POWER POSES FOR ANXIETY & TRAUMA
When the body begins to experience a better sense of self-regulation it becomes easier to open the door to the deeper healing practices of mindfulness and embodied resiliency. Depression, anxiety and trauma often create patterns in the way we carry ourselves. Consider how the body reacts when you are in a hyper-arousal state (guarded, tense) vs hypo-arousal (slumped, withdrawn) state. The Ted Talk ‘Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” by Harvard Researcher Amy Cuddy, offers is the glimpse into the interaction between the body (how we carry ourselves), mind, emotions - posture has a direct connection to emotions and heightened confidence. Leveraging this connection is the essence of Power Poses in Yoga for Anxiety. Practicing poses that allow us to feel an embodied sense of personal power has a bilateral effect on the nervous system and can effect the emotions.
Power Poses are all about standing in your own power. They allow you to feel a sense of control. As such, there are no “rules” about what or how you should practice. Play around with these options or find another pose that feels right for you. *Don’t practice when you are feeling agitated or overwhelmed.