Yoga is an ancient practice that can help you relieve stress and keep you energized and focused throughout your day. You don't have to be the most accomplished yogi to use yoga to stay healthy – just grab a mat and commit a few minutes each day to your practice. Over time, you'll notice your muscles are stronger and your body works more smoothly.
Method 1: Overcoming Anxiety
1 -Find a comfortable place. Yogic breathing and meditation can help calm your mind and relax your body, especially when you are feeling stressed out. To gain these benefits, find a cool, quiet place with few distractions.
While it can be relaxing to meditate in a public park, if you are a beginner you may want to be somewhere more private so you can fully relax.
Start by getting into a comfortable seated position – either cross-legged or in a chair with your feet on the floor.
2-Start with deep breathing. Deep yogic breathing will help relax and center you. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose to the depths of your chest, imagining that you are slowly filling your lungs from the bottom to the top.
When you've inhaled as much as you can, pause for a moment to appreciate the feeling of your lungs being full of air. Then slowly exhale out of your mouth, thinking about releasing the air from your lungs from the top all the way to the bottom.
Pause again when you've exhaled all the air before beginning an inhale again. Continue this cycle, keeping your mind focused on your breath.
3-Progress to breath of fire. Breath of fire is a powerful breathing technique that will give you energy. Use it especially when you find yourself dragging during the day or losing focus.[4]
Start with long, deep breathing. With breath of fire, rather than pausing and slowly exhaling, you will push the air out of your lungs quickly and forcefully out your mouth. As soon as most of the air in your lungs is gone, immediately inhale as much air as you can forcefully.
Engage your abdominals to push the air out when you exhale. With every breath cycle, try to inhale and exhale a little faster.
4-Ground yourself with alternate nostril breathing. After doing some deep yogic breathing to start, place your right thumb over your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril. When you've inhaled all you can, use your fourth finger to close off your left nostril and lift your thumb so that you can exhale out of your right nostril. Next, inhale through your right nostril, then cover it with your thumb. Lift your fourth finger so you can exhale out of your left nostril.
Focus your mind on your breath, continuing this cycle for three to five minutes.
5-Try a guided meditation. You can take a guided meditation class, or look for free guided meditation recordings online. Recordings also may include relaxing music or other sound effects that will aid in relaxation.
Close your eyes and focus on the voice, visualizing the images the voice tells you to in your mind. Guided meditations give you something to focus on, which can be useful when you're just starting to meditate and don't have practice clearing your mind.
Establish a regular practice of meditating for 5 to 10 minutes a day, either in the morning or in the evening before you go to bed. Over time you'll notice a difference in your anxiety levels and your mental focus and clarity.
6-Practice mindfulness in everyday life. When you focus on your breath while meditating, you are being mindful of your breath. You can expand this mindfulness to other areas of your life. Actually focus on the things that you do throughout the day, rather than going through tasks on auto pilot while your mind is elsewhere.
When you act consciously and mindfully, you'll see an impact in your health and well-being. For example, if you eat mindfully, you may find that you lose weight and adopt more healthy eating habits.
7-Use equal breathing before sleep. Equal breathing is kind of like counting sheep, and allows you to focus on your breath to calm your body and stop your mind from racing at the end of a long and hectic day.
Start by inhaling deeply as you count to four. Then immediately exhale for a count of four. Continue the cycle, focusing on the inhale and exhale being completely equal.
With practice, you can lengthen your count to five, six, or even eight.