Now, it’s important to realize that you may be in a state of chronic stress because of the constant news coming in. And even if the bad news stops coming, your stress level will not drop immediately after practicing. Calmness comes gradually, so you need to start aligning your daily life with the new realities.
What does that mean? Practicing yoga and meditation daily at least once a day before bed: this will release stress and allow you to rest while you sleep. If time allows, I would recommend adding a short workout during the day. But watch your condition and don’t overload your body – recovery is slower under stress. It is important to realize that the practices you are doing now should not be aimed at developing any qualities, but at maintaining your body and emotional state.
By working with your body on a regular basis, you can better understand your body’s response to stress as well. Fear and the unknown cause an adrenaline rush. It should motivate us to fight for safety, to get up and run. But if we just sit still, we do not use up adrenaline and do not give the accumulated emotions a chance to “leave” the body.
What asanas should we choose and what should we emphasize?
Unfortunately, there is no universal asana that works the same for everyone, but there are still common properties in some of them. For example, in padadirasana the body closes in on itself to find balance and relaxation, and in child’s pose we instinctively calm down.
The main task of yoga and meditation now is to shift your attention from the events of the outside world to your own body. Once you succeed in doing this, you will be able to focus on your desires and feelings and will be less prone to stress attacks.
Which yoga is better to choose: group or individual?
There is no one-size-fits-all advice here: choose the option that you prefer at the moment. I’ve noticed an increase in attendance at group classes over the last month, especially offline. And it’s not surprising: after a person has been through a lot of stress, they need the support of the community. We have a tribal support mechanism in us: we feel that we are safe when we are surrounded by people.
I think that practicing alone under constant stress is quite difficult, especially if you haven’t practiced regularly before and are just starting your journey. You need the help of a group, a teacher, you need a regimen and a schedule.
How to learn to meditate and which practices to choose?
There are many methods and schools of meditation, but if you are just learning to meditate, I recommend two simple practices for self-soothing.
Breathe to the rhythm of your own pulse: 7 beats, inhale, 7 beats, exhale. Find your pulse in any convenient place, the easiest is on your wrist, and then listen to it: let it become louder and more manifested, and then start breathing to the rhythm. The brain loves rhythm, and calms down from rhythmicity, so you will quickly return to a resourceful state.
Put your hands palms down on your thighs, sit comfortably with a straight back and just listen to the sensation of the body. First under the hands, and then move to the whole body. Thoughts will come, images will come, and we bring our attention back to observing the body again and again. Remember a simple thing – what matters is what the focus is on. It can be either on thoughts or on sensations. Staying in thoughts can be distressing, whereas observing sensations is very natural and can generate silence within.
If you already have a mentor, just follow his instructions, but if you don’t have one, there is no need to panic to find one. Many people under stress need to believe in something urgently, and this is fertile ground for fraudsters – that’s how they most often get into unpleasant situations.
Try not to run from practice to practice, not to abandon it immediately because it did not help or you feel better and no longer need it. Choose yoga nidra before bed or meditation in numerous services and apps (including free ones). Just relax and immerse yourself in your feelings to the voice of the facilitator.
I also recommend trying yin yoga. Yin is a meditative type of yoga that allows us to slow down to feel what is going on inside of us. We learn to observe our breathing, the areas of the body that are tense or relaxed. Feelings during and after the practice can vary widely. One of the most common is a strong inner cold, so it is best to do the practice in warm clothes. For practice, dress a little warmer than you would for regular practice, such as socks and a sweatshirt, and be sure to cover yourself with a plaid during shavasana.
Another feature of yin yoga is tears or other emotional reactions – this is also how emotions are released, try not to be afraid of it. The feeling of lightness and silence does not come immediately, but it can become a steady state.