Way farer's guide. pdf

Journeys with Pan
a wayfarer’s guide
past anxiety disorder
IRMA NIGHTINGALE
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JOURNEYS WITH PAN by Irma Nightingale
2
INDEX Page
number
Introduction 4
Acceptance 6
Acting 12
Acupuncture 15
Amygdala 17
Asana – Yoga Postures 20
Buddhism 57
Buteyko Breath Re-training 60
Caffeine 68
Chakras 70
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 84
Courage 89
Diet 91
Doctor Claire Weekes 96
Dreaming 99
Enthusiasm 102
Excitement 103
Exhaustion 104
Food Intolerances 105
Grounding 109
Herbs 110
Hiatal Hernia and Other Mysterious Ailments 120
Holidays 125
Homeopathy 126
Identity 130
Inappropriate Association 133
Information 137
Khechari Mudra – the tongue- lock technique 144
Kunjal Kriya – the stomach – cleansing technique 145
Love and Self- Esteem 148
Making Peace with Death 151
Meditation 154
Minerals 168
Money 170
Moola Bandha – the root lock technique 172
Neti – the nasal cleansing technique 175
Obsessive Thoughts 178
Pan 181
Pleasure 183
Poetry, Photography and Planting Potatoes 184
Prana Mudra – Invocation of Energy 187
Pranayama – Yogic Breathing techniques 190
Prayer 200
Recreational Drugs 203
Rescue Remedy 207
Sex 208

3
Shamanism and Other things that BUMP in the night 211
Sleep Hygiene 212
Solar Plexus 216
Superstition 219
Super-tension 220
Tablets……..Just in Case 221
Taking Responsibility for Yourself 223
Tattwas – an ‘elemental’ understanding of fear 224
The Aftermath 228
The Rewind Technique 230
The Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening 233
Time and – its sidekick - Patience 235
Tippety – Tippety - Tap 236
Trancing 240
Trataka – candle gazing 242
Travel Tin of Humbugs 245
Walking 246
Water 249
Yoga 252
Yoga Nidra – Deep Relaxation Technique 259
Zen 270
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OTHER RECOMMENDED READING… 271
‘It does not matter how slow you go
as long as you do not stop…’
Confucius

4
‘As long as you are not completely enlightened there will always be an
inner obstruction to knowledge that will make your task of helping
others incomplete.’
The Dalai Lama.
Dear Reader,
This book is intended to be a springboard, to encourage and enable
you to jump up and reach out into the world and discover all the tools that you
might use right now to help you recover from Panic and Anxiety Disorder.
For some people it will constitute a starting point, from where they will
travel onwards and uncover marvellous, new, fantastic techniques not
included between these covers. For others just one of the tools described in
this book may be exactly what they require to recover completely and quickly.
Remember, immediate transformation always remains a possibility.
While I experienced Panic Disorder I longed for information. I wanted tried and
tested recovery techniques. And I also wanted to know about novel
approaches, new scientific breakthroughs, and even way-out solutions that
would describe the pathway out of the wilderness. I did not want to subscribe
hundreds of dollars to websites where I had been promised instant salvation
from fear, if only I could cough up more cash than I could afford. I did not want
to take psychiatric drugs, or at least only in extremis. I wanted to consciously
learn whatever it was that my gripping fear was trying to tell me.
And I did find books that were of assistance, and some special people,
and benign websites, and inspirations that arose from the wellspring of my
own inner dreaming. But I could not find one book that brought together a lot
of the tools, and this I found to frustrating. I did not need a book to tell me
everything, as that would be impossible, and neither does this book do that. I
did feel, however, that Panic Disorder was a multi-faceted, deeply rooted
condition that called for an integrated approach, and that it must be dealt with
on multi-disciplinary levels, incorporating succour for the body, mind, emotions
and soul.
I wondered why one book extolled the virtues of meditation, but didn’t
mention diet, or sleep hygiene, or breath control, and why another book taught
me new breathing techniques but failed to mention my dreams, or the
importance of being hydrated, or the necessity to supplement with Vitamin B,
all of which I was left to happen upon, if I was lucky, much later on.
Therefore, I decided to bring together as many of the tools as possible
in one place.
Some of the tools I used while healing I simply cannot remember, or I
made use of them unconsciously, or they were such small micro-adjustments
that they escaped my attention. I believe that most of these changes will
evolve spontaneously, as you undertake responsibility for your own Well
Being. They will come to you in your own particular way.
I am neither physician, nor psychologist. I have, however, walked the
winding road through Panic Disorder, and I would like to pass on what I have
learned in order that you too may emerge, and very soon, from the deep dark
woods of fear.

5
And you will emerge – stronger, hopefully wiser, and grateful. Though,
alas, most likely you will continue to be far from perfect!
I have a professional qualification as a yoga teacher and twenty-five
years of yoga practise and teaching behind me, though my earlier training was
in the field of law. You may wonder, as some people have cheekily done, how
it was that despite my immersion in yoga I still experienced such dreadful
anxiety, and seemed incapable of alleviating it for such a long time. I truly
don’t know the answer to that. But doctors, after all, have been known to get
sick. Priests lose their faith. Athletes become worn-out. Oscar-winning actors
sometimes sweat and throw-up at the very thought of performing.
Some of the techniques contained herein, and much of the philosophy,
derives primarily from the ancient systems of Tantra and Yoga, because that
has been my personal inclination. The truths, however, are universal, even if
some of the language used is new to your ears. And, the accepted tenets of
Yoga can be questioned if they do not bear up under your experience - Tantra
allows for this; the path you plough in your life aught to be founded upon
personal experiential science and not on mere say-so.
Keep an open mind when reading this book. You may find some of the
tools are offensive to you, or even silly, but in order to turn and face the fear
that dogs your life you will have to abandon any attachment to conditioned
limitations such as being a prude, or being judgemental.
My own experience of Panic Disorder was no pussyfooting around. It
consumed every aspect of my life for more than seven years. For the first few
years I hardly ever left my house, because I was simply incapable of doing so,
and thereafter, if I did go out, it was often to ricochet between emergency
rooms and doctor’s surgeries, gripped repeatedly by the certainty that I was in
the final throes of inexplicable death. I lived through months and years when
my daily panic attacks became numberless, so that each day became a
constant spasm of all-consuming fear. De-realisation and depersonalisation
became the norm.
I experienced profound depression because I did not recognise this
person I had become. I felt possessed by some malignant poltergeist. I could
no longer breathe, no longer meet friends, and no longer climb the shortest
stairs without clutching in fear at my heart.
Sometimes I felt true despair, and this is why in particular I wanted to
assemble these tools, so that you can have them, available here at your
fingertips. You will heal. It is simply a question of Patience and Time, and of
finding and using the tools that work specifically for you.
This book, although the personal pronoun worms its way in more often
than I would like, is about you. I will draw upon my own experiences from time
to time to illustrate certain points and transitions. After all, we cannot help but
view the world and its myriad experiences from behind our own eyes. But this
book, I insist, is all about YOU, and your healing and your possibilities, and
your living past fear. It is about you moving forward into a time and a place
when you will live contentedly and well.
And that time and place is sure to arrive,
Best wishes and much affection,
Irma Nightingale

6
ACCEPTANCE
‘Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with
others than being ill at ease with oneself.’
Honoré de Balzac, French Writer 1799-1850
It is a fact that one person’s level of acceptance is absolutely intolerable to
another. It’s a bit like pain thresholds. The circumstances you can bring
yourself to find peace with may drive another to withering despair.
Nonetheless, complete and welcoming acceptance of all your
symptoms, physical and mental, is a key tool in your journey past Panic
Disorder. You cannot move past fear until you have totally and completely
accepted all its physiological and psychological manifestations.
At some stage you will have to welcome and make friends with
yourself, warts and all. You will have to come to the place where there is
acceptance of the reality that you are, at this particular time in your life,
experiencing Anxiety Disorder. In addition, there must arrive an absolute
sense of acceptance of your own inherent nature – of the circumstances
within your individual self, be they genetic, environmental, psychic, emotional,
or whatever, which have led you to the experience of a fear-filled state.
Naturally, you will also be practising full awareness and delighted
acceptance of the many wonderful strengths of your own inner nature.
We will look at how to use the practice of acceptance to deal with
troublesome symptoms and thoughts. This tool will have to be used upon all
of the physical or psychological manifestations of Anxiety. The sequence that
works again and again to help deal with any unpleasant, adrenalin-fueled
symptom that arises in the body or mind follows this pattern –
Awareness,
Acceptance, and
with grace, Letting Go.
……..AWARENESS…..
Awareness is the practise of truly watching the many and varied cogitations of
the mind and the fluctuations within the body, from an objective, witnessing
perspective. There is a concept in Yoga of the ‘sakshi’ or witness – that part of
the consciousness that is always unperturbed by the machinations of the mind
or body - the part of you that calmly observes from without, or rather, from
deeply within. You know this sakshi well. It is the aspect of yourself that, no
matter how hysterical or disturbed you, your body or your life may become, it
remains the calm centre of the storm. It is the essential core of your
consciousness, which does not seek to sink an anchor into any of the passing
and ever-changing phenomena that drift through the body or mind.
(You can in fact use this ‘not anchoring’ visualisation as a powerful
technique for detaching from any experience if you need to. You do not need
to ‘anchor’ emotionally in any passing situation, physical symptom or thought.
Accept fully that strange symptoms and thoughts are arising because of
ongoing anxiety-fueled chemicals within the brain and blood. Nothing more.)
Refer to
OBSESSIVE
THOUGHTS

