<p>I used to be more focused and while I haven’t studied yoga or meditated for a long time- I am looking at going back to that as an attempt to get a handle on what is making me so anxious.</p>
<p>I *am *seeing a psychiatrist- but because I had mentioned that in the past my mother had been on anti-psychotic medication- ( even though I think she was misdiagnosed- I think she had a panic attack), he wants to me to try anti-psychotic medication to reduce my anxiety , which I really don’t want to do.
I hate psychiatric meds with all the adjusting of doses and guessing which one might help and dealing with the side effects.</p>
<p>I need some encouragement- cause I have lost strenght in my hands so I am not going to be able to do what I want right away & it is so hard not to do too much and then I tear something. :(</p>
<p>But yoga- yoga I can do.
probably.
Better than sitting still anyway.</p>
<p>Yes, go yoga. I started yoga over 2 years ago because I had a bad knee and physical therapy was not helping. Wished I started 20 years ago. It’s so much more than exercise. Good for the body, mind and soul (turns out it was good for my knee too).
If you did it before, maybe you already have a good teacher in mind. That’s so important. My sis tried it from DVD and injured herself. There are lots of yoga injuries every year.<br>
And some of the teachers I’ve tried are a bit over the top…but as long as they teach the practice, well, I don’t mind. Chanting at all.
One more tip is to try to ease into it…maybe a gentle or beginners class. Power yoga…that was a bit much for me…might as well do aerobics. And I recently went to a class where everybody did headstands. Like it was nothing. Everyone but me that is…who had to use a wall for support…lol.<br>
All the best to you… I’m with you…do what you can to avoid drugs…although I know some people really need them. Watch your diet too if you can.</p>
<p>Have you heard of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR)? The program was started 20 years ago by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. They teach a variety of techniques to manage stress, pain, anxiety, life… The techniques include yoga, meditation and qi gong. There are 8-week courses given all over the country, often at hospitals or other health care sites. I highly recommend this program.</p>
<p>ugh I hate inversions.
I have read essays by Jon Kabat-Zinn I am sure.
I live in a neighborhood with lots of yoga- even the Ballard Health club has yoga classes, but since it isn’t " just a yoga studio", the vibe is a little different.</p>
<p>I even saw that there is a community yoga program with classes taught by a woman who is a therapist and they have been designed specifically for depression and anxiety ( not sure what would be different- but the depression one is already full> )</p>
<p>There is a studio close by where used to go, of course the owner used to teach all the classes - now she teaches hardly any- but I think I could still fit them into my schedule.
but definitely beginner. I am double jointed & I have already stretched my ligaments too much trying to show off when I was younger. :o</p>
<p>Thanks for the recommend DMD- I am not familiar with that style of yoga, I will have to look into it.</p>
<p>one of my yoga teachers said inversions would reduce facial wrinkles and prevent more gray hairs from sprouting…lol.
I have tried quite a few classes in a few different settings and the vibe differs significantly. Personally, I like those that spend more time on meditation and restoration…dark rooms, soft music. And I don’t like those that try to push vegetarian agendas…I respect the no harm philosophy…but I think some folks go too far. We can’t all be Gahndi.
EK…good luck to you and I hope you find a class that suits you and can relieve your anxieties.</p>
<p>I tried yoga once. When we were supposed to realx and “meditate” a bit to let the bad thoughts disappear, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about the stuff that I needed to do for work! I found running much more effective in purging such stuff out of my head. To each her own :)</p>
<p>Some people find out that exercise with a buddy makes them more motivated to keep going; I guess it might be true for yoga as well.</p>
<p>bb…as a past runner…I can relate. The knee did me in though. I tried yoga (with a tape - a guy on a beach) about 10 years ago and thought it was terribly slow-paced and boring. How could people do this stuff? Well, I guess I mellowed with age because I do love it now. Going to a good first class is critical though. I think I would have given it up quickly if my first class was like the one I went to last week. Too much chanting. Crazy inversions. Bright lights. And they had us facing each other instead of the mirror so I couldn’t check my posture. Here I am looking straight at this muscular 25 year old guy doing headstands. I won’t be doing THAT class again.</p>
<p>Check out Yoga at Comcast On Demand TV—under the fitness category. The selections change often enough, you won’t get bored, and can participate at your conventience.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I’ve snored during final relaxation–and there was somebody snoring today. My friend–who teaches the class–used to come over and nudge me with her foot so I’d stop.</p>
<p>It’s so weird that you’re bringing this up, because I just went back to a yoga class today after having not done it for more than two years. I felt wonderful afterwards and I wondered why I waited so long. I think it helps to find the right yoga teacher–but more on that later.</p>
