Here are few tips to help you get started in a yoga practice to ease stress and anxiety:
--Forward bends turn the attention inward. Geeta Iyengar tells us that they bring the “mind and heart to a restful state.”
--If anxiety makes you jumpy, a quiet practice might agitate that state. A few sun salutations will circulate energy and make it easier to meditate or initiate a restorative practice.
--The simple act of systemically softening the face, mindfully quieting the senses, will invoke a calmer mindstate. Pay particular attention to the tongue, which finds itself in a reactive state, waiting to defend. Let the tongue rest in the base of the mouth.
--Don’t neglect the breath. You don’t need to control your breathing or doctor your breath to meet an expectation. Just remember to breathe and rest in the incredibly comforting thought that your breath is life; life energy is flowing through you!