVE & APPRECIATE IN THE MOMENT

Meditation is all about cleansing your mind and taking out of all negativity in your life in that moment. It will help you release conscious and subconscious fears that cause stress, worry, and anxiety.

• BREATHE RIGHT WITH PRANAYAMAS TO RELIEVE ANXIETY

This can be extremely helpful when you are having an anxiety attack. Practicing your breathing during yoga can help control or even prevent future attacks.

• PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY CHALLENGING YOURSELF

I never thought I would be able to be flexible, and granted, I'm not able to do splits or a handstand. The goal isn't to be like the yogi's on Instagram. This is your journey, and every bit of accomplishment helps you to keep focus on becoming a better you.

I know stress is a part of life, but knowing that I'll be able to control my anxiety when shit gets rough is so comforting to know. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, please realize you are NOT ALONE. By re-posting helpful website articles on Facebook, several people messaged me telling me how they, too, suffered from anxiety. Keep calm, we got this! 

I'm grateful to have collaborated with Manduka Yoga for providing such high quality products. I honestly thought that using my running tights and Nike Indie Sports Bra would suffice during a yoga class. After taking a class wearing Manduka, it made all the difference! I legit have been using a random yoga mat from Amazon, because I thought they were all the same. However, this yoga mat was non slippery during hot yoga. Absolutely loved it! 

SHOP THE LOOK 

Photographer: Virisa Yong | @virisayong | virisayong.com