6 tips - overcome savasana anxiety

Savasana is hands-down (well, palms-up, I guess) the most challenging part of yoga. Everyone struggles in different ways, but many struggle with severe anxiety. Though there's not much information out there on it, I assure you, you're not alone and I'm tired of savasana anxiety being a joke, a secret or some sort of yoga taboo. Meditation anxiety is a very real challenge for LOTS of yogis, so much so, that some hurry out of the studio just before savasana to avoid discomfort.

Being still, quiet and vulnerable is NOT easy. Stationary meditation can be a very emotional and challenging experience especially if you're naturally high-strung, new to yoga or aren't sure exactly what to do. You might experience stress, shortness of breath, racing thoughts, anxiety and/or chest tightness during savasana. The more you practice savasana in a negative light, the more the stress can manifest.

"Thought alone can facilitate the secretion of hormones and chemicals into the bloodstream that provoke a mental or physical reaction. The heart rate may rise, blood pressure become elevated, (hypertension), stomach may secrete acid, the muscles may tighten, etc... So within this corpse pose there is a practice happening..." - Bryan Kest

But "meditation helps with anxiety," right? So why are some experiencing anxiety FROM meditation? The answer is that the anxiety is often aggravated because we're so unaccustomed to living in the present moment that when that's all we have (no other distractions), our subconscious freaks out. This, in turn, can elevate the heart rate and cause panic attack symptoms. It's not that the anxiety is non-existant when we're not meditating, but that anxiety is just often easier to repress or ignore in daily life. When we meditate, we're at our most vulnerable to emotion, so our subconscious fear of facing the anxiety triggers the "fight or flight" response in our body. This is why most savasana-haters can still feel peaceful during their whole yoga practice, but not once the body settles to stillness. The mind has no escape.

It may be difficult to open up about savasana anxiety because many other yogis experience such relaxation and restoration from savasana.  Don't let their post-savasana bliss get you down...all you need to do is come at your anxious feelings from a different angle to work toward that awesome savasana you've always wanted.

1) Start with other types of meditation. The most helpful tip I know of is to start a regular practice with other types of meditation outside of your yoga. 

A) Mantra meditation is an easy way to customize your practice for whatever you need that day. Just one word or phrase repeated in your head or outloud can be a powerful way to start creating new pathways in your mind and body.

B) Guided meditation is also often helpful because your mind is staying active focusing on the words, rather than trying to be totally quiet.

C) Walking meditation is a great option because it's another type of gentle movement meditation (in the same way that yoga asana practice is a movement meditation). But unlike yoga in the studio, you are alone in nature, there is less stimulation, no instructor and less direction. You might even choose to sit quietly during your walk, observing nature. It's a great step toward being okay with yourself.

D) Mandala meditation is just the act of coloring in a mandala. There are no other specific instructions for this one, it's just meant to be a relaxing, creative and quiet activity. Some of my more anxious students have had great luck with mandala meditation.

2) Try a different savasana position. Please don't be shy about the position you choose for your meditation!  If you only seem to experience anxiety lying down in savasana, try it on your side or seated. Maybe you feel self-conscious about doing something different when your teacher doesn't cue it, but remember that your instructor can only offer suggestions. He or she doesn't know what you need and it's YOUR practice. I'm sure that your yoga instructor would much rather see you enjoying a seated meditation than struggling through or leaving before savasana.

3) Focus on something else. The act of trying to focus on "the present" can be a little too subtle sometimes. It might help to open the eyes and focus on a drishti or "look" at the shapes behind your inner eyelids while keeping them closed. Focusing on a sound (such as the ticking of a clock) or counting may also help to get you out of your own head.

4) Allow and observe your thoughts. Once you begin to get comfortable with some form of mindfulness meditation, "observe" might be a helpful mantra. If you find you're experiencing discomfort, physically during yoga or mentally during savasana, notice it, allow it and move on. Thoughts cannot ever be stopped completely, but you must allow yourself to surrender to that fact.

A helpful metaphor I like to use for meditation is to picture your thoughts as clouds in a sky or fish in the ocean. They come in, you observe them, they float away. Each one, one at a time.

5)  Pay attention to your diet. Nobody wants to hear a self-righteous yogi on a high-horse lamenting the dangers of caffeine and sugar, but it's something to consider. Caffeine and sugar (even natural sugars from fruit) are both adrenal suppressants and since the adrenal gland is responsible for the secretion of stress hormones...I'm just saying. (Here's a great explanation of the relationship between these foods and your body.)

6) Do. Not. Give. Up. Whatever you do, please don't give up. The fact that you're struggling with mindfulness meditation is your body telling you that there is an underlying issue or something you need to work through. Savasana is important and it is beneficial, but if you never face your anxiety to work toward that place of safety and comfort with your own mind, you can expect your stress level to stay the same or elevate. 

One way or another, it's important to remember that you're always practicing something. If savasana in the traditional sense doesn't work for you right now, that's okay. Come at it from a different angle to trick your subconscious into loving it. :) Namaste

yoga vs. sports

Let me perch on my little soap box for just a moment to clarify that yoga never was and is still not a sport. By definition, a sport is "a competitive physical activity," but the entire expression of yoga practice rejects that premise. Widely known and accepted basics of yoga are that it is non-competitive and that the practitioner learns to connect more deeply with his or her body and mind. Through yoga asana practice, we discover things about ourselves; our strengths and weaknesses manifest on our mat and we work toward learning more about strengthening our bodies and sharpening our minds. Besides obviously not rivaling our neighboring yogis, we're not even meant to fight ourselves! In my humble opinion, our culture already struggles with this concept and could use more competition-free activities.

