Panic disorders can be hugely debilitating to our physical and mental wellbeing. Panic attacks can manifest negative thoughts and distressing physical symptoms. These can lead to a reduction in our quality of life. In this article, Russell Herbert Jack, Southland based yoga teacher, explains how regular yoga practice can prevent and ease panic attacks.
Some strategies can help you feel calmer and gain control over the severity of your panic attacks. They include visualization, breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation. Yoga encompasses all three of these relaxation techniques. Additionally, yoga can help with easing stress and feelings of nervousness, as well as promoting mindfulness. For these reasons, yoga may be beneficial for people with panic and anxiety disorders.
What is yoga?
Yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga means “to yoke” or “unite.” Practicing yoga joins the body, mind, and spirit and helps restore a sense of personal balance through meditation, breathing exercises, specific movements, and relaxation. Yoga has become a popular lifestyle in recent years, where devotees are committed to practices beyond physical activity.
Numerous non-exercise aspects of the yoga lifestyle help ease the mind and assist in letting go of stress, such as breathing exercises and meditation. Due to the many stress management and reduction benefits of yoga, it is not surprising that it could help manage anxiety, fears, and panic.
How can yoga help in managing panic disorders?
Aside from stress, panic disorders can manifest in many uncomfortable physical symptoms, including tension, tightness, and increased pain sensitivity. Yoga postures, known as asanas, work in such a way that they help stretch, lengthen, and balance the muscles. This, in turn, helps alleviate the physical discomfort caused by anxiety and release built-up muscle tension and stiffness.
Asanas are carried out in sequences that can be an effective form of physical exercise. Exercise has proven to be beneficial for panic disorders, including reducing pain and stress.
Yoga also helps with negative thought patterns, promoting a calmer mind and spirit. Meditation, visualization, and focusing on breathing are all parts of the practice of yoga. This can help to let go of worry and fear. Through yoga, the mind and body are both allowed to gain a sense of ease and calm.
Yoga classes also help connect people. As many people with panic disorders and anxiety suffer from feelings of loneliness and isolation, taking part in an outdoor yoga class can help them socialize while working toward personal wellness. During the pandemic, doing yoga with your close family members or friends can help build deeper interpersonal relationships and promote overall health.
Life can sometimes get on top of us, and panic disorders can come about for many reasons. There are many classes available in your local area, and there are also many online classes offered by yoga instructors. If you live in New Zealand, reach out to Russell Herbert Jack, Southland Yoga Training founder, for unique yoga classes geared to ease mental health symptoms.
About Russell Herbert Jack
Russell Herbert Jack, Southland Yoga Training Founder, left environmental sciences studies at the University of Otago to pursue his passions as a mindfulness and yoga teacher. He enjoys learning and writing about spirituality, meditation, and vegan lifestyle and sharing these valuable insights with his clients. Russell is devoted to living in harmony with himself and with nature and conveying these skills to others.