7
If you are not familiar with this inner witness, or sakshi, search for it,
and befriend it. Use Meditation techniques, and Cognitive Behavioural
techniques to acquire some sense of the various factions within your own
mind.
The Barefoot Doctor has used the image of a benign and wise leader
(AWARENESS) ensconced upon a balcony, observing and marshalling the
conflicting members of an audience down below. Just because one part of
your psyche is haranguing you (Visualise ancient toothless person, stooped
and bitter and full of vitriolic drive, screeching at you from the cheap seats that
you are worthless, or weak, or a failure), does not mean that you cannot turn
your attention to that part of your psyche (Visualise kindly, affable,
compassionate sage) that reassures you again and again, parentally,
convincingly, that you are in fact an exceptional and wonderful human being.
……….ACCEPTANCE…..
As awareness of your essential nature develops or, narrowing the goal posts
somewhat, as you become aware of the crossfire of subversive thoughts that
preceeds states of fear, you do not always need to ‘insert’ the positive
opposite. To do so would involve becoming yoked to yet another fearful state.
There are no ‘thou shalts, or shalt nots’ in the realm of mastering the
mind. In fact, the ‘mastering’ of the mind is an impossible task – you are
merely gardening at the edge of a wilderness, sufficient to your needs.
Simple Awareness followed by Compassionate and Total Acceptance is
enough to overcome every single one of your repeated unpleasant thoughts,
or symptoms. It just needs practise. Practise. Practise. Practise.
‘Yes, yes,’ you say to the recurrent fearful thought (or to the
slowly/quickly beating heart, the giddiness, the panic spasm, the derealisation,
etc. etc.) the very symptom that seeks to drive that icy shard of fear into your
heart in the dark of the witching hour, when your defences are at their
weakest.
‘I see you there’, you say. ‘Peek- a- boo! I see your pattern. I see your
energy. And I accept that you are convinced you must toss and tumble about
in my head or body at this time. You are like a small child, looking for attention
by being bold. You are like a friend come to tell me the latest gossip in a
breathless rush. However, you are no more disturbing to me than the passing
thought that I am about to win the lottery, or to triumph in the Mr. Universe
Contest. Just because I see you for the moment as dire, does not mean that I
am going to accord you any power over me. Stay as long as you like. You
may be passing through my mind or body just now, but YOU ARE NOT ME.
We can live together if you want. I see you. I accept your presence.’
Of course, you can devise your own particular conversation with your
passing thoughts or symptoms. It need not be very involved. This
conversation will vary from day to day, but essentially you must realise and
strongly affirm that you - the fundamental you - the you that is central and
real, are not these thoughts or symptoms.
You aught to fully observe and fully describe to yourself these
sensations and ‘energies’ that inhabit your body. I see you, energy. You are
light/flashing/heavy/you are like the sea/gushing like a geyser/clanking like
metal/throbbing/squeezing/like bubbles floating/a void opening/whatever

8
works best for you to fully see this sensation. Hallo (you will say). Thank you
for coming to visit. You may stay as long as you like.
Be creative and focussed with your descriptions of these energies.
Rename your experience constantly – excitement, kinetic energy passing
through, the ebb and flux of life, and so on…..
These sensations are all merely passing through. They come and go,
they change and evolve, and none of the symptoms has killed you yet!
Realise this to be the case. You will thus gradually accept their presence and
not be disturbed by them at all. Then, you will finally have overcome the fear
of fear.
……..LETTING GO………
Having become aware of the thoughts or symptoms, and having fully
accepted them, then you can decide to let go.
You do this best by releasing the desire to do anything about
them. You absolve yourself of the responsibility of having to ‘fix’ them.
This is important. There must be no conniving in the back of your mind
as to how you are going to solve the problem. No sneaky ‘thinking’ it through.
And lo! the solution comes of itself.
Yes, sensation. You may remain. You have come rushing to me from
my reptilian brain stem, bringing messages that you think I need to know. Well
done! Hang about if you wish. Take a seat!
The mind and body do not wish to be in pain. If you let go, with
awareness, acceptance and compassion for yourself, the consciousness will
respond with mercy. Nagging fearful thoughts and horrible symptoms will
wither over time, especially when you choose not to run from them.
You use precisely the same method to deal with an irregularly or
rapidly beating heart, for example, or depersonalisation, or the feeling that you
are surely about to faint or go mad. Every single symptom of Anxiety Disorder,
no matter how bizarre, is amenable to this procedure. In fact, they all must be
overcome by just this method. Awareness, first, of the fact of the matter,
Acceptance, then, of its reality, and thereafter Letting Go of the necessity to
find the way to fix it.
……….SELF ACCEPTANCE……..
Behind Panic and Anxiety Disorder is often a core lack of self-acceptance.
You may be struggling deep down, often unbeknownst to your conscious
mind, with a life that is not adding up to all you had hoped for. With a spouse
or children who did not show you eternal gratitude despite your decades of
sacrifice. With the mirror revealing an unrecognisable body that grows steadily
older and wider. With the fact that you did not end up being an astronaut, or a
long-distance haulage driver, or a famous opera singer, like you had dreamed
you would as a child. If you are young, life may simply be overwhelming you
with its possibities.
The list of potential disappointments and frustrations is endless. We
have been brought up in a very egotistical and individuated culture where,
from a very young age, we have been almost brainwashed into believing that
we will become ‘all that’. That whatever we dare to dream, especially on a
materialistic level, is there for the taking. The cultural demands of eternal
youth, beauty, wealth, success, or endless creativity are wholly unrealistic.
Refer to
LOVE AND
SELF-ESTEEM

9
Most of us will lead small, parochial lives, and there is absolutely nothing
wrong with that. At best we may hope, if we are blessed, to touch the hearts of
a chosen few. That is a beautiful fact. But that is not what we have been
programmed for. School tests, educational standards, misguided parenting,
the exhortations of the media and the constant propulsion that infects the
world as a whole towards bigger, better, brighter, sets us up for a fall.
And for some people, whose grades are average, who don’t get the
girl/boy, whose families or marriages are the normal for-better-and for-worse-
affairs, whose finances never quite stretch to that holiday, whose waistlines
accede to gravity, whose lives do not seem to match some advertised ‘pop’
standard, these daily struggles and their own non-acceptance of themselves
can lead to states of Anxiety.
Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with good and honest striving,
nothing wrong with ambition, and nothing wrong with an exercise and beauty
regime, etc. etc., but life should be kept in perspective. We were not put here
to amass goods. We were not put here to become famous. We were put here
to find and become familiar with deeper things. This is where true self-
acceptance comes into play.
If you feel you are inferior to others, if you do not wholly accept yourself
as you are in this moment, whether you are prone to panic or not, you can
become trapped in a form of self-defeating neurosis from which arises
stagnation on the journey towards yourself. There can certainly be the
aspiration towards self-improvement – there is nothing wrong with that per se.
But, in the meantime, love and accept yourself today.
We are all of us destined to have either a superiority complex or an
inferiority complex by virtue of our being human. It is nigh on impossible to
achieve the perfect medium between the two. Both are equally false
constructs, but a superiority complex serves you far better in life, because the
opposite leads to emotional and intellectual paralysis and neurosis. Do not
mistake an inferiority complex for humility.
A superiority complex, however, does not mean constant striving or
ambition. It can mean that if all you do today is bake an apple tart, or put
some order on a deranged filing cabinet, or sew some patches on your jeans,
then that is a beautiful achievement, and you should feel very satisfied with
yourself.
PEP-TALK YOURSELF…. It may feel silly but let yourself know all the time
how AMAZING you are. How you have faith in yourself, how you are healthy,
calm, brilliant. Talk to your head. Talk to the energies that arise in your body
when you feel fear. Be friendly to them. They think they are doing a
marvellous job. I have noticed that the most wonderful, inspirational and
successful people that I know also think they are wonderful. This is not an
egotistical stance. It’s not that they have become insufferably arrogant, but
they do believe in themselves. Start today. Repeat ad infinitum, until you truly
believe it – I am a wonderful human being. I LOVE MYSELF.
Choose whatever positive affirmations work for you – don’t be stingy
with yourself, and then fake it until you can make it!

10
………..NOT KNOWING……..
Quite often you do not know what is truly wrong with you. You cannot put your
finger on the reason why you feel so much terror. You cannot grasp the
meaning of life. You have no idea what to do in a given situation. I can assure
you that you would not be the first person to feel this way!
And standing in that place, you must learn to Accept and Plough On
Regardless. The writer and cantadora Clarissa Pinkolo Estes, speaks of
sometimes finding oneself sitting in the ashes of our old Selves, the ashes of
everything we thought we once knew, and of then getting up and going
onwards. It was a thought that inspired me a great deal when I felt I had lost
my self to Panic Disorder, and her teachings in this area are contained
between the covers of her wonderful book Women Who Run With The
Wolves, a book for all soulful women and men.
Remember, smooth seas do not make skilful sailors…….
It is important not to over-discipline the mind. Self-acceptance guards against
the fret of over-discipline. There is an old teaching that says if the strings of a
musical instrument are too loose they will not play, but if they are too tight they
will certainly break. Strong emotions like anger, for example, are natural, and
may need to be rightfully expressed. You should not suppress the natural
thought processes. You do not have to ACT upon every thought, but all
thoughts can serve as a safety valve if you do not reject their right to exist.
…….ON SHAME AND GUILT…
There are some thoughts and feelings, however, like shame and guilt - that
may have arisen as a result of your becoming unwell with anxiety - that do not
serve to heal you. It is not the fault of the emotion per se; they are simply not
useful at present. Be guilty and ashamed if you have robbed or hurt another.
But any embarrassment at being a ‘nut-case’, or at seeing yourself as
somehow weaker than the general population, who apparently weather the
storms of life without a problem, is useless and unfounded.
‘Nervously ill people should feel privileged because they gain
understanding of an experience baffling to many and when recovered through
their own efforts have a special insurance for the future…the person who has
never experienced nervous illness is more vulnerable than he imagines.’
From Simple, effective Treatment of Agoraphobia by Dr. Claire Weekes
……….on the powerful act of SURRENDER…..
Acceptance and Self-acceptance involve a certain amount of surrender.
Surrender is not always a passive, helpless act. It can be a moment of vital
power, when you realise that letting go is the strongest action you can make.
Consider it.
……the WISE GRANDMOTHER……..
An old woman gave her beloved grandson an amulet to hang around his neck
as he set off upon his life’s journey. ‘If you find that circumstances become too
much to be borne,’ she told him, ‘At any time in your life, you can open this
amulet and inside are words of true wisdom that will get you through any
situation.’

