Yoga for Life: Challenging yoga postures to dissolve anxiety

Posted 1/11/23

An anxious mind creates tension in the body.

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Yoga for Life: Challenging yoga postures to dissolve anxiety

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An anxious mind creates tension in the body. Thoughts do not automatically change without effort, just as performing difficult Yoga twists to awaken the body. However, the mind/body can expand beyond “perceived” limitations and break negative habit patterns, frustration and anxiety by learning moves to become more flexible.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” The definition refers to anxiety being created as the result of an earlier occurrence of something said or done that creates frustration. The word, anxiety, has been used since the 15th Century.

Body movements that are repeated the same way all the time become locked into the muscles and create tension, if it goes against the anatomical structure. In Yoga, practioners learn how to break through negatively ingrained physical patterns and flow in tune with their body structure. Each person has different physical needs based on their unique anatomy; Yoga helps each individual discover, test out their mobility and apply new ways to move in tune with their anatomical structure. Frustration and anxiety are the result of the reoccurrence of pain occurring during everyday movement. Learning new postures that break-through conditioned habit patterns is challenging. Yoga addresses these concerns with alternative movements.

A Yoga practice is about commitment, not quitting after a few failed attempts to exactly execute each pose as it is supposed to be. In Yoga, new physical movements are initiated slowly but with the goal of becoming more flexible with increased blood flow and circulation of nutrients/oxygen throughout the body, as well as elimination of toxins.

Deep breathing through the nose is part of the cleansing process which helps to release “anxious” thoughts manifested in the mind and body. Each new posture initiates more flexibility for easier movement through everyday activities and less frustration due to pain.

At Shield Wellness Center (Sebring), Yoga practioners, Cynthia Buckmaster and Mary Loe learn a difficult twisting posture, “Lord of the Fishes,” discovering it was not easy to perform, requiring extreme twists of the core, arms, legs and holding the pose for several breaths. This pose is an awakening call to go beyond perceived physical limitations. Cynthia and Mary took up the challenge and each time they initiated the posture, it improved! Now they can integrate these movements into their daily activities which will re-train the core to become more flexible and less painful each time they twist.

For a mental/physical challenge and with great pleasure of accomplishment, join us at Shield Wellness Center (US 1 North, past Sun and Lakes Blvd). Shield Wellness is on the right. Yoga classes are for all levels: Tuesdays 1-2 p.m., Thursdays 5:30-6:30 p.m., Fridays, 1-2 p.m. You will discover a new you!

yoga, fitness, exercise, mediation, stretching, stretches

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