Yoga can help overcome anxiety and manage the symptoms of panic attacks, as well as ease stress, enhance mindfulness and reduce feelings of nervousness.

Panic attacks are a magnification of the body’s natural response to stress, fear or excitement. The symptoms of panic attacks can affect the body, mind and overall well-being. Panic attacks are usually accompanied by negative thoughts and troublesome physical symptoms which include heavy breathing, a racing heart and sweating. While some people are more prone to panic attacks, the feelings and thoughts often become difficult to manage which can lower a person’s quality of life.

Despite the challenges posed by panic attacks, there are ways through which a person can manage the symptoms and reduce anxiety. The ancient practice of yoga can help overcome anxiety and manage the symptoms of panic attacks. Additionally, yoga can also help ease stress, enhance mindfulness and reduce feelings of nervousness.

How Yoga Can Help With Panic Disorder?

There are various symptoms associated with anxiety and panic like tightness, feelings of tension and pain sensitivity. Yoga asanas can help ease the physical discomfort that comes with anxiety and panic attacks. The practice works to lengthen, stretch and balance the muscles of the body. The asanas also assist in releasing stiffness and built-up muscle tension throughout the body. Additionally, by gradually modifying the posture of the body, asanas can also bring about a change in the mentality of a person. Yoga allows people to get to know their bodies. Therefore, if the teacher tells a student to “release the shoulder”, for example, he/she becomes aware of the posture and gradually learns to release the tension from their body. As a result, they also become less anxious and panicked in their day-to-day lives as they become aware of the tensions and how to let them go.

The age-old practice of meditation, another form of mind-body complementary medicine, can also lead to a deep state of relaxation and calm the mind. During meditation, a person focuses attention and eliminates jumbled-up thoughts that may be crowding the mind and causing stress. This results in enhanced emotional and physical well-being.

Pranayama Effect on Stress and Anxiety

Pranayama or the practice of breath regulation is one of the key components of yoga practice. Pranayama consists of breathing exercises and patterns where a person purposely inhales, exhales and holds the breath in a specific sequence. Research has shown that pranayama has a calming effect on the nervous system which can improve the stress response.

When people are tense, they breathe too rapidly. The fast breathing leads to excess oxygen in the bloodstream and a decrease in the relative amount of carbon dioxide, which in turn upsets the pH level of the blood. This can cause nausea, muscle twitching, irritability, light-headedness, anxiety and stress. However, with slow, controlled breathing, the pH level of the blood comes back to balance. This lowers the heart rate and has a calming effect on the body and mind.

Yoga and Pranayama to Combat Panic and Anxiety

Baddha Konasana

How to do:

  • Sit on the floor with your legs stretched to the sides. Exhale while you bring the bottoms of your feet together
  • Pull the feet toward the pelvis
  • Drop your knees to the sides
  • Continue to press your heels together while you take deep breaths

 
Dhanurasana

How to do:

  • Lie face down on your mat with the arms by the sides
  • Keep your knees hip-width apart as you bring your heels as close to your glutes as possible
  • Grasp your ankles with the hands
  • Inhale while simultaneously lifting the thighs, heels, head, and sternum away from the floor
  • Pull your shoulders away from the ears and keep your shoulder blades against the back
  • Hold the pose for 20 to 30 seconds

 
Padangusthasana

How to do:

  • Stand on the floor with your feet 6 inches apart
  • Flex your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) to lift the kneecaps
  • Exhale and fold from your waist
  • Keep your back, neck, and head in a straight line
  • Grab your big toes with your hands
  • While inhaling, straighten the arms and raise the torso to release the hamstrings
  • While exhaling, fold back down into the forward bend. Continue this for several breaths

 
Nadi Shodhan Pranayama

How to do:

  • Sit comfortably with your legs crossed
  • Place your left hand on the left knee
  • Exhale and then use your right thumb to close the right nostril
  • Inhale through the left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers
  • Open the right nostril and exhale
  • Inhale through the right nostril and then close
  • Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side
  • Consider this as one cycle
  • Continue for up to 5 minutes
  • Always complete your practice by finishing with an exhalation on the left side

Final Words

As humans, we are not aware of how to let go of tension and as a result, it gets caught up in our body leading to physical and mental discomfort. The ancient practice of yoga consisting of asanas, meditation and pranayama can help us achieve a more balanced state of mind and relieve stress, panic and anxiety in our lives.

– Dr.Rajeev Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute.