HEALTHY NEWS
Fear is associated with the Sacral chakra—the highlighted chakra this month. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety in situations where the sufferer perceives the environment to be difficult or embarrassing to escape.
Studies Show Yoga Helps to Manage Agoraphobia
• A 1992 study done at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found mindfulness meditation to be an effective means of reducing and controlling anxiety symptoms in patients with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder accompanied by agoraphobia. More recent research has confirmed the benefits of other kinds of meditation, as well.
• Not only does shallow breathing increase anxiety, but panic attacks affect the body’s autonomic nervous system, increasing heart beat, trembling and sweating and making breathing difficult. Pranayama, one of the main tenets of Yoga, uses breathing techniques to calm the nervous system and reverse physical and psychological symptoms.
• The goal of Yoga is union of the mind, body, and spirit. Some poses, however, are particularly helpful in coping with agoraphobia. Restorative poses, inversions and forward bends burn nervous energy and reduce anxiety. “Yoga for Stress Relief,” a DVD by Yoga instructor Barbara Benagh, includes a 30-minute lecture by the Dalai Lama on stress reduction and a collection of 20 different routines that target individual concerns.
Source: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/2012/06/24/yoga-meditation-agoraphobia/