<p>Last year was a tough year for me and I felt lousy for a good part of it. I spent no small amount of time trying to figure out what was wrong–requesting thyroid tests etc. and just feeling such low energy levels that I was too exhausted to even consider something like yoga–where I would definitely have been snoring–maybe even during the sun salutation. I vascillated between extreme exhaustion and extreme anxiety. I had such panicky feelings–particularly at night–yet I could not point to anything particularly stressful in my life.</p>
<p>So the reason it’s weird that you brought this up is that I was just marveling today at how much better I feel this year than I did last year, and that the only thing that’s changed is that I now have a dog so I walk every day whether I want to or not. I think just the act of moving restored a lot of my emotional equilibrium. I was pondering on how when you’re in that state, moving, even walking, seems like climbing Everest. I just felt I needed more rest, but I was having trouble sleeping at night and then sleeping a bit here and there during the day, and just never really feeling rested. It turned out that the key was to get moving, get physically tired, and then the sleep would come. </p>
<p>And my yoga class today was just the icing on the cake. I felt marvelously relaxed afterward–like I’d had a really great massage. You should try a few classes before you commit so you can find a pace that suits you. I love that my class has all sorts of people because then you know that it’s ok to move at your own pace and do what works for you. </p>
<p>So I vote yes on yoga–also if you don’t have a dog, get one. It’s a great motivator to get you out the door!</p>
<p>^^^There are many, many times that I went outside and took a walk when it was the last thing I wanted to do because of my dog, and I am so grateful to her! What a difference, I agree.</p>
<p>I’ve been doing yoga for almost 15 years but this year I just sort of stopped going to class, although I do it on my own a lot. Since I’ve turned 50, I have so many little annoying tweaks and twinges in my body, and every time I went to class, I would get another one. It’s my own fault for overdoing it. If you’re naturally flexible (like me), it is easy to do too much and not know it until days later, so go easy. Avoid the power yoga classes.</p>
<p>I do already have a dog, but while there have been years when I had to run to keep up with her, she is now fifteen & ahalf years old and that is pretty old for a lab. I still take her out though, but we haven’t walked around the lake for a few years,& that is sad, but she is still making it around the block to roll on her grass.
( i took out all of our grass, but a house on the next block has very nice sod, no dandelions!)</p>
<p>EK- I also have been experiencing many of the same issues (anxiety) and my gyn told me that they are hormone related. At 49, I am going through a “pre-menopausal” shift of hormones and as we all remember from pregnancy and post partum, hormones can do wacky things to your psyche. Anything that relaxes you physically or emotionally, is a good thing to pursue. I do Yoga once a week (which is not often enough) and am working on my self relaxation techniques (for the 2-4 AM anxiety times). Good luck to you, and remember, you have a lot of company in what you are going through.</p>
<p>I have one comment, which is that you should feel free to experiment to find what works for you as a stress release. It may be yoga. It might be long walks. It could be jogging on a treadmill for an hour at slow speed. It might include resistance training (i.e., weights). Try some and see.</p>
<p>Robert Penn Warren gave good advice about this, in the context of how to write. In his quavery, Kentucky twang, he’d say, “What you need to do is to have a big lunch. Drink a beer, maybe two. Then go for a long walk, preferably uphill. And then you’ll be ready to write.”</p>
<p>Here’s another vote for yoga–and I definitely recommend finding an instructor you really like who has substantial training in a tradition like Iyengar, where there is a lot of attention to precision in the poses and use of props to make the pose possible for anyone/everyone (and not to extremes, competition, etc). I found the several problems I thought were permanent/chronic (shoulder, back) improved dramatically or disappeared with enough patience and time. But the calm, precison in teaching asanas really matters. And it shouldn’t just be “glow and flow” either–Iyengar is demanding enough that you break a sweat but very calm and meditative at the same time. I too am very flexible in some joints–but the teacher always finds some pose that is a definite challenge so there is always a sense of growth and a place to keep working. Once you get the basic instruction you can find ways to implement poses into everyday stuff too–in your office chair, while walking the dog. </p>
<p>And there is a lot of hard evidence that meditative practices (like John Kabat-Zinn’s work) make a difference for stress and anxiety conditions. Hang in there (though you don’t have to do inversions! I don’t)–and breathe…</p>
<p>Definately, exercise is making me happy and full of energy. And chocolate, lots of it! D. is saying it is music in her case. Got to find what makes you happy and stick to it for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>mmaah…just a quick comment. The class I usually go to does not include inversions. But I went to one last week that included several inversion poses. The teacher showed me how to use the wall since I’m not skilled in this area…I felt a bit silly since no one else needed a wall…but I have found I really enjoy doing them at home. It’s kind of like a cheap way to do what those expensive inversion machines do. Still getting those gray hairs though…<br>
BTW, there are some great instructional videos online…one by a blond lady that I really like. But the classes are the way to go for the most part…since the teacher can really guide you.
I think yoga is terrific…especially as you get older and stiffer…and need to calm your mind.</p>