How to Alleviate Anxiety and Build Emotional Resilience with Yoga
- Brainz Magazine
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
Written by Susan Carabello, Spiritual Teacher and Coach
Susan Carabello, Spiritual Teacher and Coach, guides women who feel disconnected from their inner wisdom using meditation, so they can live life with confidence, clarity and purpose.
Do you ever wake up feeling overwhelmed? If you have ever dealt with anxiety, it can make the simple tasks feel like a burden. If you often find yourself lost in thoughts about the future or dwelling on the past, you're not alone. This is super common, especially if anxiety has taken up residence in your mind, like it did in mine.
But here's a little secret: Yoga (and what you learn with Yoga) might be the magic wand you need to calm that anxious mind. It worked wonders for me, and it could be the game-changer you've been searching for!
Understanding anxiety
Anxiety isn't just one thing; it can be a range of emotions! You may feel apprehensive or insecure, and this can manifest physically, such as an upset stomach or sweaty palms.
I spent years fighting my anxiety, trying to convince myself that it wasn't there. If I don't see it, maybe it will just go away. Spoiler alert: it was there!
Most of the time, it stemmed from feeling uncomfortable and insecure in my own skin, and every awkward social situation would trigger a mini panic attack about how I looked, what I was wearing, and other similar concerns.
As I entered adulthood, my anxiety only worsened. I tried to cope with food, thinking it would provide a temporary escape. But little did I know, my anxiety had a way of crashing the party eventually, and adding food to the mix was just disastrous.
Anxiety is also not one size fits all. There is generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, and more. I had what we would define as generalized anxiety. I worried about everything under the sun: my health, my appearance, my bank account, how people perceived me, and whether I was performing well at work. My confidence was never solid because my anxiety was always running the show.
It was exhausting, and I always felt burned out. It was a common joke that if sleeping were an Olympic Sport, I would win the Gold. I was always burned out from the anxiety I was feeling and not dealing with properly.
The turning point: Discovering yoga
Living in that constant state of worry took a toll on my mental health. I felt like I was always running but never getting anywhere. My energy was always on the go. What I really craved was peace, a moment of stillness. Enter Yoga, my unexpected hero!
Yoga opened the door to emotional resilience, which is basically the ability to adapt to stress while staying calm and clear-headed. When anxiety was calling the shots, adapting felt impossible. But through Yoga, I learned to harness my breath, meditate, and move my body in ways that calmed my racing mind.
A few things I learned with yoga
When I started Practicing Yoga, I also learned about breathwork and meditation, in addition to the physical movement of Yoga. Breathwork teaches you how to breathe correctly and with intention, which can help to regulate your emotions. When you focus on your breath, you can bring your body back to center.
Meditation provides stillness. It cultivates present-moment awareness. It's like a mental vacation where you observe your thoughts without getting swept away by them. Movement through Asana or yoga poses can help ground your energy and ease anxiety.
These key factors helped wrangle my anxiety and got me started on a path to feeling calm, centered, and clear each day.
Build your own anxiety-busting routine
Ready to kick anxiety to the curb? Here's how to build a routine that helps:
Embrace your anxiety: First things first, acknowledge that anxiety is there, and that's okay! It doesn't define who you are; it's just a tiny thread in the beautiful tapestry of life. Celebrate it as well as all the other parts of you, too!
Start your day right: Morning rituals set the tone for the day. Try starting the day with a few moments of quiet meditation, prayer, breathwork, or journaling. Five to ten minutes can help clear your mind before you dive into the day. Then, move into some yoga poses, such as Child's Pose, to ground your energy before starting your day.
Create control: A solid morning routine gives you a sense of control and predictability, which is crucial since anxiety often creeps in when things feel unsettled or ungrounded. By establishing a routine in your morning, you can help manage your anxiety.
Incorporate calming activities: Activities like the ones mentioned above promote calmness and lower stress levels before you even step out the door. Pick one or all. You decide what works for you.
Boost your focus: A well-planned morning routine enhances focus and productivity throughout the day. With a morning routine in place, you will feel more accomplished and better equipped to face the challenges that come your way.
The power of emotional resilience
Building emotional resilience with Yoga can help create a buffer against life's inevitable stressors. When you establish a clear morning routine, you're setting yourself up for success, making it easier to handle whatever comes your way.
So, next time you feel that familiar twinge (and your old friend anxiety is paying a visit), remember to come back to your breath, close your eyes for a few minutes, and find a Yoga pose to help ground you. It can be precisely what you need to build emotional resilience.
Embrace it, breathe through it, and find your inner calm! Want to learn more about Yoga and how to incorporate it into your daily routine? Let’s connect! I would love to help you build your own Yoga Routine.
Read more from Susan Carabello
Susan Carabello, Spiritual Teacher and Coach
Susan Carabello is a Spiritual Teacher and coach dedicated to helping women reconnect with their inner wisdom through meditation. Her goal is to empower them to live with confidence, clarity, and purpose. Susan has created the Renew Method of Manifestation, a signature five-step process designed to release energetic blocks and help individuals align with their true selves. As the founder of Dear Beautiful Soul LLC, an award-winning life coaching business based in Bucks County, PA, Susan is committed to guiding women on their transformational journeys.