11
The young man’s life ran an adventurous course, of spectacular highs
and lows. Riches and fame and fortune. Family and love and sorrow. There
were long periods of triumph and happiness. But there were also many times
over the years when in extremity he felt inclined to open his Grandmother’s
amulet. There were setbacks and misfortunes and the sadness of human life.
He often felt afraid. And yet something always stopped him from breaking
open the amulet. Each time he felt so inclined he realised that he would
eventually get through the adversity that had beset him, and that he aught to
save the magic wisdom of the amulet for when he was most in need.
That time came as he lay on his deathbed, and the inevitable was
almost upon him. His loving family were gathered round to see him off. In the
human way, he was reluctant to surrender. He finally decided to rely upon the
power within the amulet, the power he had been saving for all his life. He
opened it and drew out a little scrap of paper upon which his old Grandmother
had written the words, ‘This too shall pass.’
So, your life may be apparently invisible to the wider world, or you may strut
the global stage in all your glory. Whichever way it transpires for you, in the
midst of the madness and the mundane, there remains a deeper path, a truer
nature that you should seek to uncover, and that will bring you closer to an
unshakeable sense of inner peace and freedom from fear. True self-
acceptance is a prerequisite for that quest.
NOTE 1: The BAREFOOT DOCTOR is Stephen Russell. www.barefootdoctorglobal.com

12
ACTING
‘All the world’s a stage…’
William Shakespeare.
As devilish as it may sound, sometimes the best way to solve the problem of
being afeard of the public eye is to thrust oneself firmly into the middle of it.
Despite your inner monster, you haul that quaking body of yours
directly out onto the boards, under the glare of the spotlight, and you act out a
part. You become another. You immerse yourself in a wholly different identity.
Of course, you may shiver and shake, and struggle to peel your
strangely swollen tongue from the sticky roof of your mouth. You may fear
instant public calamity, if not actual death itself from a floodlit heart attack.
You may have to knock back endless bottles of Rescue Remedy. You may
even projectile vomit from the wings. But, at the end of the game, so what?
Who really cares? It might turn out to be vastly entertaining for the assembled
audience, and you could always claim later on, as you humbly receive your
plaudits, that it was all part of the script, (or that you are very ‘method’,
Darling).
Acting, for the panicked person, is one of the purest forms of ‘feeling
the fear, and doing it anyway’ – apart perhaps from bungee jumping. But the
attitude required to facilitate a stage role can also be adopted with respect to
an ordinary life in the wings. The bravery, the shape-shifting, the audience,
the mask – all these facets of stagecraft and more have a relevance to the
delicate, demanding art of everyday living, particularly for those ‘actors’ on the
stage of life who have temporarily lost their nerve.
……….WILD HORSES………..
Some of you will undoubtedly protest, ‘Never! Not in a million years. I would
have to be dragged screaming to the stage.’ Wild horses, and all of that.
So be it. Let yourself be dragged screaming onto life’s stage. To
overcome Panic and Anxiety Disorder requires an amount of bravery. It
requires you to develop a not inconsiderable degree of brazen indifference to
the situation into which you’ve been plunged. It demands a new attitude of
‘Tant pis!’ (Never Mind!).
Who is this ‘self’ that you think you might be making a fool of, anyway?
Are we not, in reality, each one of us some class of a fool? And, really, what is
so extraordinarily wrong with being the clown? Only true foolishness can
generate its true opposite, in the same way that only night gives way to dawn.
(Though of course by that logic the wisdom cycle must embarrassingly turn
again, and again, and again. Tant Pis!)
……..SHAPE-SHIFTING………
Acting is a shaman game. The actor becomes a shape-shifter. A sorcerer
conjuring in the firelight. No matter what role has been foisted upon them in
their so-called ordinary lives actors must, in the course of the staged
performance, break free of their limitations. They will disguise themselves in
the mould of another. An actor who secretly fears that he may not be
intelligent or smart enough will find himself the proud possessor of a new and

13
vibrant tongue, equipped with infinite quick wit and gay repartee. Performers
who doubt their physical attractiveness will liberate themselves from this
falsehood beneath the extravagant wig or under the cover of grease paint and
costume, and feel life through another’s skin.
And in the very process of channelling alien experience actors discover
that we all wear disguises, most of the time. That we all act out our parts in
the immense human drama, with greater or lesser confidence, but almost
every single one of us are caught up blindly in the complexities of the play.
……….THE AUDIENCE………..
In general other people are entirely caught up in their own affairs, and are
wholly unconcerned about you. So you don’t have to worry in the least about
what they think. Most of them are, in fact, hardly aware of you at all, or at least
not in any usefully sustained way. Even if you were to be directly on-stage in
front of them, the ‘audience’ may be consumed with the discomfort of their
(theatre) seat, struggling valiantly to repress the need to pass gas, dying to go
to the loo, wondering what on earth possessed them to venture from home in
such a hideous outfit, and so on, and so forth. They are far too taken up, and
understandably so, with their own rather famous selves.
And who exactly is this ‘audience’ from whose disapproval you shrink?
Are the audience not ordinary souls just like yourself, bound to the same
quotidian necessities of eating, and defecating and sleeping, and finding, if at
all possible, somebody to love them? If you imagine ‘they’ have more money
or status or education or good looks than you, if their manner of carrying on is
more cultivated and urbane than your own, or if they have even walked with
kings, remember that their refuse smells too and that they undoubtedly suffer.
(And if, by chance, you have grasped the thundering bull by its horns
and chosen to take up so public an activity as acting, you may also walk with
Kings. You may even be a King, if only for a short dreamlike moment. )
…………THE MASK………….
Whether you engage in theatrical shenanigans or not, cultivate a sense of
compassion for yourself, and thereafter for your ‘audience’, for their
undoubted numberless sufferings, for the same joys and fears that they share
with you. Get over the limitations of the tiny self, and steer that fear right out
onto the stage (of life). The ‘unmasking’, of which most human beings are
terrified, the common deep-seated neurosis that we will one day be somehow
found out, is best dissolved by being embraced in a healthy vigorous bear-
hug. Upstage your nemesis.
…………..BEHIND THE SCENES………
If you are not in the least bit interested in making a holy show of yourself on
the stage there is still plenty of stimulating background work that goes into
even the most amateur of dramatic productions. There is sound and lighting to
be taken care of, a vast arena of experience by itself. There are the costumes
for the extroverts to be assembled, found, sewed, or repaired. Somebody
needs to be on hand to reassure the actors that they look absolutely
magnificent. To style their coiffeurs. To paint their trembling lips. There are
sets to be constructed, painted, hauled in and out of theatres. Vans to be
driven. Tea and sandwiches to be made. Through these and similar activities

14
there is a bolstering camaraderie to be found. A sort of wartime spirit, the
communal triumph over the many obstacles that inevitably befall any dramatic
production. In short, you will make friends. Though you may quiver and
tremble and your bird-like heart may knock about in its cage you will have
found a consuming and entertaining distraction.
The same of course could be said for taking up Bingo, Whist, Salsa
Dancing, Choir practise, Fiddle classes, Watercolour painting, Haiku
Composition, or any other number of things. The essential thing is to re-
engage with the world beyond your door.
………..LILA……..
Krishna, one of the many Hindu gods, is described in the old Vedic scriptures
as playing with us, much as a child will dally with dolls or toys, but his play is
on an elaborate grand stage - that of the entire Universe. This extravagant
play is called his Lila. He is not malicious or unkind, in the way that children
will sometimes in a temper cast a toy against the wall, but it is nonetheless all
play. All a stage. So it has been said.
One thing is for certain, if you can practise some of the detachment of
the actor from the role, and yet act as if anything at all is important as you go
about your life, or perhaps, even better still, cultivate the attitude of the
director to the entire play, it greatly contributes to the overall management of
your fear and anxiety. Fear is merely a bit part in your life. A prop in which you
have become awkwardly entangled. A scenery-chewing impostor with
grandiose Oscar-winning notions. It can be put back into its box. You have the
starring role. Go on. Break a leg.

15
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that makes use of fine
needles, which are inserted into the body just underneath the skin at particular
points. These ‘acu-points’ are located along energy channels known as
meridians. By inserting the needles the acupuncturist is enabling the meridian
to resume normal energy (chi) flow within the body, whether that energy has
become sluggish or over-active. Thereby health is hopefully restored.
Interestingly, the custom in China was to pay your physician a standard fee for
as long as you were well, and as soon as you became ill all payment ceased
until he or she had exercised their craft and restored you to perfect health.
Acupuncture is often practised in conjunction with herbal remedies and
massage. Because the ancient lore forbade dissection of the human body the
art of Acupuncture depends upon the close observation of the patient for
diagnosis. It is freely used in Chinese hospitals alongside western allopathic
methods; usually if a condition is acute patients will rely upon modern medical
intervention and if a condition is chronic they will resort to traditional practices.
I used Acupuncture to treat Anxiety Disorder. At the risk of offending sceptics
of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) I have to say I found the
treatment to be beneficial. (Nt 1) My Chinese doctor was a charming man who
did not speak any English. At least, I think he was charming. He could have
been grumbling about how woefully hairy were my moon-white legs instead of
all the high-minded medicinal incantations I took for granted he was
pronouncing.
I found the time during the sessions when the needles were actually in
my body to be quite relaxing. There is very little discomfort involved. And after
each needling, the doctor would give me a massage. I also took a course of
herbs, which I had to brew up and drink at home.
It was really only some time after my course of treatment that I
recognised there was a definite ‘before and after’ in my experience of Anxiety
Disorder; before Acupuncture I had become terribly depleted and was like a
trapped cat who, upon finding no way out of the box, sits dejectedly mewling
and gives a few desultory scratches at the boundaries of her confines. But,
after the treatment, my energy had definitely increased. I was left far fitter to
tackle the Anxiety Disorder and to resume the everyday tasks before me in a
more energised and positive manner.
And the Panic Disorder did lessen thereafter over time. I am convinced
that the balancing of the energy in the meridians could only have been a
positive contributor to this outcome and I would recommend that you give
Acupuncture a try in your quest to surmount Anxiety.
Anxiety causes one’s body to expend what is known as Kidney Chi, which is
the calming, receptive, grounding energy in our bodies. This does not mean
you have a Kidney problem per se, so don’t worry. The Barefoot Doctor
recommends an extremely useful and simple exercise for nurturing and
improving your Kidney Chi (Nt 2).

