A Yoga Therapy Approach to Anxiety
Anxiety is something many of us understand—whether it’s a constant presence or something that ebbs and flows with life’s challenges. It might show up as generalized anxiety, stress from a sick family member or pet, uncertainty about the future, or even the heaviness of world events.
I’d like to explain how yoga therapy can help.
Many people ask me, Why yoga therapy? Can’t I just go to a yoga class? And the answer is, absolutely. Yoga classes support relaxation through deep breathing, mindful movement, and presence—all of which help calm the nervous system.
But yoga therapy is more precise. In a one-on-one session, we explore your unique experience of anxiety: Does it live in physical tension? In the breath? In looping thoughts? In uncertainty? In feeling emotionally guarded?
Once we understand how anxiety is showing up, we can work with it:
- For physical tension, we use movement to unwind tightness and restore ease.
- For unhelpful breath patterns or stagnant energy, we find breathwork, movement, or meditation to restore flow and freedom.
- For overwhelm and worry, we explore poetry, philosophy, or meditation to shift perspective and bring tranquility to the mind.
- For uncertainty, we turn to journaling or meditation to cultivate inner wisdom and trust in the moment.
- For feeling emotionally guarded, we use heart-centered practices to soften, release, and reconnect.
I love poetry as a tool for healing. Here’s one by Mary Oliver that speaks beautifully to stillness as a remedy for anxiety:
“Today I’m flying low and I’m not saying a word.
I’m letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep.
The world goes on as it must, the bees in the garden rumbling a little,
the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten.
And so forth.
But I’m taking the day off. Quiet as a feather.
I hardly move though really I’m traveling a terrific distance.
Stillness. One of the doors into the temple.”
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash