We might imagine yoga for anxiety needs to be gentle and soothing. But actually the opposite may be true! If we were able to gently breathe, mediate and stretch ourselves into a state of ease, we wouldn't be anxious! 

Firstly, let's just be clear - if you’re anxious, there’s nothing “wrong” with you! Anxiety is a natural response to a stressful situation. It’s not a sign of weakness, in fact if you consider all the things you do everyday despite feeling like hiding away, you might see just how courageous you really are. How incredible for just carrying on each day and doing what you can. 

...you might see, just how courageous you really are.

Secondly let’s reflect just what anxiety is or isn't! It’s not a mistake, it’s not an illness as such and it’s not random. It’s our nervous system response to a perceived threat. The central nervous system of the brain and along the spine, is designed to protect us from harm and it does this by assessing everything, under the radar. Hence the term autonomic nervous system - it happens without us noticing. 

Everything in our environment is assessed for potential risk, so in tricky times like ours (and I won’t list every anxiety-making thing), it’s amazing that we aren’t more anxious. 

Anxiety is physical, the body mobilises for action, but often we don't actually need to run away from a raging tiger, rather we may feel overwhelmed by our work environment or the traffic or have climate change related anxiety. 

So that leaves us with a load of adrenaline that we don’t burn off, and over time this can leave us feeling anxious daily, until perhaps we hide away from life, and cower from those “tigers” that never leave us. 

So what can we do with yoga and yoga teachers?! It's all to do with the nervous system, to provide an opportunity for the nervous system to become more pliable, more adaptable. We need to practise upregulating, i.e. getting the heart rate up, in order to get better at downregulating, i.e. bring the heart beat down and stimulate the ‘rest and digest’ system. 

It isn't all about relaxing, it's about becoming more resilient so that what happens in class we can replicate in life. So that gradually whatever borders have closed us in can start to open again. It may be very gradual, but there's a lot of research that shows it is do-able with the right understanding. 

...an opportunity for the nervous system to become more pliable.

So here goes, some tips for Yoga for Anxiety:

1. Alternate
   Plan a class that alternates between more active and more gentle phrases, all with the invitation to do more or less - no judgement. 

2. Get moving
   Instead of trying to relax everyone in supine or sitting as a “settling in” perhaps have students standing, where you, the teacher, can be easily seen. Or be sure to move so students can see when you bring in something new. Here you can bring in gentle movement while they are more alert and “mobilised”. 

3. Empowerment and ownership
   Let students know it's their practice. They can alter and adapt everything. 
   
   “I am not attached to you doing exactly as I say - it's not like school, you can't get in trouble! So just adapt everything to suit you or simply ask or look confused if you're not sure how!” 
   
   “If you'd like to start in a standing position make your way up to face me, feel free to take time to settle in and rest in any way if you prefer.” 
   
   “Find a way that suits you.”
   
   “Yes that's great - that's perfect.” (for while folks are adapting but don't single anyone out).

4. Checking in with the here and now
   Give really clear verbal ENQUIRY cues early in class and throughout a session to help students mentally-arrive in the room. Perhaps start with the feet to help move the “energy” down. Often with anxiety we experience “mental flooding” so shifting awareness to the body and away from the brain can be helpful. 
   
   “How does your right foot feel, compared to your left foot? Is it heavy or light? Do they feel the same or different?”
   
   “Where do you notice your breath? Is the breath warm or cool? Perhaps you feel it in the nostrils? Or the chest? Or maybe you can notice your rib cage moving? Perhaps even the lower ribs start to move a little as you feel the breath descend more.” 
   
   “Just notice whatever you feel right now”.
   
   i.e. offer a more relaxed breath without adding a value statement or judgement to it. 

5. Keeping it real
   Yoga doesn't need to make everything perfect, but it is a way to offer ourselves some space, like a buffer zone around whatever our experience is. Often the language we use in class assumes everyone is having a pleasant experience. But we can instead we can say,
   
   “Noticing whatever is going on for you, however easeful or hard, and perhaps in some way we can be ok with whatever is present right here and now.”
   
   This message of acceptance might be there to open and close, and throughout the class.

6. Educate
   Know about anxiety so that you can share further resources and studies - the science of it as well as the experience (personally or from asking others) so that you can compassionately share information on what supports students, without having to be the oracle of all things. Positive messaging such as that written above and “it's a sensible nervous system response, just one that doesn't always suit the modern environment” is a great background message.

7. The dance of the nervous system - upregulate
   Anxiety is physical. Once we get this, we can use some of that energy that mobilises the body as if it gets to take the action it’s been craving. Anything that gets the heart rate up, can feel like the chance to finally run away from the tiger - i.e. anything making us anxious. 
   We may not know what makes us anxious- over time it's just a general malaise. But stimulating the fight-flight system is going to feel like familiar territory. So in asana class this is something dynamic - some sun salutation, or include some jumps from utkatasana or a chance to “shake it all out”.

8. The dance of the nervous system - downregulate 
   BUT, and here's the big but, heart rate elevation can feel like a panic attack and be too much too soon. So be sure to offer alternatives and to alternate between more dynamic and more gentle movement. 
   E.g. alternative for a sun salutation - is cat cow to swoop through to cobra 
   E.g. include seated or supine poses between more dynamic movements. 

9. Theme & affirmation
   Share a suitable theme that can be reflected in an affirmation and embody it, such as:
   
   “Being true to myself” - pause, hands on heart for example and feeling in. 
   
   “Validate what I feel. Even if I need to leave I know that this is my way of looking after myself today”. 
   
   “I am safe” - feel feet rooting in standings. 
   
   “Find what I need in this moment to feel ok” - eyes open or closed etc.  
   
   “I am strong” - in standings or core-focus poses enables the feeling of energy and power.

10. Rest can be stress!
    Offer gentle movement instead of shavasana, something like a somatics movement - rolling gently side to side can work well. Initially keep relaxation relatively short so that the mind does not get too much time to race. Remember not to assume that it's a relaxing experience! 
    
    “So let's see if it feels possible to rest at all now. This might look like lying on your back or side or any way that works for you. Perhaps sitting feels comfier, take a cushion and feel free to lean on the wall.”
    
    ”Sometimes mellow movement helps us find more ease, just feeling how the body is now…”
    
    Then guide through the body, moving awareness around…etc.

It's so wonderful to be able to open these practices up to those who might struggle otherwise. There is so much we can offer ourselves and others through yoga to support our mental health. I’d love to share this more with you if you feel drawn to this practice or work. Here’s how to find me:

I offer a free online resource sharing practices and writings to support those with anxiety. 

As well as an online course for anyone with anxiety.

Here’s a teaching Intensive: Yoga for Anxiety Intensive. A course designed to integrate more students to class or to meet the specific needs of those with anxiety.