Yoga with Melissa

Yoga for Anxiety

Today we are going to open to and become aware of anxiety. Just like the other emotions we have opened to experience, we can open to the emotion of anxiety. Anxiety is not good or bad, it is simply an expression of energy. When we open to the free-flowing quality of anxiety we can attend to its energetic nuances in our minds and bodies.

Anxiety affects 18 % of adults in the US, approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18-54. Those numbers are pretty consistent worldwide. Women are twice as likely to be affected by anxiety than men.

When we experience anxiety we feel an overwhelming lack of trust in our world with no sense of inner security or safety. There is a feeling of being out of control and completely groundless. When we experience anxiety, we wear ourselves out with relentless thinking which heightens our nervousness in our bodies and minds. There is a sense of there being a danger or threat or not being able to cope with what may happen. When we experience anxiety we experience irrational fear, we are hypervigilant to the negative and we worry excessively about the future.

With anxiety we are caught in an endless feedback loop. Our minds spiral into continual mental scanning which use up our physical and mental resources, leaving us feeling exhausted.

The experience of anxiety results in hormonal imbalances in our bodies as our adrenal glands increase the secretion of adrenaline and cortisol in our bodies. Adrenaline and cortisol are hormones release in response to fear and stress by the medulla of the adrenal glands and in some neurons of the central nervous system.

Research has shown that yoga is superior to other forms of exercise in terms of lowering cortisol than other types of physical movement. A research study on African dance and yoga for example actually showed higher levels of cortisol after the dance than before compared to yoga where the levels were reduced. In another research study with specific yoga poses, researchers measured the cortisol levels before and after yoga classes and discovered significant decreases after yoga class.

With anxiety we need to ask ourselves, where is my attention? Usually our mind is all over the place and our body is fidgeting. When we practice yoga, we can place our attention with the sensations in our body. Instead of wearing ourselves out with relentless thinking which heightens anxiety, we can connect with our bodies and be still. Yoga offers us a way to connect with the earth, to ground, release all that nervous tension into the earth and connect with a sense of safety. Restoring your body through yoga will help to recover a sense of equilibrium.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Crocodile Pose, knees to chest pose or apanasana, sleeping pigeon or figure four pose, child’s pose or balasana, cat pose or marjaryasana, tree pose or vrksasana, standing forward fold or uttanasana, shoulderstand or sarvangasana, locust pose or salabhasana, janu sirsasana or head beyond knee pose, corpse pose or savasana, Hridaya Mudra for anxiety

Props: yoga block or wall, meditation cushion, folded blanket or chair

Resources:

Research on Cortisol Drops After Yoga Class: Link

Research shows Yoga works better at reducing Cortisol Levels than other forms of exercise: Link

Statistics on Anxiety: Link

Thank you so much for your donations Sean from New York and Anne Marie from Victoria Australia.

Yoga for Anxiety

Today we are going to open to and become aware of anxiety. Just like the other emotions we have opened to experience, we can open to the emotion of anxiety. Anxiety is not good or bad, it is simply an expression of energy. When we open to the free-flowing quality of anxiety we can attend to its energetic nuances in our minds and bodies.

Anxiety affects 18 % of adults in the US, approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18-54. Those numbers are pretty consistent worldwide. Women are twice as likely to be affected by anxiety than men.

When we experience anxiety we feel an overwhelming lack of trust in our world with no sense of inner security or safety. There is a feeling of being out of control and completely groundless. When we experience anxiety, we wear ourselves out with relentless thinking which heightens our nervousness in our bodies and minds. There is a sense of there being a danger or threat or not being able to cope with what may happen. When we experience anxiety we experience irrational fear, we are hypervigilant to the negative and we worry excessively about the future.

With anxiety we are caught in an endless feedback loop. Our minds spiral into continual mental scanning which use up our physical and mental resources, leaving us feeling exhausted.

The experience of anxiety results in hormonal imbalances in our bodies as our adrenal glands increase the secretion of adrenaline and cortisol in our bodies. Adrenaline and cortisol are hormones release in response to fear and stress by the medulla of the adrenal glands and in some neurons of the central nervous system.

