Experiencing Post-Election Panics? How To Find Your Calm & The Benefits of Yogic Binds

More than just a lifestyle — these yogi techniques are sure to have your body thanking you.

It started out as a pleasant and sunny week but after Tuesday night things took a toll on us. Even the weather in NYC is feeling the pressure. What started off as sunny and bright quickly changed to dark, rainy, and gloomy.

While I try to gather my strength and be the good I wish to see in the world — I’m also tuning back into the power of yoga and it’s calming ways.

→ Well + Good suggests to use a mantra to help find your calm when you’re on the verge of panic. This one is great if you’re feeling the post-election panics:

When your thoughts are frantic and freaking out, a grounding mantra brings the mind a bit more peace. “In the moments when I feel myself getting tangled up in the stress of the day, I’m drawn back to the mantra: slowly, wisely,” shares Love Yoga instructor Chelsea Levy. Find a phrase that resonates with you and return to it when you feel yourself entering a spiral. The repetition of the mantra—either out loud or in writing—shifts your mind from what’s causing it to panic to something more positive and caring. The words serve as a reminder that you will get through whatever is making you anxious and uncomfortable.

So here’s a little 411 on yogi binding and its benefits from my friends over at Health Perch: What takes a normal yoga pose and makes it a bind?

Yogic binds — which can be a bit difficult to get into — involve rotating the torso and shoulders and clasping the hands together. They require both intense focus to help stay in the pose, and flexibility to actually get into the pose.

• Binding can help take your yoga practice to the next level and deepen your pose.
• It also engages muscles and aids in digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs.

Follow the step-by-step instructions in this infographic ↓ to try and preform some classic yogic binds at home.