Meditation or yoga to cope with anxiety?

[Sheer Force of Will]

I have been having panic attacks lately, and my doctor has recommend anti anxiety medications, however my body has a low tolerance for medications of any kind. I cannot take benedryl, narcotic pain killers, antibiotics, anesthesia, even vitamins make me do a Linda Blair impression. So I am trying to look for more natural ways to deal with this.

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?

 

[VDWngr1355]

I use yoga and don't just use one kind. I have experimented with a bunch of different kinds and mix it up and use different types for how I am feeling.

How I started getting into yoga was by just buying some yoga DVDs at Walmart and going through them and learning the names of the poses and the breathing. Now, I scan youtube for more video/info on different types of yoga and poses. Which I like doing it by myself rather than following a DVD or class because you feel more free to go at your own pace. With yoga I learned that some poses I need to stay in longer to help release the tension-I will hold some poses for a couple of minutes if I feel I need it. And really the longer you stay in certain poses the more tension it will release from that area.

I find doing poses that concentrate on opening up the lower back and hips helps get rid of a lot of the anxiety. I seem to hold a lot of stress/emotions in those areas of my body. Some poses that help me is pigeon pose, garland pose, goddess, standing straddle forward bend, dragon, there are others as well. It is good just to experiment with different positions and find out which ones help you the most.



It won't cure it by any means but it helps to make the day a little bit more manageable.

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

I know that yoga helps with physical tension, but do you find it helps you manage your mental anxiety?

And do you have any good yoga videos that you might recommend?

 

[Chondra]

I use a very simple form of breathing meditation. Breath in (belly moves out) white light, hold briefly, then slowly exhale out the tension/anxiety. Repeat.

I know a number of meditation techniques, but I can remember and manage this one even during times of high anxiety.

 

[VDWngr1355]

It does help with that as well. After doing yoga for a little bit, I find my mental clarity to be better and it helps to keep the negative thoughts somewhat in check, and calm the mind. There are days at work when my mind if getting the best of me and I work for a major retail company. In the back we have one private bathroom and I will go back there for five minutes and lock the door and do a couple of the standing poses that help and I notice it helps to calm my mind and bring focus.

 

[VDWngr1355]

Here are a few videos with poses that I find help. Tara Stiles also has yoga DVDs at Walmart that I like.

<Videos removed: Please place them in the media section.>

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

Oh wow, these are awesome!! Thank you so much!

 

[Hashi]

I listen to a guided meditation/relaxation. It helps a lot, but I've had to edit it myself so that the initial part where you relax your body from head to toe is repeated five times - I have to do it several times before my mind starts calming down and I can actually start relaxing.

The one I use is Louise Hay's "Deep Relaxation" which is based on her approach which is also explained on the recording - but there are lots of other ones, it's just a question of what feels right for you.

I'm also helped by breathing - just focussing on my breath and not trying to force it to slow down, although the more I focus I find it naturally becoming a bit more relaxed and deeper. I was advised by an anxiety helpline to do it for at least 20 minutes, timed by the clock. It was good advice, because otherwise I would only do it a little and wouldn't get to the point where I get the most benefit. For the first ten minutes or so, a lot of anxiety comes up and I try to allow that but not pay attention to it, just keep focussed on breathing. After that, the anxiety reduces noticeably.

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

Guided meditation sounds good. I like the idea of doing that while doing yoga, do you think that is possible?

And you guys find these techniques helpful to manage on a day to day basis? Do you do them daily to keep the over all anxiety level down, or do you just do them when you are feeling particularly anxious?

 

[Hashi]

I can't imagine doing a guided meditation while doing yoga, because the idea is to become still, quiet and relaxed. But you could play a tape of affirmations, or music with subliminal affirmations.

I listen to the guided meditation every night while i'm going to sleep. Usually I fall asleep before the end, which doesn't matter because I'm still hearing it and I think falling asleep that way makes sleep easier and more restful. I usually listen during the day at least once too. If it was a medication, I'd say I've become dependent on it but luckily there are no side effects and the benefits increase over time rather than reduce.

If I'm at home I go and do it if I feel panicky or anxious at that moment, and it calms me down. I think doing it regularly definitely has an overall effect too. I felt that after about a month. When I started it my anxiety was incapacitating, and I still have some bad days now, but in general I feel that the calm/coping has increased and the anxiety is much less.

 

[Sheer Force of Will]

Thank you Hashi, this is very helpful information. I feel like it would be really good for me to try some guided meditation and some yoga, but you are right, I should do them individually. A lot of my issues involve needing to slow down and feel what is around me.

Would anyone be willing to go into detail about how they feel when they meditate away the feelings of panic?

 

[Chondra]

Hmm, that is a little tough. For me, I still feel the anxiety, but I also feel larger than it. Like I am an observer rather than just an unwilling participant. The anxiety is contained within me and I can observe it in a detached (calmer) sort of way. Watch it ebb and flow. Not sure if that makes much sense, and that is just for me, I think the experience varies with the individual.