Yoga & anxiety

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#41

[quote=nicos;37143]Thanks Gordon

It is more clear now yes. Thanks for your advices, but what do you think of the alternate nostril breathing technique? Do you think it can be as harmful as my friend told me that she been told, it is?

I thought this breathing technique is one of the most innocent onces a person should practice daily without a worry.[/quote]

Try it, and see what happens.

Observe any effects during and , of course, after.

You should feel more centred,calmer, more balanced. Helps if both nostrils are both clear though.It cultures and opens the nervous system,like all pranyama,clears out blockages.Some speculate that these blockages or obstructions are karmic in nature.This one allegedly also balances left & right brain hemispheres so i guess the corpus collosum( the dividing tissue in-between),the intermediary, is commmunicating more evenly.It is often alleged most folk have dominant side. Part of the goal in yoga (like hatha yoga) is to find balance for both sides,find union, be it masculine/feminiine,rational versus intuitive,ying & yang and so on.

Enjoy!

Remember – all the time in the world.

#42

And another thing I might mention:-

If you find the mind wandering during practice. Ask yourself - Why am i thinking this? And then go back to the practice,i.e bring your focus back to the job in hand; that is just where it should be. Relaxed awareness.

And another thing. The choice of the fingers, thumb and 4th, in digital pranayama means there is less strain on the wrists,hands and forearms for extended periods( not the case say if you used the third or second finger.- try it and you will see). The arm is bent and relaxed or hanging down on the front/chest. Though they say the right,also feel free to switch arms and use the left in order to get relaxed.Iyengar mentioned having the head dipped slightly towards neck as it brings about our introspective nature and the back of the brain is being utilised. I think you can use your own discretion here;In this respect ,do whatever feels normal and comfortable to you. (Any ratios & retentions should only be added in stages by increments through culturing.A systematic approach gives best results…)

That is all I can think of for now.

#43

Often anxiety comes from over active adrenal glands which is to me a reflection of the society we live in. where there is a more forwards and upwards motion, and action is exonerated in life and business. A better name for business would be busyness - being busy.
So to be able to sink and drop back in our selves is help full. What has become normal is a forward motion where we occupy the front part of the brain - the thinking conceptualisation of things. This is programmed into us in the main part from school. Which is OK if it is not at the effect of deleting the ability of being able to drop in to the back part of our cranium, which is much more to do with the abilities we had before. when we were in tune with the earth, before the industrial age and intellectual age. Holographic Breathing can give you the ability to access both the front and back and how they balance each other.
We visit these deeper areas of our self in the second seminar and learn how to drop down and back in our selves. This breathing system is Free Of Charge from holograpic-breathing.com . In this there are many ways of assimilting and integrating the energies of adrenal glands, so they become a positive attribute to ourselves.

#44

Without a doubt, Yoga (as well as any other exercise) will lower you to a calm state. Exercise is known to release endorphins which produce a feeling of well-being, a natural high. Yoga will also, from experience with anxiety, help you to breathe easier, therefore reducing your heart rate and eliminating anxiety. It will definitely take you to a calmer state and frame of mind.

If you can’t do Yoga, at least practice breathing techniques to help you achieve that calmness you seek.

Namaste

#45

Thanks for all those informations.
Now about the dangers of alternate nostril breathing technique as “Lotusgirl” ask me, what my friend told me she been told is that when practicing this pranayama you must first have your mind completely clear and full of possitivity because if your mind travels in a negative thoughts while doing it in the long term you might experience your syptoms getting worse and if your suffering from mild negative thoughts those mild thoughts might become more intense. Besides she told me to reach the state to practice pranayama you must first start with asanas be good in meditation and most importantly be a vegeratian…

I really dont know if what she being told is true or not.

#46

I found the results on my anxiety amazing :slight_smile: I suffered depression and anxiety disorders, and having started yoga, Ive recently come off my medication and feel extremely grounded. It helps you focus on the important things in life x

#47

[quote=nicos;37556]Thanks for all those informations.
Now about the dangers of alternate nostril breathing technique as “Lotusgirl” ask me, what my friend told me she been told is that when practicing this pranayama you must first have your mind completely clear and full of possitivity because if your mind travels in a negative thoughts while doing it in the long term you might experience your syptoms getting worse and if your suffering from mild negative thoughts those mild thoughts might become more intense. Besides she told me to reach the state to practice pranayama you must first start with asanas be good in meditation and most importantly be a vegeratian…

I really dont know if what she being told is true or not.[/quote]

Why rely on third or even fourth hand accounts or rumour rather than experience something for yourself which is what yoga is really all about?