Research has shown that yoga is superior to other forms of exercise in terms of lowering cortisol than other types of physical movement. A research study on African dance and yoga for example actually showed higher levels of cortisol after the dance than before compared to yoga where the levels were reduced. In another research study with specific yoga poses, researchers measured the cortisol levels before and after yoga classes and discovered significant decreases after yoga class.

With anxiety we need to ask ourselves, where is my attention? Usually our mind is all over the place and our body is fidgeting. When we practice yoga, we can place our attention with the sensations in our body. Instead of wearing ourselves out with relentless thinking which heightens anxiety, we can connect with our bodies and be still. Yoga offers us a way to connect with the earth, to ground, release all that nervous tension into the earth and connect with a sense of safety. Restoring your body through yoga will help to recover a sense of equilibrium.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Crocodile Pose, knees to chest pose or apanasana, sleeping pigeon or figure four pose, child’s pose or balasana, cat pose or marjaryasana, tree pose or vrksasana, standing forward fold or uttanasana, shoulderstand or sarvangasana, locust pose or salabhasana, janu sirsasana or head beyond knee pose, corpse pose or savasana, Hridaya Mudra for anxiety

Props: yoga block or wall, meditation cushion, folded blanket or chair

Resources:

Research on Cortisol Drops After Yoga Class: Link

Research shows Yoga works better at reducing Cortisol Levels than other forms of exercise: Link

Statistics on Anxiety: Link

Thank you so much for your donations Sean from New York and Anne Marie from Victoria Australia.

Yoga for Loneliness

It is not unusual to feel like we are isolated, all alone in our experience. When we feel this way, we feel a sense of loneliness, a sense of separation in our experience and a lack of connection. We feel cut off from each other and the natural world.

Recently, I have been struggling with my own vulnerability at coming forward with my story, the one I am starting to tell about living with migraines and the effect it has had on my nervous system, adrenals and its relationship to my hormonal health. When I was sitting and speaking to one of the health representatives I am collaborating with, feeling completely insecure, vulnerable isolated and alone about how I want to spread a message of hormonal health, nervous system health, and adrenal health, he said, ¨well those are the three biggest health conditions on the planet today.¨ All of a sudden I didn't feel so alone.

Loneliness is not a bad thing. It is part of the human condition. However, like many of the more painful emotions, it is a feeling that we often want to avoid feeling and get out of as quickly as possible. With loneliness it is normal to not want to open to the feeling of loneliness.

We have all sorts of ways of avoiding the emotions of loneliness and isolation. Usually we look for a way out. We look for something to cheer us up or to change our mood. This might be compulsive social media scrolling, or workaholism to fill the void. Maybe we fill our social calendar with social engagements to fill the quiet. Perhaps if we do not want to be with the raw discomfort of isolation we might tell ourselves the story of how we are a victim or of how somebody else has messed up. Either way we claim victory or victim-hood in our discursive thought and endless stories.

With loneliness we are encouraged to go beyond the impulsivity to avoid the emotion or propel ourselves into the stories and open to the raw, ache of our heart. Opening to that sense of tenderness and vulnerability is a courageous act of compassion that paves the way for trustworthiness. When you make friends with your own loneliness, you realize that many others are suffering just like you, and ironically you discover you are not alone but intimately connected.

With loneliness, with isolation, with that sense of separation, we can identify with and connect with others - there is a sense of tenderness and vulnerability that becomes possible in yourself and others and through that your compassion becomes more trustworthy.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Crocodile Pose, Sphinx Pose or Salambha Bhujangasana, Front Lying Upper Body Twist, Cat Pose or Marjaryasana, Puppy Pose or Uttana Shishosana, Cow´s Face Arm´s or Gomukhasana Arms from Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana, Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold or Prasarita Padottanasana, Reverse Table, Cow´s Face or Gomukhasana, Savasana or Vyapak Anjali Mudra

Props: yoga strap

If you liked this class give it a thumbs up

If you know somebody who could benefit from these teachings, please feel free to share it with them

Let me know in the comments how it is to open to the challenging emotion of isolation and loneliness.

