I often joke that the frown lines on my forehead have been there since I was born. I was ten-days late, so was clearly worried about venturing out into the big world from the start. That sense of anxiety about the unknown has remained throughout my life, and it’s only in recent years, that I’ve begun to be more adventurous, and explore further afield than my own country. Yet despite wanting desperately to see as much of the world as possible, I still get really anxious when going somewhere new. At first I used to try and fight it, ignore it and often just get plain cross with myself, but obviously none of that helped. In the end, it was something a friend said which enabled me to finally let go of my worries. I mentioned my nervousness about travelling and she said, ‘oh everyone feels like that. It’s normal.’ There I was, thinking there had to be something wrong with me for getting so stressed, and not realising this was how other people felt too. Hooray! Since then, if I ever feel anxiety lurking as I get ready to meet the unfamiliar, I just think, no problem, that’s ok. I have realised that when I became upset with myself for being worried I was making it worse, and so now I just say it’s fine and know that it will pass. As the attached short article below says, using the breath is a brilliant way to ease anxiety, and I recommend it, along with viparita karani; it’s one of my favourite poses and is a great all-rounder, so give it a try. Most of all though, just give yourself a break! It’s not always a bad thing to be anxious, especially when it comes to new situations and places. It probably helps you to be better prepared and take a bit more care, which can’t be bad thing. So make friends with anxiety, and learn to love your inner worrier.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/11/3-yogic-ways-to-ease-anxiety/
