Meditation or yoga to cope with anxiety?

[Chondra]

Actually, that might have been an excellent time for you to try it. :cautious:

But right now is the best time.;)

 

[ClairBear226]

I need to figure out a spot in my house quiet enough to be able to have time to focus so I could learn, without hearing, "Mom, can I Nair the dog? Mom, can I have a popscicle? Mom, can I be an ice cream person when I grow up? Mom, can I go play in traffic?" I'm thinking the roof, maybe? ;) I could hook up a TV and a DVR up there, right?

 

[Chondra]

I do some when I first get up. Then I sneak in more during quiet times in the day. My only real problem is Downward Dog pose. My dog thinks this means I want to play. :laugh:

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

I feel like such a hypocrite. My grandmother has generalized anxiety disorder and I have been teaching her yoga and breathing techniques for when she gets upset, but I am not practicing them myself. I still have been putting off doing any of this. My anxiety is running wild and I am stressed to my limits. I can barely sleep, but for some reason, I feel really afraid to try any of this. I don't understand why I am so hesitant to do this. I used to do yoga all the time!

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

I DID IT!!! I did some yoga today!!! It was nothing mind altering, or deeply profound but it was a step in the right direction and I am very proud of myself!

 

[Hashi]

Proud of you too!

 

[PTSD sufferer]

I use to do yoga twice a week, and then I did an intensive meditation session with a yogi. Then I became unwell and it was super triggering for me. Anyway, I think the key to yoga is breathing. So focusing on breathing in a calm and controlled manner is where you start again.

I try to do a lot of meditation as I can't go yoga at the moment (mental as well as physical limitations).

Some days, I will sit on the floor cross legged and just focus on centralising my breathing to my diaphragm. All of your breathing should come from the diaphragm - not the throat or stomach - and as you breath with your diaphragm fills with air first followed by the rib cage expanding. So you can imagine that breathing is a slow process. I use visualisations of pure white light entering into my diaphragm and expanding my ribs as I breath.

My yogi taught me a chant that helps with meditation. It is pronounced...

'bubba...nahm...keva...lahm'.

It roughly translates to love and kindness is all around us.

the monotone sound it produces is soothing and the b and l sounds makes my lips tingle :)

My favourite poses were the savasana and tadakasana - that is lying down with you hands at your side and lying down with your hands stretched over your head :)

 

[Elizabeth-Ann]

My question is, does anyone here use things like meditation or yoga to deal with their anxiety, what kind and how much does it help?

I do

(first part)

and

on a regular basis. Very easy, even if you have no energy to move around. Lots of breathing exercises are in there to. Helps to focus and to be better in your body. Helps me a lot. Hope you like it!

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I do meditation to ease my anxiety. Every session of therapy involves a meditation exercise. Over the last few years I've learned quite a few which I am able to use in times of distress.

Just out of curiosity, what vitamins did you take that sent you into a bad place? I ask as certain vitamins are agitating for me, particularly B vitamins which are commonly dosed in hundreds of times your RDA, and copper which is in just about every multivitamin I've found.

 

[ClairBear226]

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to update you guys. I was finally able to find a yoga nidra/ iRest class (the type I posted links about that is suposed to be particularly helpful for PTSD). The class I'm taking is an hour of "regular" yoga followed by a half hour of yoga nidra. It's only been 2 weeks, but it's making such a difference. I wish I would have found the class sooner, but it just opened up. Wish a "punch card", mine wound up being $10 a class. Worth every penny! I have a recording also. The one I've liked is "Irest Yoga Nidra" by Robin Carnes. About $8 - 11, depending on if you use a download or an actual CD.

 

[Hashi]

ClairBear, that's really interesting. Someone else pointed me to yoga nidra guided meditations, and I like them. I'm really happy for you that this sounds so positive for you, and that you've now got this class. Thanks for the update.