Thank you so much for your donations :

Diane from Nova Scotia, Donna from Saskatchewan, Khalid Albidour from UAE

If you want more support in opening to loneliness, each Monday we meet in our live classes in our membership community for guided meditations. I give a teaching talk and then lead a guided meditation. You have a chance to ask questions and receive support for your practice. This is an amazing part of our community and we would love to have you.

https://www.melissawest.com/membership/membership-sign-up/

Weekly Yoga with Melissa 395 Photos of Yoga Poses

Yoga for Loneliness

It is not unusual to feel like we are isolated, all alone in our experience. When we feel this way, we feel a sense of loneliness, a sense of separation in our experience and a lack of connection. We feel cut off from each other and the natural world.

Recently, I have been struggling with my own vulnerability at coming forward with my story, the one I am starting to tell about living with migraines and the effect it has had on my nervous system, adrenals and its relationship to my hormonal health. When I was sitting and speaking to one of the health representatives I am collaborating with, feeling completely insecure, vulnerable isolated and alone about how I want to spread a message of hormonal health, nervous system health, and adrenal health, he said, ¨well those are the three biggest health conditions on the planet today.¨ All of a sudden I didn’t feel so alone.

Loneliness is not a bad thing. It is part of the human condition. However, like many of the more painful emotions, it is a feeling that we often want to avoid feeling and get out of as quickly as possible. With loneliness it is normal to not want to open to the feeling of loneliness.

We have all sorts of ways of avoiding the emotions of loneliness and isolation. Usually we look for a way out. We look for something to cheer us up or to change our mood. This might be compulsive social media scrolling, or workaholism to fill the void. Maybe we fill our social calendar with social engagements to fill the quiet. Perhaps if we do not want to be with the raw discomfort of isolation we might tell ourselves the story of how we are a victim or of how somebody else has messed up. Either way we claim victory or victim-hood in our discursive thought and endless stories.

With loneliness we are encouraged to go beyond the impulsivity to avoid the emotion or propel ourselves into the stories and open to the raw, ache of our heart. Opening to that sense of tenderness and vulnerability is a courageous act of compassion that paves the way for trustworthiness. When you make friends with your own loneliness, you realize that many others are suffering just like you, and ironically you discover you are not alone but intimately connected.

With loneliness, with isolation, with that sense of separation, we can identify with and connect with others – there is a sense of tenderness and vulnerability that becomes possible in yourself and others and through that your compassion becomes more trustworthy.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Crocodile Pose, Sphinx Pose or Salambha Bhujangasana, Front Lying Upper Body Twist, Cat Pose or Marjaryasana, Puppy Pose or Uttana Shishosana, Cow´s Face Arm´s or Gomukhasana Arms from Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana, Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold or Prasarita Padottanasana, Reverse Table, Cow´s Face or Gomukhasana, Savasana or Vyapak Anjali Mudra

Props: yoga strap

If you liked this class give it a thumbs up

If you know somebody who could benefit from these teachings, please feel free to share it with them

Let me know in the comments how it is to open to the challenging emotion of isolation and loneliness.

Thank you so much for your donations :

Diane from Nova Scotia, Donna from Saskatchewan, Khalid Albidour from UAE

If you want more support in opening to loneliness, each Monday we meet in our live classes in our membership community for guided meditations. I give a teaching talk and then lead a guided meditation. You have a chance to ask questions and receive support for your practice. This is an amazing part of our community and we would love to have you.

Yoga for Loneliness

It is not unusual to feel like we are isolated, all alone in our experience. When we feel this way, we feel a sense of loneliness, a sense of separation in our experience and a lack of connection. We feel cut off from each other and the natural world.