There has been a lot of controversy swirling around competitive yoga lately, as national bonified yoga competitions are popping up everywhere. If you haven't heard about it, since early 2012, groups have even been lobbying for yoga to be included in the 2016 Olympic games:

"Each Olympic-class yogi would have three minutes to do seven poses, five of which are mandatory (standing head-to-knee pose, standing bow-pulling pose, bow pose, rabbit pose, and stretching pose). The final two poses are yogi's choice. The judges would rate the contestants on their strength, flexibility, timing, and breathing."

- Article from The Week.com

Photo credit: Andy Jacobsohn - Avanna Brown in Eka Pada Sirsasana (Foot-behind-the-Head Pose)

Ayanna Brown - National Yoga Asana Championship.

Namely, Rajashree Choudhury (wife of Bikram Choudhury, founder of the competitive Bikram Yoga form of hot yoga) is one of the biggest supporters of the movement. She says that,"the competitions can be a way to interest people in yoga who might be put off by the spiritual aspect, by showing them the athletic aspect." Okay...so people would not be put off by viewing terrifying and widely unattainable contortions? Certain yoga poses take years to work toward; strength, flexibility and balance cannot be forced, so wouldn't emphasizing a "perfect yoga posture" in an Olympic event be dangerous for admiring fans?

Step into most yoga studios today and you will often hear encouraging little reminders to "focus on your own practice" or to "leave your ego at the door." The atmosphere of calm that many yoga studios strive to achieve is what makes yoga stand apart from any other physical activity. Many fear that this new type of competition would pervert western yoga into an ego-driven fad full of elite athletes. In the United States, yoga is already a booming business offering a variety of yoga styles that appeal to many different types of people. It's great that it's becoming so accessible and comfortable, but if western yoga keeps heading down this path, where will it end up?

I am most certainly not championing purist, perfect or elitist yoga in any way and I'm not trying to discourage anyone who solely enjoys yoga for the physical aspect. The mental and spiritual journey that one might discover through yoga is personal and (just as with physical postures) it should not be forced. The bottom line here is that regardless of one's personal goals and interests, yoga is meant to be non-competitive. Alienating those roots will change yoga practice into something it's not: a sport. How can that core value be ignored to justify induction into the Olympic games? Is this really a good way to expose yoga to the masses or is would it be doing more harm than good?

Personally, if yoga does end up in the Olympics in 2016, I won't be watching it. I'd rather be on my own mat or teaching yoga with goals of acceptance, self-awareness and modesty. What do you think about all of this? If you'd like to continue this dialogue, please feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear what others think, yogis or not!

Namaste!

pajama yoga challenge

When is the last time you've had "one of those weeks?" You know the kind. The alarm blares and the first thought that flickers into consciousness is, "Friday?" For a seemingly endless amount of days, the answer is a resounding, "NO...sucker." Weeks like this can be a vicious downward spiral and before you know it, your whole life is getting lost in the desperate shuffling from one weekend to the next. You may lack energy, feel depressed or stressed. Throughout the day, you might be clock-watching, scatter-brained or unmotivated.

The bad news: this crappy week might be at least partially your fault

The good news: you can reverse the cycle!

I hate to break this to you, but not all crappy weeks are bestowed upon you by a stressful job, relationship, health issues or unforeseen challenges. Besides striving to improve your attitude and being mindful of your many blessings, consider setting aside time each day to practice just 15 minutes of quiet yoga. I know, you don't have any time to set aside, right? Who does? The fact of the matter is: we all have the same 24 hours allotted to 1 day, we just have different priorities. Person A might be ignoring the dirty dishes to go for a run while Person B is furiously polishing the hardwood. Person B might later be sleeping soundly while Person A is lost in the world of Facebook.

You might not realize how much time you spend each day doing things that can wait, are unimportant or feel much more important than they are.

Challenge: set aside 15 minutes for yoga (heck, even 5 minutes) at the same time every single day. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day, but give it an honest try for at least 1 week. Ideally, sometime in the morning is when you are most in-tune with what your body needs, but just do a few poses...whatever feels right. I would encourage you to practice in your pajamas for convenience, style and comfort. If you already exercise or practice yoga regularly, use this 7 day challenge to work on the spiritual and emotional aspect of it. Don't allow your practice to become another thing to check off your To-Do list or a sequence of meaningless poses.

Morning Yoga 15 Minute Challenge - Shown here with ferocious bedhead AND fierce pajamas!

Some ideas for the daily challenge: Neck rolls and shoulder/arm circles in Mountain or Easy Seated Pose, Forward Fold, Ragdoll, Cat/Cow, Child's Pose, Threaded Needle and Down Dog. Sometimes, that's all I want, need or have time for, but if you feel up to it, move into some controlled vinyasas (Sun Salutations). 

Move slowly and allow time to deepen and breathe into each pose. Along with a strong ujjayi breath (read more about that here), yoga will jump-start your day, loosen tight muscles and get some blood flowing, in turn releasing endorphins, calming the central nervous system, slowing the heart rate, boosting your mood, strengthening the diaphragm and allowing you to better cope with stress throughout your crappy week. PLUS, you get a 15 bonus minutes in your pajamas. ;)

Email or comment to let me know if you're planning to give this a whirl or if you have any questions. Or if you'd rather have no accountability, let me know how it went once you're done!