Nadi shodhana i would have said seems relatively safe. The other stuff this girl mentions is just that balanced lifestyle and perspective & practice all help ensure your yoga is safe. Like crossing the road it’s a good idea to look both ways.This will help balance ida & pingala,energetic versus restlful introspective, sympathetic versus parasympathetic, left versus right brain hemispheres.It will laaso rebalance your body,mind,emotions etc.

Start off with long slow deep breath using the full yogic breath feeling the abdomen then chest rise, chest then abdomen fall ,via the action of the diapghram.You can do this in savasana or seated.

Then do inhale left,exhale right,inhale right exhale left 1:1:1:1 , no retention or fancy ratios,using the right arm & hand and first and fourth fingers is suggested. You should be fine with this.You can try breaking up every 4 count or rounds breathing through both nosttrils, left then right then back to nadi shodhana.Try and get at least 5 mins in there. But be easy about your breath and never force it.

I’ve never experienced anything negative from it. or not that i’m aware of.In fact it’s the one practice if done for any length of time should be very balancing. If you’ve still got doubts, then there’s maybe not much more i could say to allay them.But i would’nt take someone’s word for something especially if they heard it from another party or they don’t even practice.I had the same concerns as you when i started but now they’ve appeared unfounded as long as you follow some fairly basic common sense principles and some tips.Try to get the breath to lengthen within your easy limit where you are neither forcinig or straining.You can always add a mental count to help here. And JUST stop if you find your self out of breath. There is no hurry to get anywhere or get it done. It’s all about taking your time and just being, developing sensitivity and awareness.When you’re done see how you feel, i.e observe.Lie down in savsana if you feel a bit tired strained or whatever ,perhaps dizzy(though you really should’nt feel dizzy; in fact on the contrary you should feel quite balanced and calm. i’ve never felt it but stop if you’re straining from being out of breath) with a cushion behind your head if neceesssary to even the blood-pressure there or perhaps even any neck strain.You can often tend to notice the effects after but also during.Adding exotic ratios and/or retentions does make it more powerful or else nothing happens or it can make it less safe i guess.

Remember full deep relaxed easy breathing.

Do it so someone else can not hear your breathhing- it is inaudible to them and possibly even(or any possible sound of the breath) to yourself. This demonstrates there are no blockages or hinderances to the breath and in the nasal passages. Otherwise go and do some jala neti beforehand if you’re reall blocked out there. It is calming & relaxing but it’s greatest benefits are the fact that it’s a cheif balancing practice.

Combine with asana and other aspects of yoga- karma yoga- keeping busy (in the world), helping other people etc, not caring whether you gain things just for your self or not.

You can practice when you’re stressed,anxious or feeling unbalanced or uncentred.You wil notice the difference. The breathing tends to focus and calm down the mind and mental thinking.

#48

You can even do it without any hands, done mentally focusing on trying to breath through either nostril in turn ,left-IN,right-EX,right-IN,left-EX completes one round and so on.You can finish with in and out through both nostrils if you like.Eventually ida & pingala ,the other two main nadis other than the central sushumna nadi(whose flow is more of dormant trickle for most people rather than a strong flowing current) find greater balance.Ida & pingala cross-cross at the nerve plexuses or chakras supposedly and meet at the third eye, just above the nostrils and bridge of the nose, between the eyebrows i believe supposedly(some accounts may put it slightly higher in the forehead; i’m not altogether clear on this but for the purposes of this exercise it’s useful to visualise it as suggested while nostril breathing)The third-eye proper or rather it’s centre is actually in the middle centre of the brain (roughly behind the nasal septum and upper throat,far back of mouth) where the pineal and pituitary glands lie.The third-eye also extends all the way back to back of brain too.