16
…..IMPROVING KIDNEY CHI….
Place your hands on your hips, fingers facing forwards, thumbs towards the
spine, and then press into the ridges of muscle about two inches on either
side of the spine. There are acupressure points here known as ‘Bladder 23’.
Press firmly, and hold the pressure for about 50 to 70 seconds. You
can move your thumbs about a little to find the ‘right’ point, which should
slightly but pleasantly ache.
When you are done with the pressing, use the backs of your hands to
rub up and down very vigorously about four or five inches above and below
these points, creating warmth and friction. Then hold your hands over the
warmed area for a moment or two.
That’s it. Wonderful.
A very interesting meditation and breathing practise for cultivating overall Chi
and good health is called the Microcosmic Orbit. It is useful for improving
sexual energy, and because our sex drive is fundamental to our overall lust for
life it can therefore be employed more generally. The technique is often
described in quite technical and difficult terms but for general use the simple
outline that follows is quite sufficient.
….THE MICROCOSMIC ORBIT….
Sit, Stand or lie down comfortably and relax the body and breath. Take your
time to make sure you feel comfortable and ready.
Place your hands on your lower abdomen, the thumbs in the navel area
and the index fingers touching below, to create a sort of triangle.
Touch the tongue to the roof of the mouth or perform khechari mudra
(as described elsewhere in this book).
Concentrate your awareness on the energy in the area covered by the
hands, gradually feeling a build-up of warmth.
Breathe normally.
Visualise the energy in the lower abdomen travelling down from the
navel to the perineum.
Then the energy flows up the length of the spine, over the back of the
head, down over the front of the face to the point where the tongue is touching
the roof of the mouth.
Then visualise the energy flowing down the tongue, down the throat,
the front of the body, via the navel to the perineum again.
Thereafter the loop continues as above.
Spend just a few minutes daily focussing on visualising this movement
of energy, breathing easily, eyes closed, body relaxed and at ease,
developing this technique that helps to ‘bring balance and healing as well as
slowing the process of aging’. (Nt 3)
Note 1 : Refer, for example, to Rose Shapiro’s book ‘Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of
us All’ (Vintage 2009), where she writes a humorous if occasionally acerbic critique of various forms of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine. There is much in this book I agree with. I have never been an
aficionado of forking out hard cash for unfounded healing therapies, or whatever-you’re-having-yourself
interventions. However many so-called ‘alternative therapies’ are rooted in stronger, more robust
traditions, and are at least as effective, if not more so, as modern medical practises when it comes to
treating certain physical and psychological ailments. It is a question of testing the ‘pudding’.
Note 2 : Liberation By Barefoot Doctor (Element 2002)
Note 3 : This technique is described in many books but one of the more useful, and clear descriptions I
found was in the book Traditional Chinese Medicine for Women by Xiaolan Zhao (Virago 2006)
Refer to
SEX

17
AMYGDALA
Somewhere along the line, as I was learning about how to cope with Panic
Disorder, I discovered the existence of the Amygdala.
Not literally, you do understand, but still the role of the amygdala was
news to me. Although much of what I have read about it remains fairly
incomprehensible, I can, however, present here the A B C of the Amygdala,
which is all you need to know in order to understand how it impacts upon your
experience of Anxiety.
….THE SCIENCE PART……
The Amygdala is actually the Amygdalae, a pair of almond-shaped and
almond-sized groups of neurons located in the limbic part of our brains. The
limbic part of our brains is the more primitive part, as opposed to such areas
as the neo-cortex, which are more recently evolved.
Among the Amygdala’s functions is the control of autonomic responses
associated with fear, emotional arousal and response, the storage of
memories related to traumatic events, and hormonal secretions. It would
appear that in the case of Anxiety or Panic Disorder the Amygdala has
somehow become programmed to over-respond in what could be described
as a faulty manner.(Nt:1) Even slightly-matching patterns or traces of original
traumatic events, such as a turn of the light, certain smells, sounds, etc., may
spark off an inappropriate chain-reaction of fear from the amygdala. It is as if
traumatic memories or templates have become locked into the limbic brain,
instead of having been processed forward to the neo-cortex where, through
the use of reasoning, for example, such trauma would be more naturally
resolved.
The Rewind Technique, as described in the book ‘Human Givens’ (HG
Publishing. 2003) written by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell, and outlined in a
different chapter of this book, describes a wonderful method that may be tried
for releasing traumatic templates that have somehow become stuck in the
amygdala. Likewise, Yoga Nidra, as described elsewhere in this book, may
be used to release these templates.
The amygdala, for those who might be planning a road trip in the brain, is
located deep within the temporal lobe, medial to the hypothalamus, and
adjacent to the hippocampus, (which is not a university for hippopotami!)
The amygdala, among other things, sends impulses to the hypothalamus for
important activation of the Sympathetic Nervous system. The amygdala is
thus intimately involved in the genesis of many of the fear responses a person
who panics knows all too well - sweating, rapidly beating heart, pallor, feeling
frozen with terror, and the release of the stress hormones such as adrenaline.
Undoubtedly the amygdala had an incredibly important, ancient
protective role, and in the face of the oft-quoted Sabre-toothed-Tiger-
scenario it induced all the correct responses in our ancestors.
Unfortunately, it it would appear that as our world evolves the amygdala is
receiving more and more information, and this can lead to an over-excitation
in susceptible brains.
Refer to
THE
REWIND
TECHNIQUE
And
YOGA NIDRA
Refer to
INFORMATION

18
We will come back in a moment to this important issue of ‘susceptible’
brains.
Because the amygdala must nowadays assess ever more subtle
stimuli, (such as the mere expression on the faces of the many strangers we
encounter, not to mention the hardly-subtle and pervasive media-battering of
our poor minds with endless stories of horror and depravity, and the infinite
possibilities for civilisation-wide Armageddon!) this can lead to a state of
hyper-vigilance.
Of course the person who panics does not necessarily need to hear
from external sources about possible threats, or wonder what their
neighbour’s frown means for their own well-being. They are top-class experts
when it comes to scanning their own internal physiological environment for
possibilities that might engender disaster. This state of persistent hyper-
vigilance provides the perfect breeding ground for ongoing states of fear and
anxiety.
……..GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO FEAR…..
There is modern research that seems to suggest the amygdala is genetically
different and ‘wired’ for a higher level of fear in some individuals. (Nt :2)This
might explain why if your granny was a scaredy-cat, you might well be too.
The research is based around the gene responsible for programming
the body’s production of Serotonin Transporter. Serotonin Transporter collects
the serotonin from the spaces between the nerve cells and recycles it. How
much of this Transporter chemical is manufactured by the body, and how
often it is made, is determined by the gene.
Serotonin is one of the ‘happiness’ hormones, a mood-enhancer that
helps stave off depression. Deficiency is associated with sleeping problems,
aggression, obsessive tendencies, general anxiety, and mood fluctuations.
You can have two ‘long’ tags on the Serotonin Transporter gene, one
‘long’ and one ‘short’, or two ‘shorts’. These ‘tags’ on the gene, be they short
or long, are known as ‘alleles’.
And wouldn’t you know it– two ‘short’ alleles is associated with less
production of Serotonin Transporter and with being more reactive to fear. And
possibly even with having a smaller amygdala.
The various research further claims that two ‘shorts’ inhibit the
connectivity in the circuit that runs between the amygdala and another part of
the brain called the Cingulate cortex, about which I am merely going to say
that it is the medial convolution that borders the corpus callosum in both brain
hemispheres. (I know! Search me.) Essentially, all we need to know about this
circuit is that it is the one that puts the brakes on the runaway-amygdala-fear-
response.
‘It’s okay,’ this circuit says. ‘No need to get worried. Let’s just get back
to having fun.’
If this fear-damping circuit is inhibited, genetically perhaps, as the
research suggests, the message is more likely to be,

19
‘I think it’s okay, but then again, you never know. It might not be okay.
Something terrible could be just about to happen. Should I be worried? Oh, I
don’t know! Maybe? Let’s ask Woody Allen.’
So, I hear you say, it’s all in my genes.
To a certain extent you are correct. However not everyone who is
genetically predisposed towards fear or depression will be so afflicted, just as
not everyone with the genetic predisposition towards cancer goes on to
develop the disease. Good social supports in the form of loving family and
friends, and protection from the stresses of poverty, have a significant
inhibitory effect on the implications of the two short straw genes.
It may all boil down in the end to good old-fashioned love. If you can’t
get it out there, then start getting it from inside. Love yourself.
And quit worrying about money. Until you are actually searching
through a trashcan for your next meal, it is truly not worth the hassle of too
much of your time. History will demonstrate that thus far worrying has never
earned anyone a single penny.
(Unless you are an actuary…..)
On a completely non-scientific aside, I pinned a piece of paper to my bedroom
door where I could see it regularly. The note said, in big black letters –
AMYGDALA OFF. Then, whenever I got a spare minute, between the fretting
and the hyperventilating – you know the story yourself – I visualised a tiny
person inside my brain (Remember those comic-book characters – the
Numskulls…), and this character was jumping up and down on a rusty lever
sticking out of one of the two almond-shaped masses I named my Amygdala,
moving the lever from ON to OFF. I did this for a minute or so, no big deal.
Left and then right. I saw the levers as having gotten stuck there – pointing to
ON, in much the same way as one might adopt a lisp, or a strange gait out of
habit or circumstance. Make of this practise what you will. I include it because
it helped me. I realised that anxiety disorder was neither a moral failure nor a
neurotic indulgence. It happened because a pathway or chemical reaction in
my limbic brain had become dysfunctional, that’s all. Could have happened to
a Bishop.
(And…on an even further note, since writing the above, I’ve stumbled across
the work of Neil Slade at www.neilslade.com, and it seems that my
amygdala visualisations weren’t too far off the mark. Phew! His work is well
worth a look, including his book Frontal Lobes Supercharge. He advises
imaging yourself ‘tickling’ your amygdala with a brightly coloured feather,
approaching them through left and right temple and imaging the feather going
in about an inch. It seems any sort of creative visualisation of a stimulation of
the amygdala is useful for tuning down the reptilian (that is the ‘fight or flight’)
brain.)
Note 1 : Joseph Le Doux. The Synaptic Self (2002)
Note 2: Researchers in this area include Avshalom Capsi, Hariri, and Holden.
Refer also to Dr. Jim Phelp’s very helpful and extensive essays around this subject on the
informative website www.psycheducation.org.

