How Yoga Can Help with Anxiety

Many people have praised the power of yoga believing that the practice is good for everything from weight loss to stress-reduction. Can yoga really help anxiety though? If so, how?

There is a strong belief that yoga does help anxiety and that the benefits one receives from the practice can help those suffering from anxiety learn to better control the condition. The following are just some of the ways that yoga can help anxiety.

Reduces Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Eases Respiration

Yoga is a practice of fluid movements that require strength and deep concentration. Through these practices people are able to reduce their heart rate, blood pressure and ease respiration. An anxiety attack often causes one to experience an increase in heart rate, a rise in blood pressure and uneven breathing. Yoga can help teach you moves that will allow you to calm yourself without the need for medication. It’s an all natural method that it definitely worth trying.

Teaches the Heart to Deal with Varying Heart Rate Levels

While yoga may not be as vigorous as kickboxing or other forms of exercise, it does include movements that raise and lower heart rate. Doing these movements will help those that suffer from anxiety attacks better cope with rising heart rates brought on by an attack. This is especially true for those that rarely exercise because their bodies aren’t used to going from a resting rate of 70 to a rate of over 100, except when they have an attack. Yoga will condition your body to not panic when your heart rate rises.

Controlled Breathing Offers Something to Focus On

Those experiencing anxiety attacks often have a million thoughts racing through their mind at once. It can be hard to focus on anything, but yoga teaches you how to do so. In an instant, you can begin to focus on your breathing and naturally calm yourself down. As you begin to bring your breathing under control, your heart rate and blood pressure will also begin to lower.

We live in a world where medications are given more often than they need to be. While yoga may not end up being the answer you were hoping for, it’s certainly worth a shot. After all, would you rather add another medication to your overflowing cabinet or learn to deal with your attacks in a safe and natural way? If you do want to give it a shot, there are thousands of free videos available online to get you started.