Recently, I have been struggling with my own vulnerability at coming forward with my story, the one I am starting to tell about living with migraines and the effect it has had on my nervous system, adrenals and its relationship to my hormonal health. When I was sitting and speaking to one of the health representatives I am collaborating with, feeling completely insecure, vulnerable isolated and alone about how I want to spread a message of hormonal health, nervous system health, and adrenal health, he said, ¨well those are the three biggest health conditions on the planet today.¨ All of a sudden I didn’t feel so alone.

Loneliness is not a bad thing. It is part of the human condition. However, like many of the more painful emotions, it is a feeling that we often want to avoid feeling and get out of as quickly as possible. With loneliness it is normal to not want to open to the feeling of loneliness.

We have all sorts of ways of avoiding the emotions of loneliness and isolation. Usually we look for a way out. We look for something to cheer us up or to change our mood. This might be compulsive social media scrolling, or workaholism to fill the void. Maybe we fill our social calendar with social engagements to fill the quiet. Perhaps if we do not want to be with the raw discomfort of isolation we might tell ourselves the story of how we are a victim or of how somebody else has messed up. Either way we claim victory or victim-hood in our discursive thought and endless stories.

With loneliness we are encouraged to go beyond the impulsivity to avoid the emotion or propel ourselves into the stories and open to the raw, ache of our heart. Opening to that sense of tenderness and vulnerability is a courageous act of compassion that paves the way for trustworthiness. When you make friends with your own loneliness, you realize that many others are suffering just like you, and ironically you discover you are not alone but intimately connected.

With loneliness, with isolation, with that sense of separation, we can identify with and connect with others – there is a sense of tenderness and vulnerability that becomes possible in yourself and others and through that your compassion becomes more trustworthy.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Crocodile Pose, Sphinx Pose or Salambha Bhujangasana, Front Lying Upper Body Twist, Cat Pose or Marjaryasana, Puppy Pose or Uttana Shishosana, Cow´s Face Arm´s or Gomukhasana Arms from Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana, Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold or Prasarita Padottanasana, Reverse Table, Cow´s Face or Gomukhasana, Savasana or Vyapak Anjali Mudra

Props: yoga strap

If you liked this class give it a thumbs up

If you know somebody who could benefit from these teachings, please feel free to share it with them

Let me know in the comments how it is to open to the challenging emotion of isolation and loneliness.

Thank you so much for your donations :

Diane from Nova Scotia, Donna from Saskatchewan, Khalid Albidour from UAE

If you want more support in opening to loneliness, each Monday we meet in our live classes in our membership community for guided meditations. I give a teaching talk and then lead a guided meditation. You have a chance to ask questions and receive support for your practice. This is an amazing part of our community and we would love to have you.

Yoga Practice for Anger

Anger can be a very scary emotion. It can be an emotion that we do not want to relate to whether we are experiencing it or whether we are watching somebody else express it.

Anger is a very direct emotion. It is an emotion that puts is in connection with our present moment experience. All of our periphery experiences fade away and we have a kind of tunnel vision that takes over, we get locked into only what is happening now. We can no longer hear or see or sense anything else. Nothing is important except for what we are angry about.

Reflect on your the last time you experienced the emotion of anger. Why were you angry? Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen suggest that anger arises when our reaction to the experience is one of fear. Was that true for you? Did your anger happen in reaction to the experience of fear? Did you feel somebody had taken advantage of you?

When I reflected on Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen´s assertions that at the root of anger is fear, I found that everytime anger arises in me, yes, at the root of this emotion is fear and deep feelings of vulnerability and insecurity that make it difficult for me to be soft in my response. How dare they do that to me? How dare they take advantage of me in that way? How dare they expose me in that way? This kind of anger is put up as a defense mechanism to deter the abuse of humiliation to try to avoid my own feelings of being fragile and exposed.

When I reflect on the times that I am angry with other people , if I am honest, very often I am weak and afraid. However, it is easier to express anger than to acknowledge that I really am feeling weak, fearful and vulnerable, that way I get to puff myself out and appear to stay strong and confident. In truth, my anger is arising in response to an externally perceived threat, especially when somebody else appears to possess power I feel I am lacking or appears to be taking away power I feel I should exclusively hold.

