About 9 years ago I entered the Yoga universe. Initially I looked for practices to treat back pain, and soon I noticed a brutal improvement. The pains, which used to be daily, gradually disappeared.
The more I practiced, the more I wanted to practice.
Gradually I realized that the effects of the practices went far beyond the physical effect… I started to feel calmer, more concentrated and balanced.
Slowly I started to (re)know Gabriela. The process was often (and is) difficult, as I found myself an extremely anxious person.
This realization came little by little, slowly… and every day I discovered something new, that stirred me inside, messing with my feelings and then reorganizing them. There came a certain moment when I thought: now yes, I know myself! Read mistake. Currently I dedicate myself more and more to yoga and I feel the transforming effect every time I stand on my mat, whether in personal practice or leading other people's practice.
With all this yoga movement in my life, I've met several people who are going through the same process, of daily seeking to find themselves. And these people, who I usually communicate with virtually, have created, together with me, a very cool network of communication, where they help each other, and report their experiences.
Today, I'm going to talk about the great discovery I had in 2019: anxiety attacks.
Although today I consider myself “calm”, I can say that I was always anxious, and until I did the exercise of looking deeply and exclusively for myself, I thought I had never had a more severe crisis, the kind that make the body sweat, hurt and tremble. .
The first time I really felt this, I didn't know how to act and let it happen… it was really bad, but on the other hand I was able to detect one of the factors that moves me to the point of triggering something so deep and serious. After understanding the reason for this crisis, which was directly linked to an interpersonal relationship, I started to practice ahimsa and avoid contact with that person, which helped me a lot.
You may also like
- Learn about yoga poses that fight stress
- Learn about the relationship between Yoga and Veganism
- Understand the obstacles to practicing Yoga
But the crises did not stop there. I experienced others, for other reasons, very personal, very deep, which showed me how much I still cultivate fear and insecurity within me.
But my reaction to the moments of great anxiety changed: in the next crisis, I sat on the floor, put my hands on my abdomen and breathed… I breathed slowly and deeply, over and over, until I felt my heart calm down and my body relax. Pranayama (breathing) has become one of my most powerful medicines.
These days, I spread out my rug. I was feeling really good, happy. Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, I started having bad thoughts related to death. I freaked out and at the time I thought: God, I'm not going to practice yoga, I'm going to lock myself in a dark room and cry. Luckily, I heard a powerful voice inside me: “Gabriela, these thoughts are not yours, they don't make any sense. Everything is in order, as it should be… practice, practice, practice”. The first few minutes of yoga that day were with panting, heart pounding, and sweaty palms. But a short time later, the focus on practice came and I just forgot about that fear I was feeling minutes before. It went really well. It was so good that at the end of this practice I cried, but I cried with joy for having won something that frightens me, that frightens me.
What do I conclude from all this? For me, the practice of yoga goes far beyond physical postures, it's about silencing, observing and perceiving yourself without judgment. I'm so grateful that I go through very few difficult times like these and that I didn't even need to take any medication.
If you are going through this, try talking to others, you are not alone. Think carefully about the practice of yoga, it has a much greater transformative potential than you can imagine.
I changed, and I change every day. I have Yoga as my ally, my health plan, my moment of light and connection with my essence.
