Yoga for Coping
Maybe it’s something in the air, but there’s something amiss. A nagging feeling of things unsettled. A shift in perspective and energy. It’s bothersome. It’s harsh. It’s strenuous. All the more reason to turn inward, settle into who you are and give yourself a little loving, a little kindness and self care.
When I first turned to yoga, I was dealing with personal hardships. Since then, I have diligently practiced every single day; the idea being to nurture and nourish my mind, body and spirit.
The ideology remains the same today.
No matter how or what I am feeling, there’s a sequence and remedy for it. Yoga has it all and here are some of my go-tos whenever I am feeling sad, lonely, angry, grief, anxiety, tired and/or depressed.
Balasana
This is typically one of the first poses taught to beginners. Also known as child’s pose, because it literally emanates a child curled up, this pose restores a state of calmness. To get into the pose, you need to sit back on your heels, with your knees either together or hip width apart. If sitting on your heels hurts your ankles or feet, use a blanket or a towel to add some cushioning and comfort. Slowly bend your head and upper body towards the ground and bring your forehead to touch. Exhale as you do this. You could keep your arms extended towards the back or the heels, or extended forward, whichever feels comfortable to you. As you sink into the pose, bring your chest towards the thighs and continue to deepen the breath. If you are unable to bring your chest towards your thighs, use a pillow here and rest your forehead on it. I’d recommend holding this pose for at least ten breaths to feel its effects. As a resting pose it relieves fatigue, lengthens and stretches the spine, stimulates the digestive system and induces sleep if held for about ten to fifteen minutes. To come out of the pose, simply inhale and lift the upper body upright and sit back on the heels.
Sukhasana
Also known as a meditative pose, this ‘easy pose’ is literally finding a comfortable seat of your choice and grounding yourself to the earth or surface you are seated upon. It could be a chair, bed, sofa, mat, on the plain ol’ floor. Situate yourself so that you feel the sits bone on the ground. You could use your hands to move the butt cheeks aside to aid you (I do this!). If it is uncomfortable, use a towel or blanket or even a cushion to pad the bum and sit up taller. Cross your legs however you like, in a lotus manner or one foot on top of the other, or one foot in front of the other. The beauty of it, is that YOU get to decide what works for you. Keep your head, neck and spine stacked and straight so air circulation is at its optimal. Allow yourself at least five minutes in this pose to feel its benefits. Practicing this pose stretches and strengthens the spinal cord, keeps the back muscles strong and improves posture. Most importantly it keeps the mind and body balanced, reduces fatigue and tiredness.
Uttanasana
A standing forward fold might not look like much, but keep in mind that it isn’t so much about the pose, but rather than sensation of it. To assume this pose you could stand with either your feet zipped up together or hip width apart. As you exhale, bend from the hips, coming to round the spine and bringing the chest and forehead as close to your lower body as possible. The forehead does not have to touch the knees. If this is uncomfortable for your lower back, bend the knees as generously as possible. Find ease. You could either keep your hands floating down or cross the arms and hold onto the opposite elbows. Breath deeply. To come out of the pose, inhale and lift the hands all the way up, extending from the hips and lengthening the upper body. Exhale to bring the hands to the side. This pose calms the brain, relieves signs of stress and mild depression, reduces fatigue and anxiety, and is quite therapeutic for those suffering from asthma, high blood pressure and sinusitis.
Janu Sirsanana
As you can tell, many forward folds and bends can be quite beneficial to both the mind and body and this pose is quite the same. Also known as the head to knee forward fold or bend, it might seem a little tricky to get into but modifications are the best way to approach it. Sit down on your butt with both legs stretched out in front of you. Inhale and bend on foot, and place it against the opposite legs thigh. If you were to be lying flat on your back, this would look like a figure four. Inhale once again and extend both arms all the way above the crown of your head. As you exhale, bend from the hips, and bring your upper body towards the extended foot. Your fingers do not have to touch the toes. Rest them wherever it lands. A modified version would have you bend that extended leg knee to adapt and extend your arms towards the toes. To modify further, use a pillow on top of the knee and rest your forehead on it. Exhale to come back up and switch. This pose calms the brain, relieves mild depression, anxiety, fatigue, headaches and menstrual discomfort. It is also therapeutic for insomnia and high blood pressure.
Savasana
What’s the big deal about lying on your back with your arms and legs splayed out? A LOT. Also known as the corpse pose, it is highly beneficial in balancing the nervous system. There is a calming sensation when laying on the back in this manner, and by simply focusing on the deep inhalations and exhalations. Over time, it will aid in moving from anxiety and stress, and restoring the immune and digestive system. It heightens the sense of awareness of the mind, body and breath, and in turn creates an opportunity to be at peace. A good ten minutes of laying in this manner resets the emotional, physical and spiritual body. Focus on the breath. Use a blanket for extra security if you like. Ideally practiced towards the end of a yoga sequence or lengthy practice, it poses as a way to allow the body and mind to absorb the nutrients of the practice.
