Just like most events in our modern life, Christmas brings stress and anxiety. It can be the end-of-year crescendo of overstimulation, which can trigger feelings of agitation and a desperate need to withdraw.

For those who require lots of space in life to find calm and to regroup when the expectation to be sociable and fun at all times is just too much, yoga practice can provide both the refuge and a balm to the nervous system and allow the enjoyable times to be just that.

In our fast-paced and information-dense world, with continual input provoking a sense of ‘constant alert’, anxiety is on the increase. Whether anxiety is part of what are now commonly termed ‘anxiety disorders’ or part of an episode of chronic or extreme stress or trauma, the feelings of dread, panic, loss of control, palpitations, hyperventilation, a need to escape and an inability to concentrate are real and extremely debilitating. At times, when we are around family or friends who do not understand these responses, we can end up feeling even more isolated and unsupported. We can be looked upon as unsociable due to our actions.

Anxiety is part of the stress response via the sympathetic nervous system, with its roles being self-protection and survival, also known as the ‘fight or flight response’.

Experiencing fear and negative thoughts are important parts of the self-defence mechanisms that can save our lives in dangerous situations. However, when these heightened responses become frozen, as the normal modus operandi, and we continually overreact to people or situations, it is a sign that the fight or flight stress response has become stuck in a state of hyperarousal, sending out constant signals that the world is unsafe.

A large amount of research has shown that yoga can help reduce this tendency of the sympathetic nervous system to dominate, thus allowing the self-soothing mechanisms of the opposing and calming parasympathetic nervous system to work (Health Psychol. Rev., 2015).

Calming down a nervous system that is on hyperdrive can also solve other health issues arising from the same root causes, such as poor sleep, addictive tendencies and mood swings and help to develop an ability to act reflectively rather than impulsively under stress.

In our fast-paced and information-dense world, anxiety is on the increase

In yoga, taking calm, long breaths as we move the body increases oxygenation, conserves vital nutrients, reduces the heart rate, relaxes muscles and reduces anxiety. You would never have thought that by just concentrating on breathing so many bodily issues could be solved. This increases communication throughout the body, including between the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The brain requires three times more oxygen than the rest of the body, so increasing the supply with conscious breathing, particularly with extended exhalations, can have immediate positive effects on our ability to respond to the world around us.

Much of the modern yoga philosophy is based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written around CE400 (CE refers to Common Era and is used in place of AD), particularly the second sutra (thread), which states that “yoga is the mastery of the activities in the mind field” and helps to still “mind fluctuations”. It is this quieting of the mind that draws many people to yoga, as it has the capacity to help alleviate the racing tendencies of the mind that create anxiety states.

Practising yoga with an emphasis on increasing ‘interoception’ (noting and feeling our inner landscape) helps body awareness that switches off the left brain chatter and helps people with those inner voices that tend towards creating negative rumination and catastrophising.

Studies have shown that practising yoga raises levels of the calming neurotransmitter Gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is shown to be low in those with anxiety and mood disorders. Gaba is sometimes referred to as the brain’s peacemaker, as it inhibits persistent worrying thoughts, allowing us to regulate brain activity, relax and sleep.

Any meditative or mindful practice can be challenging for those with anxiety, as it creates a space where you have to face vulnerability. This may create more anxiety at first, but finding ways to be one with silence and to drop negative voices are helpful and effective skills to learn. There are many ways to learn to be with yourself that also strengthen your ability to meet your anxiety triggers with equanimity and ‘grace under pressure’.

Focused relaxation tools can also help, as they can guide and support you, often offering a body focus away from mind chatter. There are plenty of resources online and recordings on websites like Sounds True (www.soundstrue.com), which allow you to experiment with practices such as yoga nidra, autogenic relaxation, muscle tense and release, mindfulness body scans and self-compassion meditations.

While the stronger, standing poses can be beneficial for regulating stress hormones and creating resilience in life, the practices that are more cooling, calming and grounding are those done literally close to the ground. The ground is a supportive and trustworthy place to come back to. It can help our bodies ‘know’ there is nowhere to fall, that we do not need to hold ourselves upright and that, if we can lie or sit down, then it must be safe.

kathryn@maltanet.net