How To Use Yoga To Manage Your Mood

Thanks to plenty of personal experience, I believe that if we allow negative energy and stress to fester within us, they profoundly influence our health and well-being. When I’ve allowed this energy to house itself in my body, I’ve felt it affect everything from my mood to my blood sugar and digestion.

That’s why, throughout my life, I’ve developed a few simple practices that help me work through and release stress. They also help me release fear and negativity to manage my health better, be a better parent to my kids, and show up in the world from a grounded, balanced place.

Though I’ve been working with my energy for years, this work feels especially relevant and important right now. The current state of our country—and the world—makes it very easy to feel afraid, lost, and depressed.

However, I think it’s absolutely essential that we all find ways to establish calm within ourselves. It is especially helpful to do so amidst the uncertainty so that we can come together as Americans and fellow humans, really listen to each other, speak up, and find the compassion for each other that will be necessary for us to finally achieve unity.

One of the most helpful stress-releasing practices for me is yoga. It’s a physical form of meditation that allows me to move negative energy out of my body. Whatever type of yoga I practice, focusing on my breath and feeling my body as I flow through and hold poses centers me. It helps my energy. It’s like the stress lifts right out of me. I try to do yoga at least three times a week, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

Something that goes hand-in-hand with yoga for me is stretching, so it’s another big part of how I release bad energy. Sometimes, I hang out in a downward-facing dog pose for a few minutes to stretch out my legs (my hamstrings tend to be tight from fight training). Or, if I need something relaxing, I’ll sit in a child’s pose with my kids for a while. It’s such a comforting position, but you feel a nice stretch in your hips, sides, back, and shoulders.

I also use my yoga wheel to stretch my back and legs when I need to sink deep into my body and let go. It’s such a simple tool, but it helps me to connect with myself and help my body release.

In addition to making these practices a regular part of my routine, I also turn to them when stress threatens to throw me off or consume me seriously. The other night, for example, I found myself stretching in my bedroom at 3 a.m. because the sound of helicopters outside was making me anxious. (I’m honestly a big fan of punching a pillow or kicking a heavy bag in these moments. Sometimes, you have to fight that unhelpful energy right out of your body.)

Whatever you’re working through, I hope these simple rituals will help you let go of stress and heaviness. I hope you find the balance we all need to be our best, healthiest selves and come together.