20
ASANA –yoga postures
The word asana means ‘that position or posture which is comfortable and
steady’. Asanas are the postures practised in Hatha Yoga.
The practise of asana is an enormously valuable tool for overcoming
persistent states of fear. Your body becomes tense and painful and stiff when
you are regularly feeling anxious. Energy gets blocked and waylaid, and a
good asana practice will help counteract such stagnation. Also, the correct
practise of asana is pure meditation in action, and will therefore be a powerful
tool for relaxing the anxious mind.
The accepted wisdom, as it usually is with any ancient esoteric art, is
that you should seek out a teacher from whom to learn the practise of asana
correctly. This is to a large extent true but, in the event of your not being able
to find a competent teacher, asana can also be learned from a book, or from a
video. It is also worth noting that teachers, being human, vary in their quality
and calibre, and you would be well advised to keep your ‘bullshit detectors’
fully operational when you go looking for a Yoga teacher. Try and find one
who has undergone a reputable training program, and not just a couple of
weekends in some exotic location (and then Bob’s their uncle.)
A good Yoga teacher, in my opinion, will never apply pressure to the student’s
body in order to move it into the asana. In fact, the very best Yoga teachers I
have ever known never even leave their place on their mat at the top of the
class. I am continually amazed at the number of teachers I witness, or see in
photographs or video, who are physically manipulating their student’s bodies.
Other teachers may disagree with me on this, and some may extol the virtues
of the personal touch, or even incorporate therapeutic massage into their
classes, but I think it is vital that the student and teacher know the limits of
their fields of operation.
Above all, the practise of yoga-asana is about finding what is
comfortable, pleasant and manageable for your body today, and that is a
constantly changing phenomenon. If your teacher has never experienced
incapacity, pain or limitation in their own body, for example, they may not
display the necessary understanding towards any temporary limitations in
their student’s bodies. The best way to accommodate any such limitations is
to verbalise the instructions, demonstrate if necessary, and then allow the
student to practise at their own level. Every physical body is different –
genetically, inescapably. Different people’s bones, muscles, ligaments,
nerves, joints, etc. are all different in length, structure and capacity for
articulation or movement, and so there is no ‘correct’ way to do a posture.
There! At least I’ve got that off my chest….
‘The hatha yogis found that certain specific body positions, asanas,
open the energy channels and psychic centres. They found that developing
control of the body through these practices enabled them to control the mind
and energy. Yogasanas became tools to higher awareness, providing the
stable foundation necessary for the exploration of the body, breath, mind, and
higher states.’
Extract from Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha, by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
(Bihar yoga Bharati 1996)

21
There are thousands of possible asanas, some classical, some newly
evolved, some never recovered from ancient scriptures. Many are modelled
upon the natural movements of animals who the Rishis, or sages, had long
observed as being in harmony with their environments, and naturally attuned
to the healthful needs of their physical forms.
The practise of asana aims to maintain the smooth flow of prana or vital
energy in the body, the blockage of which results in pain, stiffness, or the
accumulation of toxins. Ultimately the purpose of asana is to awaken kundalini
Shakti, which is the primal energy in humankind. The purpose of stimulating
kundalini is to awaken the higher psychic centres in the body, or the chakras
as they are known, and thereby enable evolution of higher consciousness
within us.
We will all get to understand the concept of what exactly ‘higher
consciousness’ is when we get a bit closer to actually experiencing it, and
then we won’t need anything as prosaic as a definition. In the meantime, let us
assume that it would be best for us earthly creatures to try and move beyond
the basic survival impulses which drive our daily lives, the ‘mine’-ness
attitudes, and the manipulation of others to our best advantage. Thereafter we
may hope to progress as a species to a wiser footing wherein the well-being
of all life is espoused, recognising fully that we can never be truly liberated or
happy as individuals while another remains bound in suffering.
Asana is not the same as exercise, although in some ways the practise of
asana mirrors and complements exercise. Exercise remains good for us
because, for example, it puts a beneficial stress on the body, building bone
density and muscular strength. During the practise of asana, however, and
contrary to the normal practices of exercise, the respiration and metabolic
rates actually slow down, consumption of oxygen reduces, and the body
cools. Asana aims to have specific effects on the inner workings of our body,
particularly on the glandular and nervous systems.
Asana is practised with close attention to how the body is breathing.
This is important. To a certain extent it is more important to note how you are
breathing than how the body is actually moving. Ultimately the breath is
understood to ‘move’ the body. Breathe through the nose, unless otherwise
specified.
Awareness of how the body is moving, breathing, reacting; awareness
of how thoughts and feelings are arising and passing; awareness of emotions,
sensations, heat, cold, prana; focus on a particular chakra or tattwa; counting
repetitions with awareness – these are among the possible areas your
attention will be focused while practising asana. To facilitate the development
of this awareness we generally keep the eyes closed during practise of
asana, unless otherwise indicated, to maintain balance for example. Not all
types of modern yoga systems adopt this practise, but it very much applies
here.
Between asanas we generally pause, in Shavasana or Advasana (lying
on the tummy) or in Vajrasana (kneeling), for example. We just hold still for as
many breaths as it takes for our body to come back to a sense of quietness
and poise. Be patient. This is important. Of course, you can practise a short
sequence of asana and then pause, BUT the pausing is important. When we
quieten between movements we are encouraging the Parasympathetic

22
Nervous System to switch on, that part of the Autonomic Nervous System
which is particularly invaluable to the anxious person. We move therefore from
dynamic (Sympathetic) to stillness (Parasympathetic) thus training our bodies
and minds how to switch fluidly between the two states. Thus enabling us to
do so easily, in our lives off the mat.
-Practise with an empty stomach, at least two hours after eating food.
-Wear comfortable clothing. No shoes.
-Use a comfortable mat or blanket between your body and the floor.
-Practise in a warm, quiet, clean space.
(If all or any of these qualities cannot be attained at this specific time in
your life, practise anyway. Some of the most dedicated Yogis in the world
practise on the cold hard floor between prison bunks.)
-Never strain the body. And I do mean never! It doesn’t matter what
anyone else can do with their body. It doesn’t matter what you could do with
your body when you were a kid. It doesn’t matter what you could do with your
body last week, or yesterday.
-Otherwise, I will specify as we go along any of the limitations or
contra-indications to certain practices. In the main, however, it is up to you to
exercise conscious responsibility for your own body, safety and well-being.
Be first and foremost always kind to yourself.
Ahimsa is the yogic principle of non-violence - made famous by Mahatma
Gandhi. Practise non-violence towards your own body.
The following are outlines of ‘loosening-up’ practices, one gentle and one
more moderate; the sun salutation sequence which, if you were to do nothing
else besides it and shavasana, is enough to see you safely through your life;
shavasana or the corpse pose, and then two possible sequences, one short,
one longer, that are specifically aimed at harmonising the adrenal function in
the body, and manipura chakra in specific.
Please note that just because a practice is called ‘gentle loosening up’
does not mean it is not advanced. You can experience true and complete
satori, or spiritual enlightenment, while wiggling your toes with perfect focused
attention, in my opinion. And the ability to stand on your head or wind your
body into impressive knots is absolutely no guarantee of yogic attainment.
And anyway, ultimately, there is no such thing as attainment. There just is….
And that ‘is’ is called ’is-ness’, or ‘this-ness’ – nobody, but nobody, can
measure the size of your soul.
Read over the asana instructions that follow a few times before practising, and
for the first few times consult back regularly. Or ask someone else (nicely) to
read out the instructions to you, very slowly and with awareness.
Refer to
CHAKRAS
and
INFORMATION

23
SHAVASANA
(Also known as ‘corpse pose’.)
Lie flat out on your back on a comfortable mat or blanket.
(You may, if you need, use a flat pillow under the head.)
The arms are alongside and a little away from the body……..
Allow the palms to turn upwards towards the ceiling, or slightly inwards
towards the body. The fingertips are not touching any
surface…………………...
The fingers themselves are gently curled and relaxed……
Feel now that the head, neck and spine are in a straight line……
The legs are straight out and a little apart. The feet are falling gently out
towards the sides. …………….
(If you have back pain, bend the knees and keep the foot-soles on the
floor)………….
The central part of the back of the head is resting comfortably on the floor.
The chin is slightly tilted down towards the chest, to elongate the back of the
neck a little…………………
The eyes and mouth are softly closed……………..
Relax the entire body and Become completely STILL………….
Only move if absolutely necessary, and thereafter return to stillness. Practise
this stillness……………………..
Scan down through the body mentally and release any muscles that you may
be holding tight. ……………………………………..
Check the area around your jaws, releasing any tension there, allowing the
upper teeth to rest comfortably against the lower teeth, releasing the fine
muscles along the jaw-line, under the ears and around the back of the neck,
at the base of the skull……….
Check the area of the solar plexus, just below the centre of the ribcage. Feel
that the diaphragm is moving smoothly down into the abdominal cavity as you
breath in, and flattening up nicely and easily towards the ribcage as you
breathe out……………….
Check the muscles around the pelvic floor. Let go of any tension in this area.
Release any tightness in the buttocks and anus………..
Continue to mentally scan through your body, looking for areas that you know
you are prone to holding tight………………………
Release and let go any tension, especially as you breathe out……

24
Each time you breathe out, begin to feel the weight of the body is dropping
down towards the floor. Imagine the body is becoming heavier. ……..
……………….Heavy Body………….
Feel the weight of the body drop down towards the floor ………..
Become aware of the plane of contact along the back of your body between
your body and the floor, those parts where your body is in contact with the
floor…………heels, calves, buttocks, back, arms, hands, back of head……
As you breathe out, imagine that this plane of contact is slightly increasing.
With each exhalation, the plane of contact grows a tiny bit larger. Stay with
this awareness for a while……………………
Now bring your attention to your natural, normal breath ………….
Allow that breath to remain just as it is, coming and going naturally…………….
Become completely aware of the thought that ‘I am breathing in, I know that I
am breathing in. I am breathing out, I know that I am breathing
out.’………………… That’s all. Don’t change your breathing in any way…
Notice the parts of your body that move to allow you to breathe in this natural
easy way. Notice the movement in the chest, ribs, sides, back, and the
stomach area. The natural, normal breath – the way you’ve been breathing
since you were born……………
Your body knows how to breathe. Allow it to do just that and simply follow the
natural rhythm………………………….(Pause)……………
(You can repeat a personal mantra as you watch the breath if you like. …Om,
So-Ham, Love, Amen, Peace, and so on, whatever suits you…..)
Or you can count your breaths backwards, starting for example from 27, ‘I am
breathing in 27, I am breathing out 27, I am breathing in 26….and so on,
returning to 27 if you lose count, and starting again.
Or you can practise the Rotation of Consciousness described in the chapter
on Yoga Nidra if you like.
Remain still, and relaxed for as long as you want or need.
………………………………………………………………………..
Before coming out of Shavasana, wiggle the toes, and then the fingers, move
the wrists and the ankles, turn the head gently from side to side, and stretch
as the body likes to.
When you are ready open your eyes and sit up slowly.
Shavasana can be practised before sleep in which case you don’t need to do
these ‘waking’ gestures.
Refer to
YOGA NIDRA

