According to one report [1], nearly 40 million adults in the U.S. have anxiety disorders, accounting for 18.1% of the population. So it is safe to say that anxiety is a common mental disorder in the nation. A panic attack also stems from anxiety disorders and leads to sweating, numbness, irrational fear and palpitations.
While anxiety is a normal response to a stressful event, it can be debilitating if it starts to interfere with your life.[2] Luckily, anxiety can be managed with self-help, consultation, and medications.
However, many people practice yoga to tame their anxiety and panic attack. After all, yoga is a holistic approach that targets breath control and draws you into the present.[3] For example, you feel short of breath and spike in your heartbeats whenever you are hit by anxiety. Yoga just works over your breathing so that you can manage the symptoms. Yoga also encourages you to meditate and improves your posture as well. When all these factors (breathing, meditation, and postures) are elevated, you can control the symptoms of anxiety.
Here are some useful yoga poses you can try to tame your anxiety and panic attacks.
1. Legs-Up-the-Wall or Viparita Karani:
It is one of the easiest yet fun yoga poses to do. This pose is beneficial for people with anxiety and panic attack. It helps calm the mind while releasing the stress, anxiety, and depression. Plus, the pose eases exhausting and crams in the legs and feet. The uplifting position of this yoga pose delivers the blood to the body parts that require it, making it therapeutic for diseases like arthritis, blood pressure, menopause, and respiratory ailments.
How to Do Viparita Karani:
- Lie on the floor near a wall.
- Take a deep breath.
- Swing your legs up onto the wall placing your butt against it.
- Exhale slowly.
- Rest the head on the floor keeping your spine straight. You can bend your knees a little to avoid locking out of the kneecaps.
Image Source – eva.yoga