Yoga To Calm An Anxious Mind – Scott Harig
Posted June 11th, 2010 by noelle | View Comments
Anxiety is a killer. You can’t stop worrying about every little thing. You can’t sleep. You’re in a tough spot.
Cut down on the worry with help from Pure Yoga instructor and former competitive mountain biker, Scott Harig. As a former competitor, Scott knows a thing or two about anxiety and an anxious mind – especially before a big race.
Here are Scott’s tips to keep an anxious mind in check.
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh Page. A short and simple read that really relates to living without stress and anxiety.
The breath is the most important part to a calm sense of self. So often we forget how to breathe and it becomes sporadic causing the heart rate to rise and the anxiety to kick in even worse. Here is an exercise: Try putting on a heart rate monitor and sitting down. Then start to breathe really fast and then really slow and watch your heart rate rise and fall. There is a powerful breath that we use in yoga called Ujjayi breath. This breath is extremely calming as well as warming. To do this breath you would breathe with an aspirate sound through your nose towards the back of the throat (almost like trying to mist a mirror with your breath). You would release the breath in the same fashion for the exhales as well. This breath is a continuous, yet slow, method of breathing. If done correctly it will – without doubt – calm you and your heart rate down.
Build on the above calming breathing techniques with some calming yoga poses. Three such poses that I would recommend would include Shoulder Stand, Head Stand and Spread Leg Forward Fold.
Learn more about Scott Harig
Stop and visit Scott at Pure Yoga in New York City which was recently named “Best Yoga Studio in 2010″ by New York Magazine. This studio is an oasis for weary and tired minds. Privates with Scott are also available upon request. For more information and for a look at upcoming retreats and workshops with Scott, please reach him at intouchyoga.com. (There is a workshop he is hosting at the Kripalu center for yoga and health in October that I’m already eyeing!)
