If you experience anxiety, you know how hard it can be to manage the constant buzz of stressed, agitated thoughts. There's no substitute for treatment from a mental health professional, but if you're struggling right now, you can ease your anxiety in a few ways. Yoga is one of them.
All forms of exercise will benefit your mental health, but when it comes to anxiety, yoga is particularly effective. According to a 2019 study, even one session of yoga can ease symptoms of anxiety while increasing feelings of positivity and calm. And no, you don't have to contort your body into the twistiest, most advanced poses to reap mental health benefits. In a previous interview, licenced therapist and registered yoga teacher Katie Heeran told POPSUGAR that just a single, simple pose or calming breath can ease some anxiety.
If you have 15 minutes, Heeran created this gentle, restorative yoga practice to calm your anxious thoughts, centre your mind, and bring you back to your body. "This sequence is effective for anxiety because it gets you both literally grounded (to the floor or Earth) as well as physically grounded in your own body," she told POPSUGAR via email. Anxiety tends to pull us into mental spirals that are hard to break out of; feeling grounded in your body can help, and yoga is a simple, effective way to do it.
If you're ready, roll out your mat, take a deep breath, and begin.