Instead of discussing my feelings openly and honestly, I hold onto my self-image as a strong and confident person and I get angry. To admit to my feelings would be to expose my insecurity. To admit to my feelings could be embarrassing. So rather than risking the possibility of suffering disrespect, I rise up in anger. Even though I might not express this anger to another person, there is an atomic war in progress internally.

Our most immediate strength can lie in acknowledging our weakness. As Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen say, ¨Weakness only exists because it is kept locked in an emotional high security vault designed to preserve self-image and is a sense of personal security.¨

These teachings on anger from Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen are asking me to open to my own vulnerability, to let go of the fear of my own self-disclosure. Instead of continuing with habits of anger, attack and assault, those habits that come out of defending myself and my personal identity, I am exploring the possibility of opening myself to others and having the courage to admit my vulnerability. When I do so, perhaps I will find that my insecurities and my perceived inadequacies are groundless.

Props: blocks, bolster, folded blanket or pillow

Asanas: Reclined Bound Angle Pose or Supta Baddha Konasana, Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana, Frog Pose or Mandukasana , Warrior One Pose or Virabhadrasana One Pose to Humble Warrior, Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana to Humble Horse, Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Plank Pose or Kumbhakasana, Side Plank Vasisthasana, Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Ardha Gomukhasana or Half Cow´s Face Forward Fold, Savasana or Corpse Pose , Abhaya Mudra

Resource: Spectrum of Ecstasy: The Five Wisdom Emotions According to Vajrayana Buddhism

by Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen

Yoga Practice for Anger

Anger can be a very scary emotion. It can be an emotion that we do not want to relate to whether we are experiencing it or whether we are watching somebody else express it.

Anger is a very direct emotion. It is an emotion that puts is in connection with our present moment experience. All of our periphery experiences fade away and we have a kind of tunnel vision that takes over, we get locked into only what is happening now. We can no longer hear or see or sense anything else. Nothing is important except for what we are angry about.

Reflect on your the last time you experienced the emotion of anger. Why were you angry? Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen suggest that anger arises when our reaction to the experience is one of fear. Was that true for you? Did your anger happen in reaction to the experience of fear? Did you feel somebody had taken advantage of you?

When I reflected on Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen´s assertions that at the root of anger is fear, I found that everytime anger arises in me, yes, at the root of this emotion is fear and deep feelings of vulnerability and insecurity that make it difficult for me to be soft in my response. How dare they do that to me? How dare they take advantage of me in that way? How dare they expose me in that way? This kind of anger is put up as a defense mechanism to deter the abuse of humiliation to try to avoid my own feelings of being fragile and exposed.

When I reflect on the times that I am angry with other people , if I am honest, very often I am weak and afraid. However, it is easier to express anger than to acknowledge that I really am feeling weak, fearful and vulnerable, that way I get to puff myself out and appear to stay strong and confident. In truth, my anger is arising in response to an externally perceived threat, especially when somebody else appears to possess power I feel I am lacking or appears to be taking away power I feel I should exclusively hold.

Instead of discussing my feelings openly and honestly, I hold onto my self-image as a strong and confident person and I get angry. To admit to my feelings would be to expose my insecurity. To admit to my feelings could be embarrassing. So rather than risking the possibility of suffering disrespect, I rise up in anger. Even though I might not express this anger to another person, there is an atomic war in progress internally.

Our most immediate strength can lie in acknowledging our weakness. As Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen say, ¨Weakness only exists because it is kept locked in an emotional high security vault designed to preserve self-image and is a sense of personal security.¨

These teachings on anger from Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen are asking me to open to my own vulnerability, to let go of the fear of my own self-disclosure. Instead of continuing with habits of anger, attack and assault, those habits that come out of defending myself and my personal identity, I am exploring the possibility of opening myself to others and having the courage to admit my vulnerability. When I do so, perhaps I will find that my insecurities and my perceived inadequacies are groundless.

