Did you know only 36.9% of people diagnosed with anxiety ask for help!  Unfortunately, I see so many people taking fiction as facts that they talk themselves out of taking steps to conquer their anxiety before they even start!  Can you relate? I can.  It took me years to seek help because of the beliefs I had about my anxiety. Which - come to find out - were all myths!  Don’t believe me?  Check out below how I uncover the truth behind three of the biggest anxiety myths, so you can see past your beliefs and take action toward overcoming your anxiety in order to live the life you want.  

Have you ever read a book that just stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page?  I definitely have.  Some of the most memorable books I have read are the ones that taught me how to better manage my anxiety.  I definitely have a lot of favorites… but the one that had the biggest impact is, “When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” by Pema Chödrön. 

Pema is an American Buddhist Teacher, author and nun who is best known for her down-to-earth interpretation of Buddhist meditations and how they can be applied to everyday life.  In this book, she offers life-changing tools that help us transform suffering and negative patterns into ease and joy.  Here is my interpretation of how this incredible book relates to anxiety in order to help you better navigate your own anxiety with clarity and confidence.

Have you ever read a book that just sticks with you long after you finished reading it? Sometimes it’s a short story or a character novel that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. And sometimes the books you read can truly transform your perspective and your life. Whether you are new to yoga or have been practicing for years, maybe you already have a yoga book or two that has transformed your experience. These types of books can influence how you think about your practice each time you get on your mat and maybe even give you a new way to think about life off the mat as well.

For the teachers at Serenity, we probably each have at least two or three (or more!) specific yoga books that have dramatically shaped our practice and our teachings. And today, in honor of World Book Day, we want to share our favorites with you!

You already know yoga is good for you. You may have even tried it a few times and felt the benefits! Maybe you got excited and told yourself this is going to be your new healthy routine! You may have even said, “I’ll definitely practice tomorrow!” And then...life happens. You have so many things on your to-do list that you never seem to get on your mat.

You are not alone - every single person that practices yoga has gone through this exact thing. In this blog Michele shares her tried and tested steps to start a consistent yoga practice with confidence and excitement so you can better experience the benefits of yoga in order to live a more balanced and happy life.

There are days that my anxiety is so high that I can’t get a hold of it. I feel hopeless, lost and overwhelmed. Can you relate? When I first started practicing yoga and mindfulness to help manage my anxiety, I thought I could actually make it “go away” by staying “present” all the time. Maybe you share the same hope that one day your anxiety will vanish into thin air! Here’s a closer look at why anxiety doesn’t just disappear and how you can better manage high anxiety days with confidence and compassion until you are able to return back to a clear mind and a balanced heart.

Steve Sampson guest blogs on Serenity’s Website in order to take a deeper look at what you will generally experience in a yin or restorative yoga class. While both forms of practice are similar in that they are relatively slow and passive practices, there are some differences in the intent behind that stillness.

Gaining control over your anxiety is possible. However, only 36.9% of people diagnosed with anxiety ask for help. I see so many people taking fiction as facts that they talk themselves out of taking steps to conquer their anxiety before they even start! Can you relate? What if I told you THAT YOU CAN manage your anxiety on your own, but that you have to LEARN HOW TO first? Here’s how to find peace and freedom from your anxious mind by learning effective ways to manage your anxiety and how you can do it on your own.

Spring is a time for new beginnings, growth, love and hope. Can you feel a sense of joy and inspiration in the air as the earth wakes up from the cold and darkness of winter? It can be invigorating! Unless it’s not. Spring can also mean allergies, water retention, bloat and generally feeling lethargic most of the time. Here’s how to better manage your health during the drudges of spring with clarity and ease by applying Ayurvedic principles to your daily life.

If you look around your cluttered space and start to question where things are, feel overwhelmed and panicked about the mess, or start obsessing about what visitors will think, you are negatively impacting your already anxious mind. But don’t worry! I got you. As a self-diagnosed “clean freak”, I share why it’s important to have an organized space, especially when you already struggle with anxiety, and a few clear actions you can take to begin decluttering today! You’ll clear your mind, reduce your anxiety and increase your productivity in no time!

What if I told you that your body has a physical response to anxiety and that it’s not all in your head? Are you ready to learn how the body and mind play a role with your anxiety so you can quiet that inner critic of yours? This simplified explanation will provide the clarity you need in order to find relief from your inner critic, reduce your anxiety and feel a deeper sense of self-love.

I know you’re constantly being asked to do more with less and be everything to everyone.  The amount of tasks, responsibilities and roles you manage on a daily basis is impressive.  My guess is that you feel overwhelmed most of the time and I can completely relate.  Being busy and anxious is exhausting.  The worst part for me was that I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it.  Until I learned that I could.  Here’s how to live in the present moment, stop your overthinking mind and prevent fatigue.  You’ll tackle that to-do list in no time with ease and clarity.  

This inner voice is your negativity bias - it is holding you back from living your best life and it is ruthless.  It probably sounds something like, “I’m not good enough, pretty enough, successful enough, smart enough, or talented enough.”  (And the list goes on, and on.)  Can you imagine the possibilities for your life without this nagging voice? Learn how to free yourself from paralyzing negative self-talk in order to feel a deeper sense of self-love and achieve goals you never thought possible. 

Inside that brain of yours is a constant dialogue that just keeps jumping from one idea, thought or emotion to another. It’s exhausting. I get it. But what if I told you that your anxious mind does not define you and that you can learn how to separate from your anxious thoughts in order to feel grounded and balanced?

What if I told you that taking a break won’t make you less productive and put you behind in your work? It’s quite the opposite, actually … regular breaks help you be more efficient and productive so you can get more things done quicker!

The things that we believe actually can turn into our character and become our destiny.

Let’s talk about impermanence.

The practice of mindfulness is not keeping your mind quiet and learning how to be Zen at all times. The practice is recognizing when you are caught in a thought and gently, with kindness, drawing your awareness back to the present moment.  

It seems everyone is talking about being mindful, eating mindfully and generally staying present to combat stress. Living in the present moment will help quiet the mind, calm the body and reduce anxiety, and it’s easy to get started.

Fear is the physical response to an external threat. It’s an instinctual reaction to preserve your life from immediate danger.  Anxiety, however, is not a response to immediate danger. It’s brought on by the memories of fear or the anticipation of fear.