From time to time, we all have a bad day, or even a run of them – all the more so in the wake of the pandemic. Sometimes though the short-term state can become a longer-term trait – Stress, Anxiety, Depression or Low Confidence takes root and becomes our default outlook.
All of these are separate conditions in psychological terms but have a similar cluster of symptoms and day to day impact – and in my experience they often present together and blur – the four evil sisters as I sometimes describe them.
Yoga is well placed to help with these issues. Often these conditions have their roots in our Nervous System which may be underactive or overactive or otherwise out of balance, and of course they can interact with other health conditions we may have, and with our daily life and relationships. The load these conditions place on our bodies is called “Allostatic Load”, and when this gets too high, we become susceptible to disease -literally dis-ease – and stress related illness.
How I work with Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Low Confidence
The starting point is an assessment of how you are experiencing these conditions and how they fit into your daily life, including any other treatment you have had, medications, therapies, and any diagnosis. I do this both on a BioPsychoSocial basis – looking at things from a Biological, Psychological and Social perspective – and from a Yoga perspective using Yoga’s understanding of energy and wellbeing.
From there we will probably work with practices to bring balance and resilience to your Nervous System, using yoga postures, breathing practices and relaxation techniques. I will take care to make sure these practices are supportive and don’t cause an exacerbation of your symptoms.
Another very important practice is Loving Kindness Meditation using Buddhist Metta practices. These help us in re framing our sense of self and others.
I’ll endeavour to address any co-existing issues you are experiencing, recognising that physical, psychological, and emotional concerns don’t come in neat packages.
Finally, I’ll suggest some practices you could work with at home to reinforce the clinic-based work we do, and to help with times where you feel overwhelmed.
One final thing – Yoga Therapy is not a substitute for emergency healthcare, so if you are in Crisis please speak to your GP, NHS 111, or organisations like Samaritans.
You can learn more about my practice as a Yoga Therapist, and book appointments, at www.yinspire.co.uk/yoga-therapy/
Jessica – Minded Yoga Therapist
