Yoga for Mind Obstacles

What is Yoga? Yoga is a discipline and practice to find peace within the mind, body, and soul. It’s a life-time journey or process of reconnecting the self (you, me) with the universe, and being one with the universe. Learn more here about the different types of yoga.  Why does yoga help anxiety & depression? Teaches relaxation through breath, movement (or asana), and self-awareness. Muscle tension is a HUGE symptom of anxiety and depression. Yoga calms and regulates the nervous system and gets your energy circulating again (so your physical bones, muscles, organs etc. can become balanced and you can start reconnecting with your mind) Brings awareness of negative … [Read more…]

Inversions can change your perspective and your mood! Your assignment for today is to practice an inversion called Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana. How to Get Into the Pose **Make sure to practice on a surface you can grip (carpet might be hard), and if it’s hard to grip, you can use a yoga mat, or place your heels at the edge of a wall and/or your hands on a rough towel. Another tip is to press into the tops of your fingertips to help grip! Start on your hands and knees in a table top position. (lulz … [Read more…]

Your assignment for today is: Half Sun Salutation ! Okay so this is an exception to this series, it’s not a “pose” but it’s a sequence of movements called “Sun Salutations” that make up a good portion of a typical yoga class. When your mind is exploding with scary negative thoughts, Sun Salutations give your mind a distraction, and teaches you to breathe and think clearly again. Sun Salutations are a series of movements that a matched by an inhale or an exhale. Flowing through these movements helps even your breathing and rid of anxieties. It also heats the body, … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is: Thread the Needle ! Thread the Needle falls under the category of “hip openers” in a typical yoga class, and focuses specifically on your “outer hips.” Most of our stress is stored in our hips, so it’s totally normal and common to feel frustration or to cry in hip openers. When you do this pose, you are releasing emotional stress from your body that is wayyy past overdue when leaving your physical body. ***Because hip openers can be such an emotional release, don’t hold your first Thread the Needle for too long, and do not … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is Bridge Pose ! Bridge Pose, or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, is considered a back bend, or a “heart opener.” Heart openers offer space for the breath in the ribs, chest, throat, and neck, and this added space calms anxieties. Because backbends are opening up the heart cavity, sometimes there will be an emotional release (AKA tears). Tears in this pose are normal and are a healthy part of self healing <333 Bridge pose is also a mild “inversion” meaning there is a switch of our blood flow, creating cooling and calming feels and stimulating the Parasympathetic … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is Warrior 2 !   Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana 2) is an externally rotated standing position in yoga. Standing positions increase strength and focus. When the mind is cluttered with overpowering thoughts of depression or anxiety, focusing can be extremely hard. Rather than being still in a pose when our mind is disturbed, the pose dynamically connects our breath with movement. This connection will help increase focus and clear our minds.   How to Get Into the Pose   1. Start with your legs in a wide stance. Make sure your wrists are underneath your ankles, if … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is: Forward Fold! Today, I will be talking about Forward Folds, more specifically Uttanasana. Uttanasana can be practiced dynamically in half or full Sun Salutations to calm nerves, or can be held for full relaxation. Whether you have anxiety, panic attacks, or depression determines if you should hold Forward Fold, or practice them actively with Sun Salutations. When you are in this pose, your state of mind matters because a Forward Fold is literally you folding into your self, which can lead to confrontation of certain issues. If you are going through major issues, but just … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is Twist! Twists encourage the digestive system to work properly – which often helps the stomach to properly function, especially, when you feel like knives are piercing your tummy during a panic attack or through an unwavering depression – adds moisture to your spine, helps your posture, and elminates toxins in the spine. Stomach issues tend to come hand in hand with anxiety disorders and depression. This is because when we are stressed, the Adrenal Medulla (part of our Autonomic Nervous System) releases the “adrenaline hormone.” This shot of adrenaline can cause a multitude of panic attack … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is: Tree Pose! Tree Pose is a balancing pose that helps your mind focus and find clarity  (instead of being trapped in an unending cycle of negative thoughts). Yogi’s often say that balancing poses such as “Tree Pose,” will help you “ground or center” your energy. How to practice this pose This pose can be practiced with a candle, music, or after a few repetitions of Sun Salutation A to help your mind reach a peaceful state. ***If you are agitated and can’t focus at all, first practice 3-5 Sun Salutation A’s, and hold the last … [Read more…]

Your pose for today is: Savasana! Savasana (or corpse pose) can be practiced many different ways. Practicing Savasana will help you keep calm throughout the day, be able to positively respond to stress, and teach your body to relax in preparation for a deep sleep. This article will not only teach you how to practice Savasana for the times when you cannot lie still, but the different variations of Savasana and how to add elements such music, breath, and visualization!! Traditionally, Savasana is practiced lying on your back, legs extended and arms by your sides with palms facing up. However, when … [Read more…]

Our energy system is made up of our aura (biofield that starts on our skin and extends outward in an egg shape for a few feet), meridians (channels that run through our body) and chakras (energy centers in our body). When our system is clear, we feel balanced with oneself, but throughout life, we collect experiences – our own and of others – that builds density in our energetic system. It is important to practice managing our energy system so that we can rid of any energy we don’t need, and feel happiness. One way to practice this is by … [Read more…]

Every Monday we post on Instagram #MeditationMondays as a reminder to pause, breathe and reflect on uncomfortable feelings that rise during each day. Below are a compilation of our meditations up to January. Everyday is a practice. Sending you positive vibes, Shannen Founding Editor-in-Chief The Strange is Beautiful Meditation #1 Meditate tonight on that thing you’ve been waiting for the “perfect” time to start or to practice it until it’s “perfect” or have enough supplies or money so it will be “perfect.” A lot of times with anxiety, we are afraid to start our dreams because we are afraid of … [Read more…]

hihi!! here’s a link to Alejandra Pizarnik’s poems in Spanish: Alejandra Pizarnik’s Árbol de Diana plus an excerpt of the English translation that includes Octavio Paz’s introduction in Paris 1962: English Translation Excerpt and a link to where you can buy the translation in English: Alejandra Pizarnik’s Diana’s Tree lastly you can learn about her life writing the poem book and about the translation here. Sending you ++posi vibes++ Shannen Founding Editor-in-Chief The Strange is Beautiful

I don’t usually make a blog post for Meditation Mondays, it’s usually just a weekly post on our Instagram, but my meditation last night was super reflective and I’d like to share some thoughts with you on tips for social anxiety and on gratitude :) Why a Bath Meditation? Last night I did a bath meditation. I’ve done a few in the last couple of weeks. My body has been achy, dry, tight and way too cold so I figured some loofah action mixed with some warm water would help circulation in my body. I typically HATE baths but it’s … [Read more…]