Props: blocks, bolster, folded blanket or pillow

Asanas: Reclined Bound Angle Pose or Supta Baddha Konasana, Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana, Frog Pose or Mandukasana , Warrior One Pose or Virabhadrasana One Pose to Humble Warrior, Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana to Humble Horse, Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Plank Pose or Kumbhakasana, Side Plank Vasisthasana, Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Ardha Gomukhasana or Half Cow´s Face Forward Fold, Savasana or Corpse Pose , Abhaya Mudra

Yoga Practice for Anger

Anger can be a very scary emotion. It can be an emotion that we do not want to relate to whether we are experiencing it or whether we are watching somebody else express it.

Anger is a very direct emotion. It is an emotion that puts is in connection with our present moment experience. All of our periphery experiences fade away and we have a kind of tunnel vision that takes over, we get locked into only what is happening now. We can no longer hear or see or sense anything else. Nothing is important except for what we are angry about.

Reflect on your the last time you experienced the emotion of anger. Why were you angry? Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen suggest that anger arises when our reaction to the experience is one of fear. Was that true for you? Did your anger happen in reaction to the experience of fear? Did you feel somebody had taken advantage of you?

When I reflected on Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen´s assertions that at the root of anger is fear, I found that everytime anger arises in me, yes, at the root of this emotion is fear and deep feelings of vulnerability and insecurity that make it difficult for me to be soft in my response. How dare they do that to me? How dare they take advantage of me in that way? How dare they expose me in that way? This kind of anger is put up as a defense mechanism to deter the abuse of humiliation to try to avoid my own feelings of being fragile and exposed.

When I reflect on the times that I am angry with other people , if I am honest, very often I am weak and afraid. However, it is easier to express anger than to acknowledge that I really am feeling weak, fearful and vulnerable, that way I get to puff myself out and appear to stay strong and confident. In truth, my anger is arising in response to an externally perceived threat, especially when somebody else appears to possess power I feel I am lacking or appears to be taking away power I feel I should exclusively hold.

Instead of discussing my feelings openly and honestly, I hold onto my self-image as a strong and confident person and I get angry. To admit to my feelings would be to expose my insecurity. To admit to my feelings could be embarrassing. So rather than risking the possibility of suffering disrespect, I rise up in anger. Even though I might not express this anger to another person, there is an atomic war in progress internally.

Our most immediate strength can lie in acknowledging our weakness. As Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen say, ¨Weakness only exists because it is kept locked in an emotional high security vault designed to preserve self-image and is a sense of personal security.¨

These teachings on anger from Ngakpa Chogyam and Khandro Dechen are asking me to open to my own vulnerability, to let go of the fear of my own self-disclosure. Instead of continuing with habits of anger, attack and assault, those habits that come out of defending myself and my personal identity, I am exploring the possibility of opening myself to others and having the courage to admit my vulnerability. When I do so, perhaps I will find that my insecurities and my perceived inadequacies are groundless.

Props: blocks, bolster, folded blanket or pillow

Asanas: Reclined Bound Angle Pose or Supta Baddha Konasana, Lunge Pose or Anjaneyasana, Frog Pose or Mandukasana , Warrior One Pose or Virabhadrasana One Pose to Humble Warrior, Goddess Victory Squat or Utkata Konasana to Humble Horse, Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Plank Pose or Kumbhakasana, Side Plank Vasisthasana, Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Ardha Gomukhasana or Half Cow´s Face Forward Fold, Savasana or Corpse Pose , Abhaya Mudra

Yoga for Insecurity

Insecurity is defined as a lack of confidence or a state of uncertainty or anxiety about oneself. That sounds bad doesn't it. In fact it sounds very bad. If I was feeling that way about myself, that sounds like a feeling that I would want to get rid of. The definition goes on to say that insecurity is lack of protection. That also sounds worrying. If I feel into that in my body it creates a growing sense of self-doubt, uncertainty and fear. Insecurity is also defined as the state of being open to danger or threat.

Our response to insecurity is to get rid of it or to establish security. That is, to do everything within our power to make our corner of the world more secure. The problem with this approach is that we continue to change our lives and paint ourselves into a corner until even the most trivial experiences in our life cause us an incredible amount of anxiety and stress. Trying to change and control our external environment is a recipe for more anxiety, stress and insecurity.

