Hour 123 Yoga Therapy – Anxiety: Custom Protocols
Yoga Therapy for Anxiety – Custom Protocols
Anxiety is among the most common mental health issues now, typically referred to as an ongoing undercurrent of unease, worry, or apprehension. In yogic terms, anxiety occurs when prana (life energy) is irregular, turbulent, or overly focused in the higher chakras, especially the Ajna (third eye) and Vishuddha (throat). The body tenses up, the breath shallows, and the mind gets caught up in thoughts of future danger.
Yoga therapy provides an effective, non-pharmacological way of dealing with anxiety. A well-crafted protocol treats all dimensions of the being—physical (annamaya), breath (pranamaya), mental-emotional (manomaya), and spiritual (vijnanamaya and anandamaya koshas). The objective is not to repress anxiety but to transmute it via awareness, movement, breath, and stillness.
Asanas for Anxiety Management
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Significance: Calms the nervous system, quiets the brain, and encourages introspection. It serves to bring attention inward and ease outer overstimulation.
Modifications: Support with a bolster under knees or forehead. Bend knees if hamstrings are tight.
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Significance: A profoundly restorative inversion that assists in lowering heart rate, alleviating fatigue, and releasing tension from the lower back and legs.
Modifications: Support with folded blanket under hips for comfort.
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Significance: Opens the hips (frequently a repository for emotional tension) and soothes the sympathetic nervous system.
Modifications: Rest on a block or cushion to reduce pressure in knees and lower back.
Tadasana with Breath Awareness (Mountain Pose)
Significance: Educates student in groundedness and being present. When incorporated with slow, conscious breathing, it grounds disconnected mental energy.
Modifications: In case standing is challenging, this can be modified into seated form with grounded feet.
Savasana with Guided Body Scan
Importance: Reintegrates the system by permitting deep relaxation. The body scan releases unconscious tension layer by layer.
Adjustments: Support props under knees and head for spinal alignment and comfort.
Breathwork and Mind-Body Integration
Anxiety is frequently accompanied by abnormal, rapid, or shallow breathing. Slowing the breath is central to calming the mind. The following are suggested:
Chandra Bhedana (Left Nostril Breathing): Causes relaxation by stimulating the Ida Nadi.
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Brings balance and clarity.
Brahmari (Humming Bee Breath): Calms the mind by stimulating vibration and sound focus.
Start with 2–3 minutes and build up. Teach clients to concentrate on lengthening the exhalation, which stimulates the vagus nerve and reduces anxiety.
Designing the Custom Protocol
Yoga therapy for anxiety needs to be slow, repetitive, and soothing. Steer clear of over-stimulation or rapid changes. Start with awareness of the breath and gentle movement, followed by static postures. Finish every session with Yoga Nidra or a brief meditation.
Sessions can consist of:
20–30 mins asana +
10 mins pranayama +
15 mins guided relaxation
Practice at home, even briefly, to establish self-trust and consistency.
Final Thought
Anxiety is not weakness—it is an inner call to reconnect. Yoga therapy responds by providing presence, breath, and grounding. Gradually, the fretful mind has room to settle in the now, and fear melts away to be replaced by peace.