#49

[quote=nicos;37556]Thanks for all those informations.
Now about the dangers of alternate nostril breathing technique as “Lotusgirl” ask me, what my friend told me she been told is that when practicing this pranayama you must first have your mind completely clear and full of possitivity because if your mind travels in a negative thoughts while doing it in the long term you might experience your syptoms getting worse and if your suffering from mild negative thoughts those mild thoughts might become more intense. Besides she told me to reach the state to practice pranayama you must first start with asanas be good in meditation and most importantly be a vegeratian…

I really dont know if what she being told is true or not.[/quote]

Hi Nicos,

To answer your question directly,the practices of breathing,pranayama, be it nadi shodhana or simple breath awareness or whatever, tend to focus the mind and naturally bring about one-pointedness and calmness quite soon after settling in.So if you were breathing erratically or straining, forcing ,pushing or gasping, i.e inapropriately then i guess you mgiht feel funny. But breath or prana follows mind and mind follows prana to some extent also.So you’re leading the dog by the lead.But the dog gets the idea eventually,whatever his limit might be.The breath is your friend.You make it your friend.
Mental processes and thinking will naturally subside and slow down especially if the breath slows down.

I think nadi shodhan is quite safe 1:1:1:1, You can do it this way - do 100 rounds and break up every 4 rounds with 1 round of both nostril breathing. If you can’t manage that, most folk can’t, then 25 will suffice.

You can do some asana before or after.And/or just watch the silence with your eyes closed ,& letting-go(or gently focus on the third-eye) in terms of meditation.Vegetarianism is not essential though there is evidence from my own practice (;)) that can contibute towards a purer mind.I don’t think you have to embrace it;depends where you’re at.I believe some tibetan yogis and buddhist may eat a certain amount of meat.I would not prescribe all the rules you suggest. Once we start doing that, then odds are we tend to use it as an excuse, even if unconsciously , not to practice. The mind is pretty devious that way; it will invent all kinds of reasons or excuses (you might say) not to practice.From i’ve eaten too much to not the right kind to i feel a little unstable.Sometimes that may indeed be true in which case you look at your toolbox and pull out a nice tool- just lying in savasan can be very relaxing i think or don’t practice at all…But alot of the time it’s the former;we sometimes say the conditions are not ideal.And of course nothing gets done that way.

Meditating on the " I" thought is another interesting & usefull meditation practice you can actually do throughout the whole day. “Who am I” you ask yourself-( itend to answer or feel rather -not this body,not this mind. I am the all pervading witness consciousnness behind the veil of relative illusions) Who’s feeling anxious? Some call it a mode of self-inquiry which can carry with it a whole raft of philosophy which is usually gruoped under the rubric of jnana yoga.Ramana Maharishi i think self-realised by this method alone i believe. Depends what you’re after. But it might help i guess with your anxiety ,especially in helping perhaps you to dissassociate from it more.I hope that makes some sense.

You can benefit from other practices as they each support one another ,remove obstructions ,cleanse and find balance deep within the nervous system, & help self-illuminate.:cool:

#50

Try doing pranayama, especially the Anulom-vilom, Kapalbhati along with yoga poses like Shavasana.

[QUOTE=nicos;36783]Hi all
I have a General anxiety disorder and i was wondering if i start yoga will help me with my anxiety…

Do you know base on your experiences if yoga helps or treats anxiety? (i heard there are cases that yoga really treaded anxiety)
please reply your answer will be appreciated

Thanks[/QUOTE]

#51

Thanks :slight_smile:

#52

Thanks a lot im getting quite good and possitive replies on here

#53

[QUOTE=core789;38244]Who’s feeling anxious? Some call it a mode of self-inquiry which can carry with it a whole raft of philosophy which is usually gruoped under the rubric of jnana yoga.[/QUOTE]

Could you simplify this core789? I didn’t get the meaning

#54

[QUOTE=nicos;36960]Depends, i interact with people often because of my job, but peolpe and their pressure give me an anxiety, sometimes anxiety strikes me even when i talk on the phone or when my boss is around or if someone comes to close to me or when i walk ot the street or when im in a place with many people around… so maybe the half of the day is an anxious day for me[/QUOTE]

If you would ask me, I would recomend you to look at your personal life, who has
a power over you. Some people feed on other’s energy.Its like that with almost anyone. except, other people get phisical diseases, while some get mental illnesses. Figure it out. While you stres sover someone else’s orders, you experience anyiety Maybe you’re too good to someone. And that peson is taking advantage of that. In fact I’ll bet any federal bank reserve on that.

