Yoga May Reduce Anxiety
Anxiety is very common, with about 20% of adults affected with an anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the common anxiety disorders. Symptoms include excessive worry about everyday issues, such as health, relationships, finances, or work, with difficulty controlling the anxiety. Other symptoms that can happen at the same time include being restless or irritable, having muscle tension, or difficulty in concentrating. Once diagnosed, there are a variety of treatment options including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps to reprogram thought processes, and medication. Many people seek alternative therapies or therapies to add to a treatment program. Some do not seek diagnosis or treatment, either due to concerns about the stigma of mental illness or the costs in time or finance. Other therapies like yoga had not been well studied previously but have the potential of reaching more people.
A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry compared yoga and CBT to treat GAD. It found that yoga is effective to treat GAD, although CBT is still recommended as the primary treatment. Yoga uses mindfulness, which calms thoughts about the past or future, helping to reconnect with the present. Being in the moment helps to reduce signals to the brain that trigger thoughts of worry. Yoga poses exercise the body reducing muscle tension and reconnect the mind and body. Because yoga is easier to access and may be more acceptable as a treatment for some, it may be a great option to add to treatment or as an alternative treatment for milder cases. Do not stop any treatment for anxiety without first speaking with your healthcare provider. This is important for your safety. Also, there are many types of yoga and yoga teachers. Yoga teachers have a large variety in their training and experience. Be sure to research a yoga practice and a well-trained yoga teacher who meets your needs.
Join SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), who teaches yoga classes and meditation sessions that are focused on mindfulness and movement to promote calming and nourishment to your physical and emotional bodies. She works individually and in small class settings with clients, some that have chronic anxiety. One of the classes she teaches is called Mindful Movement and Yoga. In this class, she uses mindfulness techniques, functional movement patterns, breathing, and poses that promote increased awareness and provide support in decreasing reactivity and self-judgement, and physically promote increased elasticity, strength, balance, inner and outer body integration, lending to an increased sense of well-being. This and other classes include mind-body activities to increase awareness of habits that impact our health and provide techniques that can be applied in daily life to create opportunities to re-pattern our thoughts and movements and support improved cognitive and physical health.
Mindful Movement and Yoga is offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. EDT.
Dogwood Studio offers weekly live online and pre-recorded On Demand classes taught by SAM Sather, certified yoga therapist. For the latest schedule on the website, click HERE. Click on the link HERE to sign-up and go to the ‘Classes’ tab.
On Demand Line-up for August 30th – 7th & available for signing-up:
For more information about On Demand classes, visit our website page HERE or email us at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.