Over the past few months I have been noticing a significant amount of people complaining of anxiety. People are worrying excessively, feeling edgy, and having a difficult time sleeping.
Winter tends to be a stressful time of year for a variety of reasons. During the winter months, when every other species slows down (or even hibernates), we human beings tend to over-do it. Holiday celebrations, family gatherings, and travel - coupled with rich indulgent foods - leads to physiologic (and even financial) stress.
In Ayurvedic medicine, winter - especially cold windy days - stir up “Vata”, one of the 3 doshas (or constitutional types) whose element is air/ether based. Cold dry air can leave us feeling ungrounded, edgy and nervous. Even those not normally prone to anxiety may begin to feel emotionally unsettled and experience racing thoughts.
Anxiety has both emotional and physiological causes. The feeling of anxiety always begins with a trigger that initiates a survival response. Our bodies are internally wired to register fear and respond with the survival mechanism of “flight or flight”. The limbic system, which is involved in storing memories and creating emotions, is involved in processing anxiety-related information. It relies on the interplay between neurotransmitters and hormones to affect the body and mind in responding to stressful stimuli.
It is not normal to feel flight or flight symptoms of shallow breathing and a rapid heart rate without a stressful event. In chronic anxiety, this mechanism never gets turned off. Anxiety symptoms result from less serious events. The limbic system has become sensitized to over-react, and as a result many of us never get to relax. About 19 million Americans are affected by anxiety ranging in symptoms from moderate to severe.
Relieving chronic anxiety involves restoring physiologic balance through dietary and lifestyle modifications, quality nutritional supplements, emotional support, exercise, and therapeutic bodywork. Below are some therapeutic suggestions for restoring balance and relieving anxiety. Suggestions for Reducing Anxiety and Promoting Tranquility
- Identify the causes of stress in your life, and take steps to remove and reduce them or remove yourself (the stressed person) from the situation that causes the stress.
- Increase self-awareness of personal moods and feelings - anticipate and take steps to avoid stress build-up before it becomes more serious.
- Strictly limit consumption of sugar, caffeine, and refined carbs which create great fluctuations in blood sugar leading to mood swings and inconsistent energy levels. Instead, have protein snacks throughout the day to stabilize blood sugar.
- Exercise to reduce stress levels and boost immune function.
- Meditate while focusing on the breath. Focusing the mind on the continuous rhythm of inhalation and exhalation provides a natural object of meditation. As you focus your awareness on the breath, your mind becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. As a result, your breathing will become slower and deeper, and the mind becomes more tranquil and aware.
- Practice yoga postures that reduce stress include: forward folds, spinal twists, plow pose, and a long savasana Consider restorative or “yin yoga” a practice consisting of longer well-supported postures. Boundless yoga has a class Thurs night at 8 pm
- Receive Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle hands on deeply relaxing form of body work that relieves stored tension and calms the nervous system. For more information about this treatment modality, read the paragraph below.
- Additionally, a variety of natural supplements ranging from vitamins and minerals to herbs and homeopathy can help to palliate the symptoms of anxiety. The following are some basic supplements and suggestions that are safe to try at home:
- B complex B vitamins are required for energy production, the manufacturing of neurotransmitters and the production adrenal hormones necessary for stress coping.
- Magnesium - a natural smooth muscle relaxer and necessary for over 300 chemical reactions, it is greatly depleted by stress.
- Chammomile - Herb which is acts a muscle relaxant, has anti-anxiety properties and is mildly sedating.
- Lavender oil - Has sedative qualities that slow down the central nervous system and calm motor activity.
- Rescue Remedy - A combination of Bach flower essences that help to restore stability during stressful situations. Can be carried with you and taken as needed to cope with stress.
Almond Milk
In ayurveda, almonds have a pacifying effect.
- Soak 10 raw (not toasted) almonds overnight in water.
- Peel off the skins, and put the almonds in the blender.
- Add 1 cup warm rice milk, while blending add a pinch of ginger and a small pinch of nutmeg and saffron.
Calming Bath
A warm bath of ginger and baking soda is helpful in pacifying anxiety.
- Add 1/3 cup ginger and 1/3 cup baking soda to a tubful of water.
- Soak in it for 10 to 15 minutes.
What is Craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral is a gentle bodywork technique that enhances the movement of cerebrospinal fluid and releases restrictions within the fascia layer, the thin connective tissue layer overlying the musculoskeletal system. Tension can develop within the fascia layer, restricting circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid from the brain down and around the spinal cord.
The ebbing and flowing of cerebrospinal from the brain down and around the spinal cord creates the craniosacral rhythm. This rhythm creates a subtle motion at the head and the sacrum and extends throughout our bodies’ tissues. The craniosacral practitioner is skilled at feeling this subtle motion and areas of restriction in the the skull, spine, sacrum, joints and muscles. These areas of restriction lead to pain and other symptoms of poor health because they decrease the circulation of blood, vital fluids, and nerve transmission. The craniosacral practitioner uses gentle pressure to open bands of fascia. This facilitates release of tension and allows for freer circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Craniosacral therapy works at the interface of energyflow and physical structures. It works directly with your body’s tissues, but can have a positive impact on the energy systems that connect the body, mind and emotions. The healing and gentle balancing properties of craniosacral therapy can offer relaxation, stress reduction, increased energy, improved immunity, and a heightened sense of physical and emotional well-being.
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