From Panic To Peace

How I found solace and strength in my yoga practice

Oct 29, 2023

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our October theme : Your Yoga Toolbox. If you’re new here, you can find earlier issues in the “Monthly Theme” tab on the Root&Rise homepage.

Next Sunday, we are introducing a new theme! Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out on any of the exciting content coming your way in November.

Putting my toolbox to work

It’s late in the evening. I’m sitting on my couch, trying to read a book before bed, but I feel agitated. Heat rises to the surface of my skin, my breath is shallow and my chest is tight. I cannot still the stream of anxious thoughts racing through my mind.

Surrendering to the moment, I get up, wash my face and put on my comfiest jammies.

I turn out all the lights and light a candle.

Soon, I’m settled onto my yoga mat with my favorite, bedtime yoga class playing on my phone.

The teacher’s soothing voice guides me into gentle poses that feel like a balm on my soul. It’s not long before the panic subsides and I feel fat tears of gratitude rolling down my face.

Once again, I’ve found peace in my practice.

Breaking the Cycle

Without my yoga toolbox, the scenario I just described would have resulted in a sleepless night - the culmination of a familiar cycle of chronic anxiety and episodes of panic that kept me stressed, sick and unable to rest.

I was lost in that cycle for years.

Like many practitioners, I didn’t commit to a life of yoga because I was thriving. I did it because I was broken and desperate for change.

“Oh, you can't help that,” said the Cat: “we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.” “How do you know I'm mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, or you wouldn't have come here.”

Alice in Wonderland

Cultivating Resilience

Yoga didn’t eliminate my problems, it taught me how to cope with them. It gave me the tools I need when life gets hard.

My struggles have become my biggest source of strength, and my practice is the sweetest silver lining.

When I wake up early from a restless night, I treat myself to an extra long, Yoga Nidra session. In the evening, if I have trouble winding down, I luxuriate in gentle stretches, that feel like a warm hug, before climbing into bed.

I know that I have a tool for any hardship I encounter, many of them so enjoyable I almost welcome the struggle. Almost.

“A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down”

Mary Poppins

Putting It Into Practice

Today, I’m offering you tools from my personal repertoire. Tried and true, they are classes I use in times of stress. In fact, they are the exact tools I used in the scenario described at the beginning of this issue.

Bedtime Yoga Sequence | Yoga With Adrienne

37 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly

Adrienne's soothing, bedtime class is perfect for those evenings when you need a little extra TLC before heading off the dreamland.

Quiet Mind Steady Heart | MetaAnatomy

13 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly

Kristen Leal’s guided meditation for times of elevated stress has become an essential part of my practice. I seek it out when traveling, during tumultuous life events and on days when I just feel off.

Final Thoughts

Have a lovely week practicing yoga and, hopefully, enjoying some Halloween festivities! I can’t wait to see all the little ghosts and goblins running around town.

Do you have any Halloween traditions you’re looking forward to? My son is older. So, I doubt we’ll go trick-or-treating, but I will make a batch of my famous caramel corn to munch on with a scary movie….or two.

Here’s the recipe: "My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn" Allrecipes

Do you like scary movies Sydney?? Let me know in the comments…