Living in an anxious body and mind can be torture. The conditioned mind spins into endless scenarios of whats not right and what will go wrong and sees no solution caught in its very tight , restricting , limited view. Excessive anxiety is considered a VATA dosha imbalance. According to Ayurveda, the ancient holistic medical model of yoga, VATA is the element of air with the quality of movement. When VATA is too high in our systems, we feel ungrounded, unfocused and unsupported (literally feeling no earth beneath your feet). A sense of isolation can exacerbate the already stressed nervous system.
The remedy is a daily practice to pacify the VATA excess. Anxiety is rooted in fear and fear is rooted in mistrust. When you begin to honor your own body/mind and practice supporting it , you build trust. The body- mind loves routine and rituals so here are a few key daily practices to root the VATA, calm the anxious current ricocheting in your nervous system and open to a deeper quality of awareness and calm where you can access making wiser choices that WILL SUPPORT you.
The following guidelines will greatly support reducing chronic anxiety.
1. BREATHE DEEPLY IN THE BELLY : Long and slow. Vata excess tends to concentrate the breath into upper thorasic (collar bone) and shallow, thus perpepuating the stress response. Double the length of your exhales to dial your anxiety sensations back. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system (Rest and Digest) as opposed to the Fight or Flight sympathetic nervous system you are in.
2. CREATE STRUCTURE AND ROUTINE EACH DAY: Eat 3 meals at regular times. Eat , seated at a table, without screens on so you can focus on eating. Eat warm, nourishing , grounding foods like root vegetables, soups and clean proteins. Include lots of green veggies to alkalize your acidic body ( a stressed body is an acidic body) and include healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, cold pressed virgin olive oil and nuts and seeds, Healthy fats insulate the nervous system. Go to bed same time each day after a relaxing bath.
3. GET A MASSAGE! A huge aspect of chronic anxiety is the tendency to disconnect from the body consciousness and being highly positioned in your head/thinking mind. A good body massage can bring your body awareness back online and help to release the muscle tightness and pain that can result from anxiety.
4. DO DAILY SELF MASSAGE with a warm organic oil. Abhyanga,(ayurvedic self massage) is one of the BEST practices to soothe a VATA dominant nervous system. A key sign you have excess VATA is dry, scaly skin. Daily massage before showering (takes a few minutes) helps to rewire your connection to your largest sensory organ , the skin so you can FEEL more and balance the excessive thinking patterns.
5. MEDITATE WITH A MANTRA: It provides focus or a recorded body centered relaxation audio. Anxiety is a tough condition to try and meditate on your breath , so use a tool like repeating a simple mantra (Inhale Peace, Exhale CALM) or listened to a guided audio that will support your releasing held tension.
6. CUT BACK AND ELIMINATE STIMULANTS: Including caffeine, sugar and processed snacks and action/violent based TV. These throw VATA off the rails.
7. BE AWARE OF YOUR TENDENCY TO SEDATE: With excess TV, eating or even sex as a method to deal with your anxious mind. Turn off the TV and take a walk or do some yoga to stretch and breath the body.
8. REACH OUT TO SOMEONE: Let them know of your challenges and the need for support. Its so hard for many folks to acknowledge they need support. WE ALL NEED SUPPORT IN THIS HECTIC WORLD!
9. REMEMBER THE LARGER VIEW: You are a creation of Divine Light and whatever challenges you are facing are here to invite us to grow and awaken to a deeper aspect of awareness. The anxiety is not who you are and suffering is optional. It is a reaction to a pattern of thinking you are habitually caught in. Recognize the habit and use the tools to shift to wellness and support.
10.Last but not least, as we move from the winter season (VATA DOMINANT) to Spring (KAPHA OR WATER DOMINANT) slow down: Notice the beauty of the season emerging all around you. When anxious by nature, one tends to tunnel vision and miss the amazing beauty of creation surrounding us. Literally slow down and smell the roses!
If you suffer from chronic anxiety and need some support, contact openinglotusyoga@gmail to set up a private yoga session or join a gentle restorative class!
Namaste and Blessings for a Beautiful, Calm, Body Centered Day!
1. BREATHE DEEPLY IN THE BELLY : Long and slow. Vata excess tends to concentrate the breath into upper thorasic (collar bone) and shallow, thus perpepuating the stress response. Double the length of your exhales to dial your anxiety sensations back. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system (Rest and Digest) as opposed to the Fight or Flight sympathetic nervous system you are in.
2. CREATE STRUCTURE AND ROUTINE EACH DAY: Eat 3 meals at regular times. Eat , seated at a table, without screens on so you can focus on eating. Eat warm, nourishing , grounding foods like root vegetables, soups and clean proteins. Include lots of green veggies to alkalize your acidic body ( a stressed body is an acidic body) and include healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, cold pressed virgin olive oil and nuts and seeds, Healthy fats insulate the nervous system. Go to bed same time each day after a relaxing bath.
3. GET A MASSAGE! A huge aspect of chronic anxiety is the tendency to disconnect from the body consciousness and being highly positioned in your head/thinking mind. A good body massage can bring your body awareness back online and help to release the muscle tightness and pain that can result from anxiety.
4. DO DAILY SELF MASSAGE with a warm organic oil. Abhyanga,(ayurvedic self massage) is one of the BEST practices to soothe a VATA dominant nervous system. A key sign you have excess VATA is dry, scaly skin. Daily massage before showering (takes a few minutes) helps to rewire your connection to your largest sensory organ , the skin so you can FEEL more and balance the excessive thinking patterns.
5. MEDITATE WITH A MANTRA: It provides focus or a recorded body centered relaxation audio. Anxiety is a tough condition to try and meditate on your breath , so use a tool like repeating a simple mantra (Inhale Peace, Exhale CALM) or listened to a guided audio that will support your releasing held tension.
6. CUT BACK AND ELIMINATE STIMULANTS: Including caffeine, sugar and processed snacks and action/violent based TV. These throw VATA off the rails.
7. BE AWARE OF YOUR TENDENCY TO SEDATE: With excess TV, eating or even sex as a method to deal with your anxious mind. Turn off the TV and take a walk or do some yoga to stretch and breath the body.
8. REACH OUT TO SOMEONE: Let them know of your challenges and the need for support. Its so hard for many folks to acknowledge they need support. WE ALL NEED SUPPORT IN THIS HECTIC WORLD!
9. REMEMBER THE LARGER VIEW: You are a creation of Divine Light and whatever challenges you are facing are here to invite us to grow and awaken to a deeper aspect of awareness. The anxiety is not who you are and suffering is optional. It is a reaction to a pattern of thinking you are habitually caught in. Recognize the habit and use the tools to shift to wellness and support.
10.Last but not least, as we move from the winter season (VATA DOMINANT) to Spring (KAPHA OR WATER DOMINANT) slow down: Notice the beauty of the season emerging all around you. When anxious by nature, one tends to tunnel vision and miss the amazing beauty of creation surrounding us. Literally slow down and smell the roses!
If you suffer from chronic anxiety and need some support, contact openinglotusyoga@gmail to set up a private yoga session or join a gentle restorative class!
Namaste and Blessings for a Beautiful, Calm, Body Centered Day!
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