Yoga BLOG

by Stefan
on May 11 2024
The best tips
You feel good about your life, and therefore, yoga practice, including other relaxation techniques, is a daily highlight for you. During good times, you're usually motivated to do something good for yourself. But what if you're feeling really bad? Does yoga help during these times too? In general, Buddhist asanas, combined with pranayama and meditation, are always a good tool for connecting with yourself and letting go of negative experiences. We'll explain how yoga and other tools can support you effectively and effectively.
What should you do if your condition worsens?
Everyone goes through difficult times in life. The reasons are always varied: many are struggling with the current crisis and its consequences; others have suffered a major loss in their family or received a negative diagnosis themselves. So, it's no surprise if you suddenly feel insecure, uncomfortable, sad, disappointed, powerless, or helpless.
You have to deal with these depressing feelings first, and you should take your time to do so. We often try to avoid the situation by deliberately turning a blind eye and distracting ourselves or numbing ourselves (e.g., with alcohol, drugs, etc.). You can probably imagine that this isn't the right approach.
How do you emerge from crises unscathed?
People work differently, so one tip might work well for you while it doesn't work at all for another. Therefore, you should give yourself time to apply and try out different methods and solutions.
1. Combination solution: Yoga and Pranayama
Yogis swear that time on the mat can be supportive for any kind of psychological, physical, or mental ailment. Of course, you should try it out for yourself to get an authentic impression of the potential changes.
The advantage of yoga is that you're not just performing mindless physical exercises, but are simultaneously focusing on your breath . This has a calming effect on your entire nervous system. When you're internally calm, you react to external circumstances completely differently, and stress is reduced.
In addition, the yogic teachings contain other elements that can help you on your path.
There are far more types of yoga than just those that involve a dynamic flow or a few static exercises.
Raja Yoga, for example, is characterized by elements that allow one to step out of the here and now and follow the path of enlightenment (= Raja Yoga).
In Jnana Yoga, you'll deepen your knowledge of the yogic scriptures: This knowledge isn't just learned theoretically, but also applied practically. You'll gain new insights that can guide you on your path.
Furthermore, devotion to God ( Bhakti Yoga ) is an essential aspect in order to be able to devote yourself more to the here and now and to trust.
You'll realize that yogic teachings offer many elements to prepare you for life. You'll also learn skills to cope with difficult phases in your life.
The following yoga exercises can support you:
Balasana (Child's Pose)
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Warriors I and II
2. Meditation and physical relaxation
Meditation can and should be part of your yoga practice. Spending time on the cushion calms your mind, helps you focus, and reduces insecurities, fears, and worries.
Most people find it difficult to truly relax and simply sit still.
Then the following elements can help:
previous workout on the yoga mat
a walk in the forest and lots of fresh air
intensive breathing exercise
The environment should be quiet and not disturbing (too loud, too many pictures, too many impressions, mobile phone next to you, etc.)
gentle, calming music or binaural beats to achieve even deeper relaxation thanks to different frequencies
essential oils such as ylang ylang, lavender, clary sage, rosemary, etc.
Consciously looking around the room can help you arrive in the now
Focusing on your body and the pull of the earth can make you feel heavier and therefore more grounded.
An initial grounding meditation is good for making you feel more secure and comfortable. (Imagine roots growing from your buttocks, allowing all the bad to flow out of your body and energy field.)
3. Positive resolutions – positive mindset
In addition to the tips mentioned above, a positive mental framework helps you to escape from personal or general crises (such as the Corona crisis).
Of course, this isn't always easy, especially if you've had many bad experiences and feel very mentally unstable. You should definitely have this condition professionally assessed by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Otherwise, simple tools can help in everyday life:
Essential oils such as citrus or clary sage help you focus on new ideas and impulses and improve your mood. They can also increase inner calm in difficult situations.
Ceremonial cocoa supports you with numerous nutrients, endorphins and theobromine, which wakes you up – more gently than coffee.
Gratitude journal in which you write down all the beautiful experiences and feelings to focus on the positive.
Set a beneficial intention for the day in the morning (for example, love and happiness)
Say affirmations (I am valuable, I am wonderful...)
4. Inner work
To truly work on your issues sustainably, it's important to recognize inner beliefs and transform them if they're negative or blocking. This will increase your authentic connection to yourself, and you'll find that you're automatically better able to deal with negative messages because your resilience increases.
You can do the work with a therapist or coach.
How do you manage external crises? Do you regularly practice yoga or breathing techniques to maintain a positive outlook?