LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE

I’ve been doing yoga since 2003. My first class was in the living room at an eating disorder clinic in Buffalo, New York.

I was one of 5 depressed and stressed out women.

We were relearning how to eat and live.

Our day began with morning check in. Weight, vital signs and medications.

Before breakfast we talked about how we felt. Fear of gaining weight was the biggest issue. Emotional stress was 2nd.

We each had a customized food plan. I was able to eat under peaceful conditions.

I could not manage conflict. A divorce and custody dispute made me feel very unsettled.

I was an emotional wreck.

Then I met Beth.

Once a week we got on the living room floor. She told us what to do with our breath and our bodies. “Just be still. Relax. Follow your breath.” She said.

I honestly thought she was crazy.

“Breath will not get me out of my mess!” I thought.

Within a few weeks I discovered I was wrong. Very wrong.

Beth never told us the benefits of yoga. She didn’t lecture or preach. She simply helped us learn by doing.

Here are 3 ways yoga helped me manage my emotions and feel better naturally.

1. Yogic breathing calms the nervous system. When you breathe slowly in a focused way you naturally relax mentally. This alone will help you to manage your emotions in a healthier way.

2. Yoga improves the mind-body connection.

Doing a few poses with focused breathing makes you more aware of your thoughts and emotions.

Awareness is key to help you uncover where your thoughts and emotions are coming from. Once you know this you can shift how you think and your emotions become more stable.

3. Yoga helps you release emotional tension.

When we hold our feelings in they get stored in our physical body. This can cause pain.

Yoga is the perfect tool to release emotional tension and heal the physical body. We do this by holding simple poses.

Managing emotions doesn’t need to be difficult. The simplest fix I found in my personal life is yoga.

The most natural fix I found while working as a mental health counselor was yogic breathing. You don’t need to do it everyday. You don’t need to get your body into pretzel shapes either.

Have you ever tried yoga? Maybe you’re growing more curious.

Share your thoughts about this article. I’d love to hear from you.

Email me at maryjobriggsaustin@gmail.com .