Hello, and thank you for taking a moment to visit the wellness blog! I'm Kristina, the co-owner of Soo Yoga Wellbeing Center and the founder of Wellness Academy.
I'm passionate about assisting people in finding their path to wellness because, like you, I have experienced ups and downs, worries, and anxiety regarding various aspects of life. With a background as a professional dancer and senior yoga teacher, I've come to realize how simple techniques can enhance my physical, mental, and emotional health. My goal is to share insightful blog posts that will also benefit you on your wellness journey.
Kristina
Spending years in the competitive environment of ballroom dancing and the TV world meant that there was always a lot of pressure on my shoulders - to win, to excel in choreography, to look and act a certain way… Needless to say, my stress levels were through the roof during my time on Strictly Come Dancing.
After becoming a yoga teacher and having my daughter, I decided to change my attitude towards issues I couldn’t control, using the knowledge I gained through yoga physiology.
Making meditation and breath work a daily ritual made me realise that this technique should have been applied a long time ago! Here’s what works not just for me but for most of my clients:
1. Determine if the problem is solvable - If you are worrying about something practical rather than an imaginary ‘what if,’ take practical steps to address the issue. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps and decisions. Writing it all down sometimes helps you see that the big problem isn’t as massive as it seems. It’s often just a couple of small things that have piled up and made you feel overwhelmed.
2. Handling hypothetical worries - If your worry is about something hypothetical, follow these steps to address your anxious behaviour: Recognise that thoughts are not facts. Take the frightening thought, write down the details of what worries you, and examine the evidence for and against it. Ask yourself if it’s really true or likely to happen. How could you think about it differently? What advice would you give to a friend or family member in this situation? The best mantra I’ve ever heard, which I still use when feeling anxious, is - “Fear and Faith are both imaginary. They only exist in our minds. Choose Faith every time.”
3. Postpone your anxiety - Instead of telling yourself to stop worrying, accept that you will be anxious, but decide to deal with it later or tomorrow. If worries arise before then, write them down, put them away, and save them for your designated “worry time.” This approach helps break the habit of immediately giving in to anxiety and allows you to realise that you have some control over your worrying.
4. Get a serotonin boost - exercise! Stress and anxiety keep your body in a state of high alert – exercise helps combat this by burning off adrenaline, relaxing muscles, and triggering the release of endorphins.
5. Learn meditation and breathing techniques - Focusing on your breath helps distract you from anxious thoughts and activates your calming parasympathetic nervous system.
Sit somewhere quiet, add meditation music (nature sounds work best), find a comfortable lotus position to feel grounded. Close your eyes, put your hands on your knees, relax your shoulders, and breathe in slowly through the nostrils for a count of 6, feeling your chest rise and lungs expand. Then breathe out as slowly as possible, also for 6 counts. Concentrate on breathing slowly in and out, counting, and focusing on a phrase that helps you relax. Repeat for 6 rounds of 6 counts inhale and 6 counts exhale. This wonderful and very effective method always helps; you just need to give it a try. Remember - we all go through times of stress, and it’s okay to worry, so don’t turn away from this - validate your feelings, tell yourself it’s going to be okay. Be kind to yourself and say supportive words, just as you would to a friend.
And remember - keep the faith that it will all work out the way it’s meant to be.
If you want more tips or advice please join my private Facebook group ⬇️
Never took a yoga class and don’t know where to start? Here is your free 20min video on beginner yoga poses and breath work exercises ⬇️
Kristina x
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