You’re probably not the only one feeling unsettled and anxious while we move through this strange period – but your yoga mat could be an anchor in the storm. Yogis share their advice on how use yoga to stay grounded and resilient in shifting times.
Living in “unprecedented times” is mentally exhausting (does anyone else fancy living in some “precedented times”? Just for a bit?). The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the proclamation of a new King, a new prime minister, the cost of living crisis, ongoing war in Ukraine… we’re constantly dealing with news that is turbulent and unsettling, and all off the back of two and half years of a Covid pandemic. It’s no wonder we’re feeling disoriented, anxious or simply sad right now.
When everything is in flux, how can we stay grounded and mentally strong? Can yoga provide welcome solace for the weeks and months ahead? We asked the experts how to use asanas and breathwork to ground us during unsettled times.
How to use yoga to feel more calm and grounded
Focus on stability, strength and connecting with the ground (literally)
“In times of transition and uncertainty we can feel quite spaced out, which in yoga is referred to as ‘rajasic’ energy,” explains Laura Pearce, yogi and founder of Yoga Collective London. “Yoga practice can bring us back to a more balanced ‘sattvic’ state, with balancing postures or supine poses where more of your body is in contact with the ground. Practising barefoot and literally feeling the ground beneath you helps us feel present, connected with the earth and grounded.”
Pearce suggests a sun salutation sequence including asanas such as downward dog (adho mukha svanasana) and warrior (virabhadrasana) can be particularly effective. “Any posture in which the focus is on stability and controlled effort can be super grounding. Sun salutations, in their familiarity and repetitiveness, are considered some of the most grounding practices in yoga – it’s worth learning your favourite sequence to practise for 10-20 minutes whenever you’re feeling unsettled.”
Aimee Strongman, yoga teacher and founder of Glow Yoga Studio, is also a fan of balancing poses, particularly at this time of year. “As the seasons change, our whole being reacts to this liminal space,” she tells Stylist. “Autumn alone can leave us feeling unsettled and uprooted, and these emotions will be enhanced during times of such uncertainty.”
Strongman recommends tree pose (vrikshasana) as a powerful way to connect back to the earth. “Rooting down with the feet, finding lightness in the upper body, and extending skyward from the crown of the head helps us remember the deep cyclical essence and stability of nature that we are all part of.”
Sometimes our sadness or anxiety can affect our posture. Yoga instructor and mindfulness expert Lorna Bailey explains: “Downward dog helps improve alignment for the shoulders and hips to counteract the slouch brought on by feeling sad or dejected.” She also recommends making time for butterfly (baddha konasana) to ease out the hips (where yogis believe strong emotions are held), and the cat/cow combination to release any tension held along the spine and in the abdomen. “They’re all great poses for stimulating inner peace,” she adds.
Yoga poses to build resilience
With warrior I, II and III nurturing some much needed physical and mental strength, what else can we do to build resilience for the coming months?
Yoga instructor Helen Roscoe believes this can be found in heart-opening postures. “The route of the word ‘courage’ is ‘cor’, the Latin word for heart,” she tells Stylist. “Yoga practice that helps us connect to the heart links to our own inner courage.” Roscoe recommends gentle back-bending asanas which open the heart area, such as cobra (bhujangasana). “In this pose, take time to notice the breath, inviting an inhale that nourishes, opens and connects you to your own courage. Soften the exhale towards the ground or inwards to yourself.”
If you feel heavy with the weight of the world, Beth Fuller, yoga teacher and wellness coach of Beth Fuller Wellness, is a fan of a simple child’s pose (balasana). “Psychologically, it’s a position where we’re in full surrender – we can’t see the world around us, so we have to trust that all will be OK,” she tells Stylist. “This gentle inversion activates the vagus nerve when you place your forehead on the floor and stimulates blood flow to the brain. By taking the knees wide, you’ll also open up the hips and stretch out the lower back.”
3 breathwork exercises to calm and soothe
Breathwork – or pranayama in yoga – is essential in times like these. Conscious breathing techniques help bring our focus inward and centre us whenever we feel a little wobbly.
Jen Buddington, yoga teacher at PureGym, recommends the ‘box breath’ technique for anyone experiencing sadness, anxiety, stress, pain and sleeplessness. “Intentional deep breathing can calm and regulate the nervous system,” she says. “This simple technique can be practised anywhere at any time, but try it routinely at the start and end of each day to give your auto nervous system moments of calm.”
How to do ‘box breath’
- Find a quiet space and sit comfortably with palms facing up and your feet flat on the floor.
- Inhale slowly through the nose to a slow count of four, filling your lungs before moving into your abdomen.
- Pause – hold your breath for another count of four.
- Exhale through your mouth for another count of four, completely emptying the lungs and abdomen.
- Pause – hold your breath for another count of four. This is one round. Repeat until settled.
If you’re new to box breath, start with counts of two then three, before building to four.
Yoga teacher Hannah Barrett recommends ‘golden thread breath’: “It’s an exercise that works for anyone who’s looking for grounding, empowerment and release from emotional pain. Lengthening the exhale helps to activate our parasympathetic nervous system, the ‘rest and digest’ system that calms any stress response.”
How to do ‘golden thread breath’
- Come into any comfortable position where the body is supported and relaxed, with eyes closed.
- Take a couple of full breaths while you release any tension from the jaw and face.
- Inhale through the nose, expanding up from the belly, to ribs, to chest. Visualise the breath coming into the part of the body experiencing stress or emotional pain.
- Exhale through very thinly parted lips and imagine you’re blowing out a very fine golden thread of energy. This thread is removing the pain, little by little, bringing softness and relief.
- Repeat for 10 cycles or more if needed.
‘Humming bee breath’ (bhramari) is a go-to exercise for yogi Cat Meffan of The Soul Sanctuary. She explains: “The vibrations created internally through the throat and then externally through the travelling sound, bring a sense of calm and peace. Even better if you can do it with someone else by your side – the symphony of humming vibrations can connect individuals on a deeper level, helping us feel less alone.”
How to do ‘humming bee breath’
- From a comfortable seated position, inhale through the nose for a count of four or five.
- Exhale, humming through gently closed lips for as long as you can without straining.
- Repeat 11 times.
Images: Getty
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