#55

Hello Nicos.

What i meant was by trying to lessen identification with our emotions like anxiety ( or any of countless other mind-body states that tend to define who we think or feel we are) we tend to lessen the suffering that is associated with and results from such emotions. You’ve talked about anxiety.

But how does one do that, lessen identification, assuming it’s even possible or effiective from a yogic perspective?

Well for most people it’s not possible using this method alone,i.e self-inquiry.They often need to address the mind-body complex , what you define as yourself,first, in order to transcend it intellectually & spiritually.For this there is obviously asana,pranayama, bodily cleansing practices,meditation,living & lifestyle choices. They cannot lessen identification just by thinking about it or mentally willing it say… Indeed that can increase suffering and is often can make things worse.So a yoga praactice like self-inquiry that entails asking ourselves “who is nicos” or “who is anxious” is probably unlikely to be helpful unless one is A)ready OR B)doing some of the other practices.As i say there is practice in yoga that invovles one askling the question “who am [B][I]I [/I][/B]?”. If it’s followed up with the other practices it can be a great ally, but on it’s own it could give one a head-ache.If i ask this question i try to exercise an attitude of surrender.Like i am expecting the question to elicit a reaction in me you could say.One enquires into the deepest source of consciousness. Some may try to explain this as the source or origin of the “I” thought. You’ve obviously read here that yoga is a quantum science and ideas like how or what the world manifests is based on the things you do on a quantum level i.e on a level of mind and beyond.

So loosening the grip of our identifications is how we free ourselves from alot of suffering partly kept bound through conditioning . The identification seeks to hold themself in place.They’re self-perpetuating and they go round & round repating themself…No freedom or joy there obviously! The good news is you can totally address this a full & balanced yoga practice.And the ones i might suggest are for instance, none are compulsory:-

nadi shodhana
gentle nurturing asana practice.try out a suitable class or teacher if not already.
abdominal breathing
yoga nidra
savasana
outdoor pursuits- (perhaps avoiding crowds or too much people)

A practice is something that takes time to develop. You have to be receptive to the effects, and some are really quite subtle.You are workinig oon the quantum level o on deep levels of the mind-body matrix and that’s why you may not at first be sure what you may be feeling or indeed what you’re doing. However some of the practices are very powerful and safe, and nadi shodhana, asanas,savasana,abdominla breathing are all good.

Sometimes i get the feeling anxiety could be triggered by concern over how we feel others might be perceiving us. This may have some foundation or it may be made be made foggy by our own moods and mind-states.So Try to work on yourself through the full range of yoga practices rather than worry what other people are doing.Remember you can’t change other people, be it work or socially etc.

The best way to start yoga is through self-exploration. Better being in touch with your own body, mind & any emotions.Then if you wish you can consider exploring notions of a transcendent self or not or any other philosphical or non-mental exercises. The self-enquiry practice although associated with intellectual yoga,that of knowledge & wisdom does’nt have to operate on the mental level and probably should’nt(because it’s ideas and words that tie us to the mental streams of consciousness that are eith negiative or keep us chained)… In fact it tends to operate on the level of feeling and more.And i find an attitude of surrender helpful, of letting-goFor that you need bhakti. What is bhakti? it is bit like religious mania .All you may do is acknowledge the possibility of higher agencies or force at play. And by surrrendring youare doin that ,allowing those good spiritual forces to do the work .These higher agencies have the best of designs on us & reality. Letting-go can be very helpful in this respect…You don’t need to believe in any philosophical notion of a God or anything, you just achnowledge that their is of a web of cause and effect and it can either be tweaked on the quantum level i mean through a mixture of doing and non-doing.When anixety rises, let ir rise and then let it go but try to weaken the grip of idenitification on it. Best course of action for you would probably be simple gentle pranayama to start with.But try to explore the full range of what yoga can offer and then incorporate each into a full practice over time addiing on new practices say over time-scales of weeks or even months rather than days, just to be on the safe side.