25
Sometimes, when you lie down first in Shavasana, and if you are feeling
anxious, you may become overly aware of physiological sensations – such as
skipping or rapid heart beats, or a tense tummy, etc. This is to be expected.
Try not to baulk at the sensations, and practise acceptance. You may start
with short periods of Shavasana if this is what you are experiencing, gradually
building up the practise. Be assured that nothing is going to happen to you if
you experience these adrenalin-fueled sensations. They are unpleasant –
that’s all. And they will pass……..
**********************************************
SURYA NAMASKARA
Surya Namaskara means Salutation to The Sun. There are many variations,
but I will stick here to describing the one I learned over twenty-five years ago.
Surya Namaskara is a yogic sadhana or practice in itself. If you have
no time for any other yoga asana, use Surya Namaskara and Shavasana. I
have mentioned the chakras influenced by each pose if you wish to focus your
attention there, once you are familiar with the physical technique.
‘Surya Namaskara has a direct vitalising effect on the solar energy of
the body, which flows through pingala nadi. Regular practise of Surya
Namaskara regulates pingala nadi, whether it is under-active or over-
active. Regulation of pingala nadi leads to a balanced energy system at
both mental and physical levels.’
(Extract from Asana, Pranayma, Mudra, Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati)
(‘Pingala’ nadi is one of the main ‘nadis’ or energy channels in the psychic
body. The other corresponding ‘nadi’ along the central spine is called ‘ida’,
and the main nadi between these two, and through which kundalini is said to
flow is called ‘sushumna’. )
Refer to
CHAKRAS
Refer to
NETI

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…………..begin……………
Stand tall and comfortable, at the end of your mat……………..
Feet are hip-distance apart, the arms are relaxed and down alongside the
body, the spine is erect and the chin is held in a parallel line to the floor. Close
the eyes and allow the body to settle and centre………………..
In the beginning you may practise Surya Namaskara with the eyes open, to
help you maintain your balance but, once you feel comfortable with the
sequence, practise with the eyes closed.
Pose 1 ;- Pranamasana
(Breathe normally; Anahata chakra)
Bend the elbows and join the palms together in front
of the chest in a prayer pose. Relax the whole body.
Pose 2 ;- Hasta Utthanasana
(Inhale; Vishuddhi chakra)
Raise both arms above the head,
swaying head, arms and upper
body slightly backwards. Hands and
arms are shoulder-width apart.

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Pose 3 ;- Padahastasana
(Exhale; Swadhisthana chakra)
Bend forward from the hips and bring the
fingertips or palms to rest on the floor either side
of the feet.
If there is any discomfort in the back, you may
bend the knees, until such time as the back has
become more supple.
Pose 4 ;- Aschwa Sanchalasana- The
Equestrian Pose (Inhale; Ajna chakra)
With the palms remaining where they are, flat on the floor beside the feet,
stretch back the right leg as far as possible. Bend the left knee.
The right knee will now rest on the floor. The arms are straight. The head is
tilted slightly backwards.
Stretch along through the spine. Distribute the body weight as evenly as
possible between hands, left foot, right foreleg and toes.

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Pose 5 ;- Parvatasana –Mountain Pose.
(Exhale; Vishuddhi chakra)
Take the left foot back to beside the right foot. Raise the buttocks into the air.
Let the head lower between the arms so that your body now forms the
triangular symbol of a mountain.
Work at bringing the heels towards the floor.
Pose 6 ;- Ashtanga Namaskara
( Hold breath out; Manipura chakra)
Let the knees drop slowly to the floor where they land. Moving the upper body
down, and then slightly forward, allow the chest to touch the floor between the
hands. The chin also touches the floor. The buttocks, hips and lower abdomen
remain raised. Eight points of the body touch the floor now – the two hands,
the chest, the chin, the two knees and the two sets of toes. As you become
proficient with the practice, work towards lowering knees, chest and chin in a
simultaneous movement to the floor.

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Pose 7 ;-Bhujangasana –The cobra
( Inhale; Swadhisthana chakra)
Swoop forward gracefully on an inhalation, lowering the buttocks, bringing the
hips and pelvic area to the floor, and raising the chest, neck and head
forwards and up, so that the back is now arched.
Look upwards. Thighs and hipbones are on the floor and the arms support the
upper body.
The arms will usually be slightly or even considerably bent. It is more
important to focus on the gradual and comfortable arching and lengthening of
the spine and front of the body, rather than on straightening the arms. The
pubic bone always remains in contact with the floor.
Pose 8 ;- Parvatasana –The Mountain Pose
( as above, reverse to Pose 5.)
To do this, lower the upper body towards the floor, push into the hands and
feet and raise the buttocks. Straighten the legs and arms to form the triangular
pose once more of the mountain, with the head between the arms and the
heels coming down towards the floor.
Pose 9; -Ashwa Sanchalasana - the Equestrian Pose-
( as above, reverse to Pose 4. )
Bring the left leg forwards to between the hands, so that the right leg remains
the one stretched back exactly as in Pose 4. Right knee to the ground.
Lengthen along the line of the spine and look up.
(Pose 9 of the sequence takes a little time to master while the hip joints
develop the suppleness needed to swing the foot all the way forward to
between the hands. But persevere and make adjustments to your body
position as necessary until you can manage it easily. )

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Pose 10 ;- PadaHastasana -
(as above, reverse to Pose 3.)
Bring the right foot forward to beside the left foot. The buttocks are up once
more and the head is down, in the forward bending position, fingertips or
palms of the hands once more beside the feet. Bend the knees as necessary.
Pose 11 :- Hasta Utthanasana
Inhale and raise the arms and upper body, so that the arms come once more
over the head and the upper body sways back slightly.
Pose 12 ;- Pranamasana
Bring down the raised arms as you exhale and join the palms once more in
front of the chest in a prayer position.
Allow the body to rest, relax and soften before you move into the second part
of the round.
So, as you can see, the later part of Surya Namaskara, from Pose 8 to
Pose 12, is a reversal through the early part of the sequence.
Stand and wait for the breath to calm.
This was half a round.
Repeat the Instructions exactly as above, except this time move the LEFT leg
back in Pose 4, and bring the RIGHT leg forward in Pose 9.
Doing the sequence on both sides constitutes One Round.
Rest after each round.
Allow the arms to hang down loosely once more by the sides, and wait for the
breath to settle. Be patient. Rest.
You can practise as many rounds as you like.
In the beginning aim towards one or two complete rounds. Afterwards, if you
want, you can increase the number of rounds, maybe towards six or more
rounds. Having said this, a couple of rounds daily is a good place to be…
Never practise to the point of fatigue.
Practising Slowly is fine. Faster is also fine if it suits you. It often depends on
your mood, needs, and the ability of your body in the present moment.
After you have completed your rounds of Surya Namaskara you should
always rest afterwards in Shavasana until the body is completely refreshed
and at ease. Take your time.
Contra-indications -
Surya Namaskara aught be practised with care by those who have High Blood
Pressure. People who have had Coronary Heart Disease, or those who have
experienced Stroke or Hernia should avoid the practice. People with back
problems should practise with care, and decide if it is compatible with their
specific condition, i.e. if it causes absolutely no strain or pain.

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GENTLE LOOSENING PRACTISE
The following routine is very good to help loosen up the body, to move and
lubricate the fine joints and muscles, such as those in the wrists and ankles,
and thereby to prepare the body for more general asana.
It is wonderful for rheumatic and arthritic conditions, and for stiffness in
general. Pawanmuktasana and Shakti Bandha, some of the practises of which
are described in these next two sequences, are two areas of yogic sadhana
that help to get the prana moving freely in the body.
It has been said that these practices are akin to self-administration of
acupuncture because of their effect on the subtle energy in the body.
They are also powerful practices for calming the mind, and de-
stressing, moving us away from Panic and Anxiety. Because you are being
asked to completely focus the mind’s attention all the while on the small,
precise movements the body is making, and on the accompanying breath, this
is a profound meditation all by itself.
Note : Pause between each practice to allow the breath and body to be
completely settled. Do not hurry. You have all the wime in the world.
‘Pawanmuktasana’ means ‘wind’ or ‘blockage’-releasing pose. They help to
regulate and stabilise the flow of energy through the joints and muscles, and
the body as a whole.
‘Shakti Bandha’ means ‘energy block’, and the asana are so-called because
these dynamic movements help to free up stagnating energy, especially in the
lower trunk and abdomen, and they work to progressively reduce stiffness in
the spine.
1. Shavasana
2. Toe Pawanmuktasana
3. Ankle Flaps
4. Ankle Rotations
5. Supta Pawanmuktasana
6. Hip Circling
7. Finger Pawanmuktasana
8. Wrist Pawanmuktasana
9. Stretch
10. Nauka Sanchalasana – Rowing the boat
11. Chakki Chalana – Churning the Mill
12. Shavasana
1. Shavasana. – (refer to previous outline of this practice)
Allow the musculature of the body to relax and the breath to deepen a
little……………
2.Toe Pawanmuktasana.
With the eyes closed, and lying in Shavasana, Inhale, and at the same
time move the ten toes back towards the body,
- only the toes, not the feet.

