13 Prompts to Use Your Yoga Practice as a Tool for Worry and Anxiety
- Julia Lopez
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
You've found your favorite corner. You'e unrolled your mat. You take child's pose and feel the weight of your skull press your forehead down. Slowly, you being to breath in and out through your nose.
Then, BAM!
Chitter, chatter, worry, worry, worry.
"Did I turn off the coffee pot?"
"Was my tone weird on that message I sent my kid's teacher?"
"How will I manage if I don't land that client?"
"Are my shorts on inside out?"
Ok, maybe those are my worries on the mat. Yours might sound similar.
Even with years of practice the journey of meditating or moving meditation is rarely quiet. In fact, shifting from mindfulness - where we are aware of our sensations, feelings, and thoughts - into truly meditating in oneness where we fuse (or flow) within the object of our meditation, is not an everyday occurrence.
In seasons when you're busy, life stressors are coming at you fast, and relief is scant, it would be understandable if you wanted to just throw in the towel when it came to your Yoga and meditation practices. Especially if you can never get the mind to shut the F up.
However, when the noise gets noisier, it exactly when your practice is even more valuable and beneficial.
For many people just starting with a Yoga practice is enough - the moves are new and paying attention is required in order to not fall over. But, once the practice is familiar it becomes easier for the mind to wander off, and the work of staying engaged with the here and now requires a little more effort.
The good news is that you don't have to make your mind get quiet. Rather, you need to occupy it with something else. Sometimes we call this intention. I'd like to offer it simply as inquiry. In other words, give the monkey mind a job to do.
13 prompts to try next time you get on the mat:
Focus only on your big toes during practice and make note of how it feels.
If my exhale was magic, what spell would I be casting with every breath?
Where do I feel every inhale?
Take note every finger pad in down dog, table top, and plank.
Assign a color to your mood. What is it? What do you want it to be?
Describe how your practice feels as if you were sharing this info with a 5 year old.
Focus only on your jaw throughout practice, and loosen it any time it tenses up.
Count how long it takes to exhale and try to match that number through practice.
Give your worry a name - like Tracy or Cliff - and when it starts to speak up during your practice "I hear you Cliff. Let's put a pin in this, and talk after class."
Every time you inhale visualize pulling your breath all the way up to the top of your head.
Wiggle your toes every time you get to Mountain Pose.
Go 10% slower in every pose for the entire practice.
Notice a small object in the room and imagine blowing it a kiss every time you see it.
Goofy? Maybe. But so it worry.
Keep flowing my lovelies.
