How yoga transformed my debilitating anxiety and completely changed my life for the better.
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This blog post includes topics of mental health, anxiety, depression and self harm.
A Journey of Anxiety
As a teen, I suffered from debilitiating anxiety that ruled my life. It dictated everything—my sleep, school life, friendships, relationships, sports, whether I would get out of bed some days.
By the time I reached highschool, my panic attacks started. I remember my first one like it was yesterday—I felt like I couldn't breath and I thought I was dying. I had no idea what was happening to me or my body. I thought I was the only person in the world that had anxiety. I thought that if I told my parents or friends, they would think I was a freak. So I told no one, I closed myself off, and suffered alone. I was hoping the panick attack's would go away on their own. They didn't. Inevitably, my anxiety got much worse and by the time I was 18 I was stuck in a cycle of anxiety, depression, numbing, despair, and self-harm.
Eventually I reached a breaking point. I was exhausted from living with my anxiety. I remember every day being so mentally and phsyically exhausted. It wasn’t until a medical practitioner recommended yoga to me that everything changed. At first, I was not a believer. I didn't see how streching and lycra could help me when psychologists and medications couldn't. I reluctantly attended a yoga class. It was a simple, beginner-friendly, restorative-style, breath-led local yoga class in Brisbane. I remember happy crying in my car afterwards because I felt what it was like to not have anxiety in my body.
At the time I had no concept of just how impactful yoga would be. I started practicing multiple times a week and yoga became my anchor when my anxiety got too much. The more time I spent in wellness land, the most positive compouding impact it had on my life. I quit smoking, alcohol, all medications, toxic relationships. I started a plant-based diet, fell in love with surfing, freediving, travelled the world, read uplifting books, did my yoga teacher training, started volunteering, and invited more wholesome ways of living. It was the start of a wellness journey that changed the entire trajectory of my life.
I felt so passionate and inspired to share this with others that I became a yoga teacher speacialising in yoga for the mental health benefits. Today, I lead yoga events worldwide and freedive to 30m on one breath of air. Which is pretty awesome when you consider that once upon a time, my anxiety once kept me small, quite and struggling to breath.
So, Why Yoga Is So Darn Powerful for Mental Well-being
I could yarn on this for days. But here are 3 core reasons why Yoga is so successful in supporting mental wellbeing.
Reason 1: The Breath 🫁
The breath is key. Techniques like deliberate, slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing increase vagal tone, which helps regulate the parasympathetic nervous system—your “rest and digest” mode. Studies show that increased vagal tone correlates with reduced symptoms of anxiety (Sullivan et al., 2018).
Reason 2: Stretches 🙆♀️
Beyond its effects on the breath, slow and restorative yoga practices engage the body’s myofascial network. This connective tissue system, sometimes referred to as the body’s “secondary sensory organ,” holds tension, stress, and trauma. Gentle stretches and mindful movements help release these stored emotions, creating a sense of ease and balance (Findley & Shalwala, 2013).
Reason 3: Mind-Body Connection 🧠
Moreover, yoga’s meditative aspect cultivates mindfulness, which is proven to reduce rumination, improve emotional regulation, and increase self-awareness (Gupta et al., 2016). This mind-body connection is transformative, making yoga not just a tool for managing anxiety but a preventive practice that builds resilience over time.
Give It A Try
Yoga changed my life. I quite simply wouldn't be here without it. And I know a hundred more stories just like mine. So if you're also thinking "I don't think lycra and stretching can help me", give it a try and you might just find your whole world shift 🌏
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