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Hold for a couple of seconds with the breath held in.
Exhale, and slowly move the ten toes to curl back down towards the
soles of the feet. Again hold for a couple of seconds with the breath
held out.
Focus on slow movement with the natural breath. Repeat 5 - 10 times
and then allow feet to be perfectly still……….
Pause for several slow, easy, natural breaths between each asana.
20 – 30 seconds, or thereabouts………….
3.Ankle Flaps.
Inhale, and bend both feet back towards the body from the ankles.
Hold briefly, (about two or three seconds) then Exhale, and stretch the
feet forwards, as though you were going to touch them off the floor.
Again hold briefly. Repeat 5 – 10 times with the breath.
Allow the feet to relax then and return to the practice of stillness…….
4. Ankle Rotations.
Inhale, and bend both feet back towards body from the ankles. Then
allow both feet to rotate towards the right, continuing as you exhale to
circle both feet down towards the ground and then circling towards the
left, returning to the upper point of the circle as you inhale.
Continue in this way, slowly circling the feet, making the circles as
perfect and large as you can comfortably manage. Rotate 5 – 10 times
slowly in one direction. Pause…………..
Then reverse the movement and rotate both feet together 5 –10 times
in the opposite direction. Allow the muscles in the feet to soften then
and the feet to become perfectly still…….
Notice how your feet and toes feel after these movements. Warmth, tingling,
circulation, any sensations or feelings in the muscles that stretch up the shins
and legs. Total awareness of the body. The breath. And the space that you
occupy……….
5.Supta Pawanmuktasana.
Become aware of the whole right leg. On the next Inhalation bend the
right knee in towards the centre of your chest. Clasp both hands below
the knee on the shin.
Exhale while raising the head, bringing the forehead towards the knee.
Hold for a second or two (or three or four, as comfortable).
Inhale while allowing head to return slowly to rest on the ground.
Then, Exhale while stretching out the right leg to rest straight along the
floor.
If it is comfortable for you to use stomach muscles to stretch out the leg
then that’s fine, but if you have back problems place your footsole on
the ground before sliding it back out straight.
Repeat this practice with the left leg.

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During this asana keep the leg that is straight as close to the floor as possible.
Rest after right and left side. Take a couple of soft, easy breaths in the belly.
Repeat the practice 4 more times to both legs, individually. Rest after
each round of right leg-left leg, becoming aware of how you are
breathing…………
6. Hip Circling.
Bring both knees in towards the chest. Keep the head and shoulders
resting comfortably on the floor. Place the hands on the kneecaps.
Begin to circle the knees slowly, making circles that suit your lower
back.
Some people will like to trace large circles, moving their knees to the
full reach of their hands, others will prefer small, precise concentrated
circles.
Focus on the massaging sensation on your lower back…….. Repeat as
many times as you like, swapping half-way to circle in the opposite
direction, giving an even amount of time to both sides.
Rest afterwards for a few moments, with the knees bent, and the foot-soles on
the floor, and the arms back down alongside the body.
When the breath is settled, stretch the legs back out straight into Shavasana
and continue…………
7. Finger Pawanmuktasana
With the arms remaining relaxed and down alongside the body, open
the hands as wide as you can while you inhale, spreading open the
fingers and feeling the energy travel to the end of each finger tip.
As you exhale make a loose fist of your hand with the thumb on the
inside.
Continue in this manner for 5 - 10 full slow breaths………

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Allow the hands to relax and become still, once the stretches are
complete……..
8. Wrist Pawanmuktasana.
Bend the arms at the elbows. The elbows rest on the ground alongside
the body.
Make loose fists with both hands with the thumbs on the inside.
Begin to rotate from the wrists, slowly tracing circles with the whole
hands, 5 – 10 times slowly in one direction and then 5 - 10 times slowly
in the other…………….
Concentrate the movement into the wrists and hands - the forearms
remain almost completely steady.
When you are finished rest the arms and hands back down to the
floor………….and watch your natural breath…………
9. Stretch.
On an Inhalation raise both arms over and above the head, and onto
the ground behind you.
With the Inhalation held, stretch your body from fingertips to toes
making yourself as long as possible.
When you need to, Exhale and bring the arms back down alongside
the body.
Release all tension in the body…………….
Take a recovery breath or two and then Repeat once or twice more.
………………….pause for a few minutes………………
10. Nauka Sanchalasana – Rowing the Boat.
Then come up slowly into a sitting position, with the legs stretched
straight out in front of you.
Pull back the ‘sitting bones’ by literally taking a hold of each buttock
and puling it back a little, so that the tail bone is now slightly tilted
backwards.
Keep the spine lengthened and strong, the shoulders relaxed and the
eyes closed.
Imagine that you are holding the oars to row a boat.
Inhale and lean back a little, making certain you don’t allow the tail-
bone to curl under, and simultaneously bring both arms, still holding the
‘oars’, up along the front of the body and raising the hands up above
your head.
Exhale and ‘row’ forwards with the hands moving in a big circular
motion down towards the feet.

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Inhale as you move hands back up along legs towards tummy, then up
the front of the body and over the head again. Exhale as you bend
forwards again from the hips, bringing the hands down towards the
feet…………
Keep strong in the lower back while you move.
‘Row’ 7 or more times in this direction………pause… and then reverse
the movement and ‘row’ 7 or more times in the opposite direction.
Take a few restful breaths. Notice how your body is
feeling…………………………………………………….
11. Chakki Chalana – Churning the Mill.
Sit with the legs out straight in front of you again, and then move the
feet apart, as far as your hips feel comfortable with.
Interlock the fingers of both hands in front of the body. Imagine that you
have a large pot or cauldron sunk into the ground between your legs.
Begin to make big circles with your arms as if you were stirring that pot
very slowly, moving in a circular fashion from the hips and waist.
Make the circles as big as you can manage, stretching forwards
towards the feet, coming up and leaning backwards and so on……
Again keep the lower back strong and have the tailbone slightly tilted
back.
Repeat this movement, slowly circling 7 or more times in one
direction,……..pause…..
and then reverse for 7 or more times in the opposite direction.
During these last two practices of Shakti Bandha the focus is on reviving
stagnant energy in the lower back and abdomen, reinvigorating and loosening
that area.

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Keep the lower back strong during the movements.
Move gracefully and fluidly from the waist and hips.
Do not strain or allow your body to experience any discomfort.
12. Shavasana.
After practising Chakki Chalana (above), lie down slowly into
Shavasana and rest for several minutes. Bend your knees if your back is
cramping, and keep the foot soles on the floor.
Watch how your body is breathing and be aware of all sensations in your
body. Allow the body to relax and become still ……………
You can leave the practise at this point or continue on, having completed the
above sequence, for a longer sadhana called…..
MODERATE LOOSENING PRACTISE
13. Vayu Nishkasana
14. Tiryaka Tadasana
15. Elbow Pawanmuktasana
16. Shoulder Rotations
17. Hasta Utthanasana
18. Neck Movements
19. Roll Down Padahastasana
20. Shavasana
13. Vayu Nishkasana
Come up into a squatting position with the feet about two-foot distance
apart. Try to have the heels down on the ground. You may ‘prop’ the
heels with a cushion or folded blanket if you need.
The arms are draped down along the insides of the knees and legs.
Circle the index fingers and thumbs around the big toes. Inhale and
look upwards, straightening the back somewhat. This is the starting
position.
Then, Exhale while straightening the legs, pushing the buttocks
upwards, and allow the head to come forwards towards the space
between the knees.
Inhale while sinking down smoothly to starting position. The fingers
remain at all times clasping the big toes.
Exhale and rest.
Repeat about 5 times, moving slowly, with the breath.
Do not strain.
At the end of 5 rounds and when the body is still folded forwards on the
fifth round, bottom up and head towards the knees etc., then INHALE

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and begin to straighten the trunk upwards, rolling up through the length
of the spine, keeping the arms loose, as you move up into a fully
standing position…………
You can ‘soften’ behind the knees at this point, just a slight bend, to
enable good venous return of the circulating blood. This is especially
important if you tend towards low blood pressure, or faintness.
Eyes are closed. Settle the body and the breath……….
14. Tiryaka Tadasana
– the Swaying Tree Pose.
Keep the feet approximately two-foot
distance apart, legs straight or slightly
‘softened’ behind the knees. Interlock
the fingers in front of the belly. Eyes
closed.
Inhale while raising the arms up along
the front of the body, turning the palms
to face upwards at about head height
and then continuing upwards with the
arms, swaying over to one side, as if
you were reaching your hands towards
the point where the wall and ceiling
meet to one side of you. Hands still
joined. Hold for a second or two. Then,
exhaling, keep the fingers interlocked,
straighten the trunk of the body and bring the arms and hands down smoothly
through the same graceful swaying arc, back to in front of the lower belly.
Repeat this whole movement to the other side of the body. This is one round.
Repeat slowly for 3 to 5 rounds……….or more if you like…

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Imagine that your body is standing between two panes of glass when
you practise this stretch, so that there is no leaning forwards or twisting
the body, just a simple side stretch.
Rest afterwards for a few breaths with the arms hanging loosely down by your
sides, and knees slightly ‘softened’………..
15. Elbow Pawanmuktasana.
Bring the feet back in to hip-distance apart.
Stretch the two arms out in front of the body at shoulder height. Palms
face upwards. Keep the shoulders relaxed.
As you next Exhale, bring the fingertips in to touch the tops of the
shoulders. (Maintain the elbows at shoulder height). Inhale and stretch
out the arms straight again.
Repeat the whole movement slowly, 5 to 7 times, then allow the arms
to hang down loosely by the sides of the body.
16. Shoulder Rotations.
Standing as you are, bring the fingertips in to touch the tops of the
shoulders.
Then, bring the elbows towards each other in front of the chest.
Inhaling, begin to slowly circle the elbows upwards, then out towards
the sides,
then exhaling continue downwards with the elbows and finally back to
meet in the centre again. Continue circling slowly 5 or more times
………………
Pause, and repeat in the opposite direction.
Aim to get as much movement in to the shoulders as you can, by
making the circles that the elbows trace as big as possible.
Again allow the arms to hang down loosely and be aware of the body
and the breath,………………….

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17. Hasta Utthanasana.
Again standing as you are, ‘knees softened’
as necessary, cross the right wrist over the
left wrist in front of the body.
Inhale, keep the wrists crossed, and raise
both arms up straight in front of the body,
and over the head, reaching up and pulling
back slightly with the arms.
Maintaining this slight backward pull, exhale
and allow the arms to open out up to the
sides, making a three-quarters of a circle
movement, like wings opening. Keep the
shoulder blades pressing towards each
other.
Palms are open and relaxed.
Inhale and bring the arms back over the
head through the same arc you have just
moved through, crossing the right wrist over
the left again, above the head.
Exhale, keep wrists crossed, and allow the
arms to come straight down in front of the
body to their starting position.
Cross the left wrist over the right wrist, and
repeat the above movements, except
change wrist positions.
These two cycles constitute one round.
Pause after each full round with the arms
down loosely to the sides of the body, and
when you are ready repeat the whole
movement 3 to 5 times. Pause and breathe
between each round.
18. Neck Movements.
Keep the eyes closed. ‘Soften’ / bend slightly behind the knees,
particularly if you are prone to low blood pressure.
A. Exhale and let the chin come slowly down towards the chest.
Inhale and raise the head back up to ‘centre’.
Exhale and allow the head to move back so that the chin is angling
towards the ceiling. (Keep the upper and lower teeth comfortably
together).
Inhale and bring the head back to ‘centre’.

