Getting Grounded: Combating Anxiety with Yoga and Nutrition

Yoga and Grounding

I started seeing a therapist where I had my first introduction into grounding. In our first session together I wanted to talk about everything and get everything solved ASAP. With a very wise smile she informed me first that I needed to get grounded. What did she mean? I was sitting on the sofa. Did she want me to sit on the floor? No. How it works is when you are anxious, you are tapped into your sympathetic nervous system, or your 'fight or flight' mechanism. If there is eminent danger this is a good thing but in the case of anxiety, there is no danger. So this constant state of being over alert leads to a cascade of problems such as lack of sleep, improper eating habits, and shallow restricted breathing. It pervades to other areas such as a want to control things. Almost all eating disorders are unchecked anxiety. It's a way to control something when you feel out of control. So how do you turn off the 'monkey mind' and get your life back? Grounding. Get out of your head and into your body. At the end of the session she suggested I try yoga. I went to my first class the next day. I felt awkward since I was highly inflexible and had a hard time 'letting go' and breathing fully. Despite those feelings I left with a sense of calmness and clarity I hadn't experienced for years. I continued to go and as my practice got stronger, my mind began to quite down. Anxiety can dig deep grooves (what yogis calls samskaras) but regular practice and a positive attitude can also dig deep grooves. I began to learn how to use my breath and certain postures to calm my anxiety. Control of the breath was the first step. Anxious people tend to breathe high into their chest leaving their intercostals and diaphragm tight and unused. Here is an exercise to help control your breath.

The breath is one of the automatic functions of the body we can control. Getting control of the breath can control our heart rate, which in turns calms the body and stops the stress response. One thing you can try is mindful breathing such as breathing with a weighted object such as a sandbag, or a bag or rice, on your stomach. Lay in a comfortable supine position, such as Sivasana. Slowly become aware of the points of your body that meet the floor. Feel heavy and allow yourself to fully relax. Begin to soften your abdomen and breathe in fully to lift the bag. As you exhale, mindfully allow the bag to return to rest. Do this for 2-5 minutes to start and gradually increase to 10 minutes.

Nutrition for Grounding

Part of my anxiety manifested as an eating disorder, which led me to start seeing a Holistic Nutritionist. She is a very caring and loving woman who guided me out of my destructive eating patterns and processed food, into a world of nutrient dense whole foods. I can tell you within the first week of working with her, I noticed a tremendous turn around. What I didn't know was how certain foods, mainly the ones I was eating, were triggers for anxiety. I learned how everything you put in your body effects you. So here are some nutritional tips to help you get grounded.

Get your Tryptophan – Tryptophan is an amino acid that is converted in the body to 5HTP. 5HTP is then converted into Serotonin, your 'happy' neurotransmitter. Having more available 5HTP means more Serotonin and less anxiety. Excellent sources of Tryptophan are Spirulina, Spinach, and Sesame Seeds. All three could be added to a smoothie or salad to boost anxiety-fighting power.

Get your Omega 3's – Studies consistently show that Omega 3 Fatty acids help strengthen the connection between neurons by assisting in building receptor sites for neurotransmitters. What this means is Serotonin, your 'happy' neurotransmitter, will be able to bind more easily to it's receptor site and in turn be more effective at controlling your mood. A great source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids are Chia Seeds (See recipe at end of article). 

Avoid processed foods and refined sugars – Fast foods, white bread, pop, cakes, caffeine all cause our systems to go haywire. These foods cause a sharp spike in blood sugar and a subsequent sharp fall as well. The down swing, or hypoglycemia, is a trigger for anxiety. Eat blood sugar balancing foods as much as possible such as leafy greens, almonds, and quinoa.