Insecurity is not a problem. We will all experience insecurity in our lives. We will all encounter circumstances in our lives that make us feel insecure. That is a normal part of being a human being. Our everyday existence is intrinsically insecure. We could lose our jobs, the stock market could crash, we could face a health crisis, our relationships could crumble, everything is temporary and transitional.

We continually try to find solid ground, but we can only rely on the groundless ground. Earth cannot be permanently fixed. It crumbles, slips, levels out and rises up into mountains. Nothing is certain except uncertainty. Change and dissolution continually undercut us and we take it personally, but it is not personal.

Insecurity is a normal part of our lives. Constant change is natural. Opening to impermanence can create some spaciousness around the fear and anxiety of insecurity. In other words, it is only possible to find security in accepting insecurity.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Cat Pose or Marjaryasana, Tiger Pose, Tadasana or Mountain Pose, Chair Pose or Utkatasana, Tree Pose or Vrkasana, Warrior One or Virabhadrasana One,Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana,  Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Dying Warrior, Crocodile Pose

Props: yoga blocks

Thank you so much for your donations Viola from Italy, Donna from Kansas, Leah, Cornelia, Donna from Oklahoma,

If you want more support in opening to insecurity, each Monday we meet in our live classes in our membership community for guided meditations. I give a teaching talk and then lead a guided meditation. You have a chance to ask questions and receive support for your practice. This is an amazing part of our community and we would love to have you.

https://www.melissawest.com/membership/membership-sign-up/

Weekly Yoga with Melissa 393 Photos of Yoga Poses

Yoga for Insecurity

Insecurity is defined as a lack of confidence or a state of uncertainty or anxiety about oneself. That sounds bad doesn’t it. In fact it sounds very bad. If I was feeling that way about myself, that sounds like a feeling that I would want to get rid of. The definition goes on to say that insecurity is lack of protection. That also sounds worrying. If I feel into that in my body it creates a growing sense of self-doubt, uncertainty and fear. Insecurity is also defined as the state of being open to danger or threat.

Our response to insecurity is to get rid of it or to establish security. That is, to do everything within our power to make our corner of the world more secure. The problem with this approach is that we continue to change our lives and paint ourselves into a corner until even the most trivial experiences in our life cause us an incredible amount of anxiety and stress. Trying to change and control our external environment is a recipe for more anxiety, stress and insecurity.

Insecurity is not a problem. We will all experience insecurity in our lives. We will all encounter circumstances in our lives that make us feel insecure. That is a normal part of being a human being. Our everyday existence is intrinsically insecure. We could lose our jobs, the stock market could crash, we could face a health crisis, our relationships could crumble, everything is temporary and transitional.

We continually try to find solid ground, but we can only rely on the groundless ground. Earth cannot be permanently fixed. It crumbles, slips, levels out and rises up into mountains. Nothing is certain except uncertainty. Change and dissolution continually undercut us and we take it personally, but it is not personal.

Insecurity is a normal part of our lives. Constant change is natural. Opening to impermanence can create some spaciousness around the fear and anxiety of insecurity. In other words, it is only possible to find security in accepting insecurity.

Yoga Postures/Asanas: Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana, Cat Pose or Marjaryasana, Tiger Pose, Tadasana or Mountain Pose, Chair Pose or Utkatasana, Tree Pose or Vrkasana, Warrior One or Virabhadrasana One,Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana,  Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Dying Warrior, Crocodile Pose

Props: yoga blocks

Thank you so much for your donations Viola from Italy, Donna from Kansas, Leah, Cornelia, Donna from Oklahoma,

If you want more support in opening to insecurity, each Monday we meet in our live classes in our membership community for guided meditations. I give a teaching talk and then lead a guided meditation. You have a chance to ask questions and receive support for your practice. This is an amazing part of our community and we would love to have you.

Membership Sign-Up

Weekly Yoga with Melissa 393 Photos of Yoga Poses