:slight_smile:

#56

I say abdominal breathing but what i would suggest is full deep raja 2 or 3 part yogic breathing.The often abdomen rises, then the chest via the actions of the diaphragm( the muscle that allows our lungs to expand through the diaphragm’s contracting action) and the clavicle finally if there’s still more air.Don’t fear your breath.

#57

Hi InnerAthlete! I read your post. I liked it. It really contained a good volume of information.

#58

The breathing within yoga really does help with anxiety. I find it helps me to relax and calm myself. x

#59

I found a great study that actually found that yoga specifically had greater benefit for anxiety and depression than just plain exercise. The full article is available at the link, but I’ve cut and pasted the abstract below

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2010.0007

Abstract
Objectives: Yoga and exercise have beneficial effects on mood and anxiety. g-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic activity is reduced in mood and anxiety disorders. The practice of yoga postures is associated with increased brain GABA levels. This study addresses the question of whether changes in mood, anxiety, and GABA levels
are specific to yoga or related to physical activity.

Methods: Healthy subjects with no significant medical/psychiatric disorders were randomized to yoga or a metabolically matched walking intervention for 60 minutes 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Mood and anxiety scales were taken at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and before each magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan. Scan 1 was at baseline. Scan 2, obtained after the 12-week intervention, was followed by a 60-minute yoga or walking intervention, which was immediately followed by Scan 3.

Results: The yoga subjects (n?19) reported greater improvement in mood and greater decreases in anxiety than the walking group (n?15). There were positive correlations between improved mood and decreased anxiety and thalamic GABA levels. The yoga group had positive correlations between changes in mood scales and changes in GABA levels.

Conclusions: The 12-week yoga intervention was associated with greater improvements in mood and anxiety than a metabolically matched walking exercise. This is the first study to demonstrate that increased thalamic GABA levels are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety. It is also the first time that a behavioral intervention (i.e., yoga postures) has been associated with a positive correlation between acute increases in thalamic GABA levels and improvements in mood and anxiety scales. Given that pharmacologic agents that increase the activity of the GABA system are prescribed to improve mood and decrease anxiety, the reported correlations are in the expected direction. The possible role of GABA in mediating the beneficial effects of yoga on mood and anxiety warrants further study.

#60

Nicos,

I have a General anxiety disorder and i was wondering if i start yoga will help me with my anxiety…

Do you know base on your experiences if yoga helps or treats anxiety? (i heard there are cases that yoga really treaded anxiety)
please reply your answer will be appreciated

Thanks[/QUOTE]

It is my own direct experience that the methods of the yogic sciences can help dissolve a variety of problems, both physical and psychological. Before I had become an ascetic, I used to be tremendously depressed. Not only with depression, but with great hyperactivity combined with attention deficit disorder. And in the beginning, the discipline was not for any other phenomenon except to escape from the problems of life. When I had started practiced for the first few weeks, I witnessed no results whatsoever. But I continued. I had read some literature on the yogic sciences, which were saying that there are methods to come to a direct perception of Truth, but I wanted to investigate into the matter myself. So I had taught myself various methods and started practicing unceasingly. After the first month, there were some results, but short-lived. I continued nevertheless. Within four months, both the depression and the attention deficit disorder had completely dissolved. So yes, it is out of my own direct experience that several psychological “disorders” can be dissolved. But the problem is that yoga is not a quick fix. And human beings are such, that everybody wants a quick fix. If something requires any discipline whatsoever, then in a split moment it becomes all too easy to loose one’s interest in it, very few people have the effort, energy, desire, and one-pointedness to commit to a discipline. It is not just the case with the spiritual sciences, but with any discipline.

One has to practice with consistency and whole heartedess if one wants to witness results, it is not a sit and do nothing phenomenon. And in the beginning it may take some time where you will be practicing, and witnessing almost nothing that is happening, very few changes if any have occurred. But one should understand that the practice is cumulative, the results are not immediate, but gradual over a large span of time. Otherwise, if one is willing to initiate the effort with the right spirit, the chances of not attaining the results are just as the chances of swallowing the ocean.