Yoga instructor Emma Morgan on choosing love, not fear

Friend of the W, Emma runs classes in Thame, Long Crendon, Princes Risborough, Bicester and beyond. Find out more about her at her site and read her other post here.

IT’S EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF WHAT DAY OR EVEN MONTH WE’RE IN RIGHT NOW. As I write this we are definitely in week four of lockdown! Hopefully most of you are now adjusting to this new and some what challenging way of life? Maybe you’ve settled into a simple routine, and you’re managing to flow from one day to the next. We all have obstacles to overcome that are no doubt relative to us. If you read my last blog you’ll know I mentioned Balance, Adapt, Breath and Gratitude. Today I wanted to share how I overcome anxiety and fear.

PRACTISING YOGA REGULARLY IS A GREAT WAY TO OBSERVE OUR FEARS. That might be fear of a certain pose, fear of falling or fear of opening our minds. As a yoga practitioner you’ll hear me repeatedly mention breath. That’s because without breath we cannot exist! If you’re someone who spends a large portion of your day at a desk or driving, basically any activity where your body is pronated (turned in or down) and you don’t practice good posture, this can effect the quality of your breath. This can result in a short shallow breath which can make us feel anxious due to a decreased amount of air (prana) that can enter our bodies.

TRY THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU FEEL YOURSELF BECOMING ANXIOUS. Take a deep breath, roll your shoulders back and down, place one hand on your chest the other hand on your belly and feel the subtle movements with each inhalation and exhalation. Count how long your inhalation is and then make your exhalation the same count. Taking a breath may give you the chance to be less reactive in a stressful situation.

FOCUS ON THINGS THAT FEED AND NOURISH YOUR SOUL. I love being in nature so even just walking barefoot in my little patch of garden helps me reconnect to what’s truly important. Listening to the birds tweet, even if they wake me up before my alarm, I forgive them! Listening to calming music, turning off my phone and allowing myself a couple of hours a day with no distractions, allowing myself to just be.

TRY THIS POSE TO HELP WITH ANXIETY AND STRESS. It’s called the legs up the wall pose. Rest both hands on your heart and listen to what your body needs and not what your mind is telling you.