If there’s one common thread I am seeing among my clients right now, it’s anxiety.

Regardless of their presenting concern, anxiety is often part of the cause. This is true of certain clients with menstrual issues, GERD, insomnia, hot flashes, and even back pain.

Other factors may be contributing too, but anxiety is frequently a key causative factor – and therefore resolving it MUST be part of any lasting solution to their original problem.

Ayurveda has always acknowledged the entwinement of the mind in the body’s condition. Consequently, we have a robust set of interventions to help untangle and pacify a mind that is wreaking havoc. And whose mind ISN’T these days?

One of my favorite fast-acting interventions to calm anxiety is the Bee’s Breath, also known as Bhramari. While alone it won’t solve severe anxiety, it can be an excellent “first aid” technique. And it’s fun to do!

Watch this 3-minute video to learn the technique, and you can use it right away:

The mind is a powerful influencer. It’s like “Mama” in the saying, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” When the mind is distressed, the body is never far behind.

To help us resolve the anxiety that’s so common right now, it helps to have a wide variety of tools to try when needed – AND then to weave calm into our daily lives.  

We have to think larger than the moment when our anxiety peaks – by practicing regulating our nervous system every day, we can more easily apply first-aid techniques like the Bee’s Breath when anxiety becomes acute. Our mind can more easily drop back into self-regulation if we’ve spent some conscious time there on a regular basis! 

Ultimately, we can only apply what we practice. We can’t pick up a violin without practice and instantly play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. So what are we practicing with the instrument of our mind every day?

The above video comes from the curriculum of the Inner Wisdom Circle, my Ayurveda mentorship. Over the course of this program we learn 10 foundational Practices that regulate our mind and bodily functions (this one is from “Move your Body and Breath”) – and we have a blast practicing together.

We take the luxury of time to truly integrate them into our lives so we OWN them (or they own us!). They become our stable touchstones, the pillars of a healthy, self-regulated, joyful life. We BECOME our own medicine.

We will be welcoming a few new members this September. The deadline to apply is this Sunday, August 27. You can learn more and apply on the Inner Wisdom Circle website.

Here’s to your mental health and the deep reservoir of peace we each can cultivate.

Please note: if anxiety is interrupting your daily life or causing you significant distress, please seek help. I encourage you to get professional support from a counselor, qualified Ayurveda practitioner, or your physician. You may need stronger interventions for your unique situation.