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Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Pause and be aware…….
B. Exhale and turn the head as if you were looking over your right
shoulder. Only move the neck and head.
Inhale and return to centre.
Exhale and turn the head as if you were looking over your left
shoulder.
Inhale and return to centre.
Repeat both movements 3 to 5 times.
Pause again…and be aware of the sensations in your head and neck…
During both these neck exercises, keep the shoulders very relaxed,
and focus the movement at the head and neck. Always move very
slowly with the neck.
Do not practise if there is any discomfort.
19. Roll Down Padahastasana.
In the standing pose, with feet still hip-distance apart, bring the chin
forward towards the chest, roll forward the shoulders, keep the arms
loose, and begin to roll forwards and downwards through the spine,
allowing the head and arms to hang forwards. Drop the weight of the
upper body downwards.
At all times the body is loose and relaxed.
Bend the knees slightly if necessary, so that the curled fingers can
come to rest on the ground.
Breathe naturally during this practice.
The neck is soft and relaxed.
Let the head hang downwards unless you have high blood pressure, in
which case just tilt the face to look forwards.
Remain in this forward bend for a few comfortable breaths…..
Then, Inhale and begin to roll upwards,
focussing first on the base of the spine,
and then on ‘rebuilding’ the spine as you come up and out, replacing
vertebrae back on top of vertebrae,
until finally you roll back the shoulders, straighten the neck, and settle
the body in a fresh upright stance.
Breathe and settle the body, and only when the body is absolutely
ready, repeat this forward bend once or twice more.

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20. Shavasana.
Complete this practice by lying down, and spending several minutes, or
longer if you have the time, in Shavasana - allowing the body to be
completely at ease, and the breath to calm.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Along with these above practices, and the sadhanas to follow, you could add
a Breathing Practice (Pranayama) if you like, and a Meditation Practice, both
of these at the end of the asana, or perhaps a Yoga Nidra.
Between the Breathing Practice and the Meditation you could
practise Moola Bandha.
The Sadhanas described hereafter are only a couple of the many possible
Sequences of asana that would benefit you in your journey through Anxiety
and Panic Disorder. There are, as I have already said, a multitude of practices
and asanas available in Yoga. However these routines will certainly get you
going along the path.
The routines outlined below aim to harmonise the adrenal glands, and
to balance in particular Manipura Chakra. I mention which Chakra each asana
influences, therefore which area you could focus your awareness on as you
practise, although to be mindful simply of the breath and how the body is
moving is always more than sufficient.
Note that there aught to be a balance between forward- and backward-
bending asanas when practising any asana program, and an equal amount of
time given to each side of the body.
Therefore if you would like to use the following practices, and the above-
described techniques to build your own sadhana, keep these simple pieces of
advice in mind.
(The word sadhana means continuous yogic practise or effort.)
SADHANA ONE for Anxiety Disorder
1. Shavasana
2. Stretching Tadasana
3. Kati Chakrasana
4. Roll-down Pada Hastasana
Refer to
PRANAYAMA
MEDITATION
YOGA NIDRA
MOOLA BANDHA

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5. Marjari-Asana – The Cat pose
6. Shashank-Bhujangasana – The striking Cobra pose
7. Advasana
8. Utthan Pristhasana – the Lizard Pose
9. Shashankasana – the Child’s pose
10. Setu Asana – a bridge pose
11. Hasta Pada Angusthasana – hand to leg stretch
12. Shavasana.
1. Shavasana – Ajna – See above
2. Stretching Tadasana – Mooladhara, Ajna
Come up slowly from Shavasana.
Stand with the feet hip distance apart.
‘Soften’ behind the knees if you prefer.
Interlock the fingers in front of the abdomen.
Keep the eyes opened and focused on one point either directly at eye-
level, or on the floor some feet in front of you. Inhale and begin to raise
the arms up along the front of the body, hands interlocked, turning the
palms to face outwards at about head level.
Continue on upwards with the arms until they are fully extended above
the head at the end of the exhalation, palms facing towards the ceiling.
At the same time as you move the arms upwards, come up onto
your toes.
Remain in the upward stretch for a moment with the breath held in.
Then exhale while bringing the arms back down, turning the hands
again at about face level, and simultaneously dropping the feet. The
last thing you do at the end of the exhalation is let the heels touch the
floor. Pause. Breathe slowly, at least once or twice, without doing
anything.
Then repeat the practice 5 times.
Allow the arms to hang down loosely by the sides when you are
finished.
Be aware of the body and the breath……………..
3.Kati Chakrasana – General Chakras
Now stand with the feet a little more than hip distance apart. Place the
right hand on the left shoulder, and bring the left arm behind the back,
so that the lower left arm rests easily along the small of the back.

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Exhale while turning with the head, neck, shoulders and upper trunk to
look over the left shoulder as far as comfortable. Then, inhale while
coming back to centre.
Place the left hand on the right shoulder, and the right arm behind the
back, (thereby reversing the previous positions of your two arms)
exhale while twisting the head, neck and trunk, as above, to look over
the right shoulder.
During both these movements, and as far as is possible, keep the hips
facing forwards.
This movement is focussed in the upper body, with the intention of
limbering up the spine.
Now that you’ve got the correct movements begin to speed up to a
gentle rhythmic swinging back and forth, keeping the arms softly close
to the body as you move. Repeat the practise for a minute or two, or
however long feels comfortable for you.
Eyes can be opened or closed.
Slowly come to a halt, and allow the arms to hang down loosely by the
sides of the body.
Follow with your awareness the movement of your breath……………….
4. Roll Down Padahastasana – Swadhisthana – (see above.)
Repeat this rolling down-wards pose, as previously described – 2 or 3
times.
Then settle afterwards, in a standing position, and remain still for about
thirty seconds, or longer if you wish, noticing how your body is
feeling…………………….
5. Marjariasana – Swadhisthana
Now come down onto your knees.
Place your hands, palms flat, fingers facing forwards, on the floor
directly below your shoulders.
Note that your knees aught to be directly below your hips so that your
body is ‘four-square’ and strong. (Think of the solidity of a table).
Become aware of the tailbone and as you inhale tilt the tailbone up
towards the ceiling, drop down the midsection of the back and raise the
head and neck to look upwards, so that the spine is now concave.
The arms remain straight. Hold for a second or two.
Exhale while curling back in the tailbone, ‘humping’ up the middle of
the spine, and lowering the head between the arms. Again the arms
remain straight.
At the end of the exhalation, briefly pull the stomach muscles a little
back towards the spine.
Inhale and begin the concave flex of the spine again, and exhale as
you move smoothly to the opposite curve. Breathe slowly. Take your

44
time. If you need to pause for some recovery breaths at any time,
do so. Repeat the two ‘cat’ flexes for 5 to 10 rounds.
Pause afterwards with the spine in neutral, and breathe naturally.
6. Shashank-Bhujangasana – Swadhisthasana
Start in the ‘cat’ position outlined above.
Then let the buttocks sink back down to rest on, or as near as possible
to the heels, and let the forehead sink forwards to touch the floor.
The arms are now loosely stretched out in front of the body. Breathe
and settle. This pose is called Shashankasana.
(Don’t worry if the forehead won’t quite touch the floor, or if the buttocks won’t touch
the heels. This will come as the spine loosens. If you have very high blood pressure,
don’t come all the way forward with the head. Move the knees apart, as much as you
like and keep the posture ‘loose’. Place your forehead on your hands if preferred.)
(Otherwise….) The hands are shoulder width apart on the floor in front
of you.
You are going to be moving in a moment.
Inhale, while raising the head a little bit and sliding forwards between
the arms with the chest leading.
The chest stays close to the ground and the buttocks are up in the air.
Then, when the chest is about level with the hands on the floor, move
the chest still further forward and upwards, and the pelvis comes down
towards the floor. The chest comes fully upwards as the arms
straighten out.
(This pose is called Bhujangasana or the Cobra. It is more important
to allow the back to be comfortably arched and the hips to be close to

45
the floor, than for the arms to be straight. It is fine if the elbows are
bent.)
Lengthen through the spine.
Keep the face muscles soft and relaxed.
Exhale, letting the chest come down towards the ground, pushing into
the hands and raising the buttocks.
Slide back towards your starting position with the buttocks touching the
heels and the forehead touching the floor or resting on your hands if
that is more comfortable.
Rest and remain in Shashankasana, until your body is ready to repeat
the movements. Practise 5 to 7 rounds.
7 Advasana - Ajna, Manipura
Then come to lie flat out on the ground along the front of your body.
The arms are stretched out above the head, palms towards the floor.
Elbows are relaxed. Turn your head to one side. Eyes closed. Remain
here for several minutes………….
(Half way through your practise of Advasana you should turn your head
to the opposite side.)
Focus on the gentle movement of your belly against the floor as you
breathe. Allow your breath to come and go in its own natural rhythm.
8. Utthan Pristhasana - Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata.
Moving from the above pose, Advasana, cross the arms underneath
the chest, holding on to the opposite elbow with each opposite hand.
(For women the arms are positioned below the breasts. Ladies with
larger embonpoints may need to adjust as necessary. )

46
Move the knees and feet a little apart. Lean forwards and lie down onto
the crossed arms, which can initially feel a little awkward, but is
manageable, and tilt up the face so that the chin is resting on the floor.
Pause and centre…………
Now, Inhale while raising the head, trunk and buttocks so that the body
is now supported on the knees, lower legs and elbows and forearms.
Feet remain on the floor.
Exhale while swaying back so that the chest and chin come down to
rest on the floor behind the crossed arms, or as near to this pose as
you can manage.
The buttocks are sticking right up in the air and the back is swayed.
Maintain this pose for as long as you can comfortably hold your breath
out. Do not strain.
When you need to inhale again do so, coming back up, trunk
supported on elbows and knees again, feet always resting on the
ground.
Exhale while returning to your starting position. Turn the forehead in to
rest on the floor if you need to take some recovery breaths. In your own
time practise 3 to 5 rounds.
Rest between rounds and when the practice is complete lie on the
tummy and bring the arms down alongside the body, head turned to
one side.
9. Shashankasana – Ajna, Manipura – (described above.)
Move back into Shashankasana for a few minutes of breathing comfortably
and letting the body settle,……………………………

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