Many people happen to feel angry, irritated, or frustrated throughout the day. Exercising is a great way to relieve these negative feelings. If you find that you often feel anger because of some stressful everyday situations, yoga can help you manage it. The exercises proposed in this article will help you both calm down the moment you feel anger and keep it under control for the long term.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Practice Yoga to Manage Anger
Step 1. Do yoga regularly
Incorporating yoga into your daily routine is very helpful in learning how to manage anger over the long term. If you have a particularly aggressive or short-tempered temperament, practicing yoga consistently will help you to expand the immediate benefits that come from just practicing the positions once or twice a week. To learn how to practice the simpler positions it is not necessary to take a yoga course, but if you want to deepen your knowledge of the subject to perform the more complex asanas, it is better to contact a teacher.
- Try to practice, alone or with a class, at least three days a week.
- Ideally, each session should last around 60-90 minutes. However, if you don't have enough time, even 10-20 minutes at a time will help relieve stress.
Step 2. Sign up for a class if you've never done yoga before
If you are a beginner, practicing this discipline with other people can help you understand what kind of routine you can go through. In addition, you may be able to manage anger better knowing that you can count on the support of the rest of the group. Be that as it may, be careful because, if you are very competitive, practicing in the presence of other people could put your efforts at risk.
Step 3. Watch online videos to learn
For both beginners and advanced practitioners, watching online videos can serve to improve, as several complete sequences of different lengths are presented, generally ranging from 5 minutes to over an hour. On the web you can find numerous teachers willing to share their experience, even for free. Visit for example the "The monkey yoga" channel run by Sara or, if the idea of taking a class in English doesn't scare you, try Adriene's calm and carefree style by visiting her YouTube channel "Yoga with Adriene", or the most energetic of Brian Jones, of the YouTube channel "Muscle and Mat".
Adriene has also created specific videos to help those who feel the need to manage their anger
Step 4. Learn to focus on your breath
Focusing on the breath is a very important part of yoga practice. To get the most benefit from doing the postures, it is essential to focus on your breathing. The deeper it is, the better. Take your time and keep practicing until you feel calmer.
Step 5. Keep a journal related to your yoga or spiritual practice
This will make it easier for you to realize how exercises affect anger over time. Also, you can use it to document the feelings that come from the practice, whether positive or negative. Writing can also help reduce the intensity of anger.
Part 2 of 3: Managing Anger by Performing Specific Positions
Step 1. Practice the corpse pose ("Savasana" in Sanskrit)
Lie on the ground on your stomach, keeping your arms at your sides and palms facing up. Now try to relax each muscle group in the body, one after the other. As you relax, focus your attention on your breath. Take long, deep breaths, alternately expanding and contracting the abdomen. This pose should be done with your eyes closed or relaxed.
Step 2. Release anger with the yoga technique of refreshing breathing ("Shitali pranayama" in Sanskrit)
This method refreshes the body and is excellent for relieving anger. What you need to do is stick your tongue out beyond your lips and then fold it as if to form a "U" or tube, through which you can inhale. If you can't roll your tongue as described, you can simply inhale through your teeth while keeping your lips parted. After inhaling, close your mouth and blow the air out of your nose. This practice is considered useful for reducing anger and improving concentration.
Step 3. Do the fish lord half twist ("Ardha matsyendrasana" in Sanskrit)
This position was devised by ancient Buddhist monks to "squeeze" the body with the aim of releasing anger. It allows you to massage the internal organs and stretch the joints of the spinal column. To perform the pose, sit on the ground with your legs facing forward, then bend both knees: the right knee facing up, in front of the chest, with the foot next to the outer side of the opposite thigh, the left one on the ground with the heel facing the pelvis. At this point, perform a torso rotation to the right and gently push your left arm against the outside of the right leg to deepen the position. Don't make too much effort. If you feel pain, loosen the twist.
Step 4. Perform the upward bow pose ("Urdhva dhanurasana" in Sanskrit)
It has been shown that it can help people with an aggressive or short tempered temper to develop greater self-confidence. It also helps reduce anger. While there are many yoga poses that involve a backward bend, the upward arch is the most common, so it has become the first one that people think of when they want to perform this type of bend. This is a very difficult exercise that should be done under the supervision of an experienced teacher to make sure you know what to do.
- Be cautious about doing this pose, as it can put intense pressure on your neck, which can be dangerous.
- If it's too difficult, do an alternate stance. For example, that of the plow ("Halasana" in Sanskrit) can bring the same benefits and is practicable even without the presence of a teacher and with the help of two leg supports, in case of need.
Step 5. Do the candle pose ("Salamba sarvangasana" in Sanskrit)
This asana can serve to stabilize the nervous system, helping people who have an aggressive temperament or who struggle to contain anger and reduce their temper. It also increases muscle strength and flexibility, while also improving the health of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
Part 3 of 3: Breathe Deeply to Release Anger
Step 1. Take deep breaths
Breathing has always been a fundamental aspect of yoga.
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Focusing on the breath before, during and after the practice is very helpful in managing anger. Breathing deeply allows you to ward off other negative emotions as well, as it calms the body naturally. Remember that the diaphragm is the key muscle for proper breathing. You should be able to feel and see the abdomen expanding and contracting with each breath.
Meditate Without a Master Step 16 - Breathe out slowly. The duration of exhalation should be four times that of inhalation.
Step 2. Relax your body
Take the time to relax all the muscles, one after the other, from the head to the toes. This exercise is to release tension that is likely to be present in many parts of the body (often without your knowledge). Don't be in a hurry, take your time.
If you feel that you are having a hard time relaxing, you can listen to a guided meditation. It will help you to gradually release all muscle tension
Step 3. Feel the anger
What you need to do is not think about anger, but simply observe the emotion you are feeling. Try to perceive every detail, notice where in your body you feel it and what is its degree of intensity. Don't judge your feelings. If a thought comes into your mind, identify it, then bring your attention back to the emotions you are feeling.
Step 4. Allow yourself to feel anger
Stay focused on your feelings as long as you feel the need. After a while, thanks to the fact that you are consciously observing it, the anger will begin to dissolve. When it starts to fade, don't resist. On the contrary, try to let it go.
Try to focus on the breath rather than the cause of anger
Advice
- Breathe! Breathing is really the most important part of yoga practice.
- Doing yoga regularly, possibly even every day, is really helpful in relieving and managing anger.
- If you are short on time, even a short session (5-10 minutes) can be very beneficial.
Warnings
- For the most difficult positions, it is best to rely on an experienced teacher and perform them under his supervision.
- Practicing yoga alone can help you manage anger, but in some cases it is best combined with other treatments or psychological therapy.
