We are all, without exception, emotional beings. We may learn to control how and when we express what we feel, but it remains that all of us experience the world through our emotions. We may tend to call an adult who doesn't take the effort to control his positive and negative emotions ‘immature’, but we secretly envy the freedom of expression that children constantly enjoy. Our bodies and minds are intertwined to the extent that what one experiences is reflected onto the other.
Strong, unexpressed and unacknowledged emotions, such as anger, sorrow, frustration, insecurity and pain, cause a build-up of toxins in the body that usually germinate into diseases. There are instances when emotional stress that has not been addressed over a period of time manifests into a panic attack where one feels breathless and dizzy, the heart grows heavy and the chest gets congested and tight. The body seeks to release the extreme pressure of blocked emotions and when it does, it leaves the person feeling drained.
The following is a two-step yogic process that is to be done to alleviate the panic attack and also to energise the body and mind in the process.
Step 1: Hridaya Mudra (The Heart Gesture)
The tips of the middle and ring fingers connect to the nerves that support the heart. This mudra soothes the nerves and encourages the flow of blood to the chest cavity, refreshing the muscles and encouraging deeper breathing.
Touch the tip of your index finger to the base of the thumb.
Join the tips of the middle and ring fingers to the tip of the thumb.
Extend the little finger.
Recreate the mudra in the other hand also.
Focus your attention on your chest.
Close your eyes.
Step 2: Strong Controlled Exhalation
This breathing technique releases tension from your muscles and your mind and lets more oxygen enter your body.
Hold the above mudra in both your hands, inhale and expand your abdomen.
Pretend there is a giant candle in front of you and exhale forcefully through your mouth like you are trying to put out the flame. Draw your belly in as your breath is forced out.
Do this 30 to 40 times or till you feel yourself calm down.
