Whether or not we have been diagnosed with anxiety, we live in anxious times. Consider yoga to self-soothe. It’s a good self-care practice, even if you only have a few minutes a day.
Guidelines for Yoga for Anxiety
When practicing asana (postures):
If anxiety is present, to meet the mood, begin with more dynamic movements and then increase stretch holds (not more than 30 seconds), practicing with an awareness of breath, extending the exhalation (4:6 count recommended) and with attention to specific body sensations. Practice all movements (back bending, forward bending, side stretching, twists and inversions) with emphasis on forward bending poses.
End with a relaxation that increases body awareness—practices that include a body scan, like yoga nidra or a tense and relax exercise. When we pay attention to these body sensations, we increase mindful presence. The mind is a time traveler, but the body is always present. Try the LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues, Level 1 or 2—DVD or Downloads, available here.
When practicing pranayama breathing exercises:
If anxiety is present, meet the mood with a slightly more vigorous breath and then begin to slow the exhalation. Something like analoma krama, which in LifeForce Yoga, we call Stair-step, is a good choice. (see below) You might choose to do a slow (one breath/second) round of 10 Bellows Breaths (bhastika) or standing Breath of Joy, grounding with the mantra for the root chakra, “Lam.” After cueing to awareness and grounding, described below, introduce a slower deeper breath like dirga (three-part breath), ujjayi (victory breath) or nadi shodana (alternate
nostril). Practice these breathing exercises on the Breathe to Beat the Blues CD, available here.
After a more rapid breathing exercise, no matter the presenting mood, sense into what is tingling in your face, your hands, your palms, your fingertips. The body is always present. Ground the experience by inhaling to your crown, “I am…” then, exhaling to your feet (or your seat) ...here.”
When practicing meditation:
Reduce the rumination that accompanies both anxiety and depression by anchoring the mind with a meditation technique that “gives the mind a bone.” (mantra, mudra, pranayama, bhavana (visual imagery)
Build the muscle of mindfulness practice slowly with shorter periods of silence, building to longer periods of silence (watching the breath, focused awareness, etc) after first anchoring the mind with a technique recommended above. This will help mitigate the negative self-talk that often accompanies depression and anxiety.
It is advisable to practice movement before sitting to meditate.
Nada Yoga (Sound Yoga)
Integrating non-sectarian mantra into movement can help deepen the breath. In general, cooling vowel tones are useful for anxiety (o, u, ah, aye, ee, mm, ng) These tones are integrated into a posture flow on the LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues, Level 1 or 2—DVD or Download. [Link to DVD page] They can also be found on the LifeForce Yoga Chakra Clearing Meditation CD available here.
Simple Breathing Practice for Anxiety – LifeForce Yoga Stair-step Breath
When meeting an anxious mood, practice in a seated position, although you may wish to lie down when you finish.
This practice is excellent if you have trouble taking a deep breath because it meets your initial shortness of breath and slowly begins to lengthen it. If you’re feeling a high level of anxiety, it’s best to 
only practice part one.
- Take little steps up, as though you are climbing a mountain.
- Pause at the top of your mountain and see something that lights you up inside.
- Slide down the mountain
- Repeat
- Next, take an elevator ride up to the top of your mountain
- Pause and see something that makes your heart smile
- Little steps down the mountain
- Repeat
- Next, take little steps up the mountain. Pause and see something pleasing
- Little steps down the mountain
- Repeat
- Take little steps up, as though you are climbing a mountain.
- Pause at the top of your mountain and see something that lights you up inside.
- Slide down the mountain