We bought a rental property! {Ayurveda for Anxiety}
Last weekend the hubby and I did something we never thought we'd be capable of:
... we bought a second property.
I should say we're currently in the process of purchasing a stunning condo right near the beach to use as a vacation rental, as well as space for our family to enjoy.
... and it has me freaking terrified.
Heavily coating the excitement of this venture, is a thickkkkkk layer of F.E.A.R.
- what if we can't rent it?
- what if we get a bad review and then no one wants to stay there?
- what if we decorate it the wrong way and no one likes it?
- what if the market drops or there's a recession and we can't cover the mortgage?
- what if there's a tsunami and the building gets swept away? (... which is extra ridiculous because it's a lake, not an ocean nearby)
I haven't had this much anxiety since I was post partum with babe #1.
But here's something I know;
just like with mothering babe #1,
my fear doesn't mean I shouldn't or can't do this.
I'm having conversations I've never had,
Making plans I've never planned,
plotting the path to a destination I've never reached before.
Of course it's going to give me anxiety!
I know that a lot of my fear is purely based on the new-ness of it all, so now all I need is a practice to help my body release the stress, before it breaks down.
(which for me looks like a lot of crying, insomnia, digestive upset, and respiratory illness)
THANKFULLY Ayurveda and yoga offer oodles of really easy practices to help me slow my heart rate, step my nervous system out of fight or flight (or cancel the contract), and get some mental clarity each time my mortgage broker emails with a new financing breakdown that looks less feasible than the last.
If you ever have anxiety, give these two practices a try:
1. PRANAYAMA. (aka breathing)
1 minute to lowered anxiety:
30 seconds of Bhastrika (bellows breath). Breathe deeply in and out through your nose. Our upper lungs have stress receptors that are activated when the breath is shallow. Using the lower lungs activates calming receptors to soothe the nervous system.
followed by...
30 seconds of Ujjayi Breath (darth vader breath). The classic yoga breath, where you inhale and exhale through the nose, with a slight constriction in the throat that creates an ocean wave (or Darth Vader) type sound to the breath.
If you can sit quietly for a moment after these, do so.
2. YOGA (or really moving your body at all).
Stress is built up energy. Ayurveda and Yoga teach us that energy wants to be moved. We can move our bodies to facilitate release of stuck emotions! This is a hugely underutilized tool in our culture.
There are many ways to move the body to release stress (dance party anyone?), but here are a few yoga specific movements to support opening of the heart and release of tension throughout the body.
Here's 5 moves in 5 minutes for calm, cool, clarity.
1. Bridge pose.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the ground, hip-distance apart. Place your arms at the side of the body, palms faced down and the fingers barely touching the heels.
Inhale, then raise your hips, rolling your spine off the ground. Make sure to keep your feet hip-distance apart.
Lift chest and hips higher by pressing into your arms and shoulders.
Stay in the position for 1 minute, then release on an exhale.
2. Child's pose.
Kneel on a mat with your legs together, sitting on your heels.
Lean forward until your chest rests on your thighs. Rest your forehead on the floor.
Rest your arms at the sides, palms up and hands beside your feet.
Stay in the position for 1 minute.
3. Extended Puppy pose.
Get down on all fours with your hands underneath the shoulders and knees below the hips. Relax the tops of your feet on the mat.
Lower your chest toward the floor as you walk your hands out. Keep your knees under the hips and your arms shoulder-width apart. Gently let your forehead rest on the floor.
Lift your elbows and forearms off the floor, drawing your shoulder blades together and reaching your hips toward the ceiling.
Relax your neck and lengthen your spine as you breathe.
Stay in the position for 1 minute.
4. Legs up the Wall pose.
Sit beside a wall with your left side touching the wall and your feet on the floor.
Exhale, then lie down on your back, gently turning yourself to the left so that the back of your legs is in contact with the wall.
Press your bottom as close to the wall as possible. Rest your back and head on the floor.
Stay in the position for 1 minute.
5. Thread the Needle pose.
Get down on all fours with your hands underneath the shoulders and knees below the hips.
Walk your right hand forward, then slide the left hand to the right between the right hand and knee.
Twist your torso to the right and rest your head on the mat.
Stay in the position for 1 minute. Repeat on the other side.
I could go on about the benefits of each of these practices in detail, but here’s the point:
You can't escape from stress (ESPECIALLY if you want to keep growing in this life!),
but you CAN find easy means of reducing it.
To 6 minutes to a totally different version of your day,
xo Carly
p.s - what else works when you've got anxiety?
Hop into the comments and let me know.
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