Everyone feels anxious in certain situations. Fidgeting, touching your ears or face, jiggling your knee, being trapped in an endless loop of “what-ifs” at 3 o’clock in the morning are all signs of an anxious temperament.
In some cases, people are just born worriers and that’s ok – worriers are said to be the most thorough workers and the most attentive friends. However, if you feel like your anxiousness is interfering in your life, yoga can help! This week’s classes will help settle your nerves and help stabilize your energy.
- Feeling Disconnected & Anxious with Jo Tastula: This is a grounding practice to drop you deeply into your body and connect you with the earth. You may want to use this meditation any time you feel disconnected or anxious and it’s particularly good for post travel and post holiday. Pranayama for the first 10 minutes then guided meditation for the final 10. Blessings.
- Ground Into The Earth with Tara Judelle:Ground yourself to the earth to rebalance. Flying, traveling or becoming upset or anxious unplugs your energy from the nurturing magnetism of earth. Grounding the bones in your body to the earth’s support helps stabilize your entire energy body. Start with slow standing poses and end with pranayama and seated centering. Props Needed: Two blankets and a block. Props Suggested: A strap.
- Vata Be Still with Rod Stryker: Soothing and grounding for Vata types and anyone else feeling its effects: weak elimination, insomnia, anxiousness, lower back instability. Forward bends and gentle twists help to free and strengthen your lower back, the function of your digestive and eliminative organs as well as tone your nervous system. Props Suggested: A block.
- Cool It with Elena Brower: A great 20 minute practice to literally cool you off, whether it’s a hot day, or an anxious moment. Seated cooling breath practice, sun salutations without jumping, standing pose to lengthen and ground you, and legs up the wall into savasana. Note: mentioned mid-practice, but you can do this before taking this class – place a wet washcloth into the fridge (and if you like, with some essential oils of your choice!) and then take it out just before your viparita karani (legs up the wall) or for savasana. A very luxurious, cooling treat.
- Anxiety Away with Marla Apt: Calm your agitated mind with an active sequence of standing poses, inversions, supported back bends and forward bends. While there are some supported opening poses, the sequence begins with active poses to involve your mind in your practice. Both the active and more passive asanas focus on relaxing the parts of your body that become unconsciously tense with anxious thoughts. Notice thought patterns as you work on physical manifestations of stress and anxiety. Props Needed: Two chairs, two bolsters, a blanket and wall space.
- Fragmented & Anxious? Get Grounded and Clear with Stephanie Snyder: Help relieve anxiety and bring fragmented energy back to a grounded and calm place. Move through a sequence of poses designed to help you feel grounded in your body and clear in your mind. Includes hip openers, hamstring stretches and the reminder that you are okay. Props Needed: A block and a strap.
In addition to this week’s classes, poses like Big Toe Pose, Bound Angle Pose, Bow Pose, Bridge Pose, Camel Pose & Cat/Cow Pose all help alleviate feelings of anxiousness.
