Yoga Anxiety Bag … Apparently it’s a “Thing”!

I’m always the last to know, so this is probably “old hat” to you, but recently I learned about the anxiety bag.  It’s all over social media (which I try to avoid – no wonder I hadn’t heard of it.)  An anxiety bag is a small bag that you carry around in your backpack, purse or carry-on with items that help calm you down.  You choose the things that help you the most, like …

• Something to fidget with – rings, cubes or small tactile objects that keep the hands busy.  (Hmmmm, sounds like a mala, getting the “monkey mind” to focus on something tactile and repetitive.)
• Something to soothe your nerves – essential oils, lip balm or a favorite lotion.  (Interesting.  Using the sense of smell to calm the brain. Reminds me of Indu lotion gently massaged into the temples and pressed into the Third Eye during Savasana.)
• Something to listen to – ear pods, headphones, white noise. (Now I’m getting it – sound therapy!  Pulling out an old playlist of Trevor Hall’s “Everything You Need,” “Holy Country,” “Chapter of the Forest.”  Trevor always shifts my mind into a better place.)
• Something to taste – That’s a new one for me! (Apparently sour candy can create sensory grounding that forces the brain to shift away from anxious thoughts to a new sensation.  Wonder what Ayurveda thinks of that one?  My go-to taste to calm me down is Ashwaganda tea.  It is more earthy than sour, but it definitely grounds me when I use it on a regular basis.)

So obviously all along I have been building an anxiety bag, but instead of it being a physical bag I thought I was collecting items for my “yoga toolbelt” to help me and others like me that have an anxious mind, calm down.  Now I just need to put them all together in a bag to create my own personal “Yoga Anxiety Bag.”

My number 1 go-to anxiety reducer is my mala that my daughter brought back from India.  Part of the reason I love it is because Meagan got it for me, the other part is its color – red.  Red is grounding.  It is the color of our first chakra, Muladhara, the one that is associated with earth, security, safety.  Wearing it around my wrist is a reminder to let go of fear, anxiety and stress.  Using it with a repetitive mantra, affirmation or even prayer is soothing and calms me down.  I frequently have to repeat my mantra more than 108 times for each red bead.  Sometimes I have to go through it three or four times, but eventually the repetition, the tactile sensation and the movement of my fingers almost always help me rest and let go of the grip of worry or fear in my mind.  I thought it didn’t have a bag to live in, but I was wrong.  When I am not wearing it lives in my yoga bag that I carry from my house to the Shanti Shed each day, so I guess technically it is a Yoga Anxiety Bag.

My third Yoga Anxiety Bag is actually multiple little bags.  They are jewelry bags like the red one on the right.  They contain certain jewelry that I wear to give me strength, peace and calm.  Starting left to right is my gold Earth Mother necklace.  She came from the Brooklyn Museum and is a tiny replica of a predynastic Egyptian figurine (the original is made of 

clay) that inspired my Art History Master’s thesis many years ago.  She represents the ancient female strength within. And then there is the silver pendant necklace I purchased from an artist at the first Floyd Yoga Jam.  It’s Sanskrit engraving is the Gayatri Mantra (I was just chanting it yesterday!) … “May that Sun illuminate our Intellect.”  The bracelet (again includes red colored beads) has a Happy Buddha carved on it.  It’s not technically a mala bracelet, but that hasn’t stopped me from using it as such at times.  Then there are the elephant earrings (Ganesha’s power of removing obstacles) and my red Kwan Yin necklace made by the woman in Asheville who sold me the life-size Kwan Yin statue that now guards the door of my Shanti Shed.  She’s a reminder to always have compassion and kindness.

Now my fourth Yoga Anxiety Bag is actually a tin.  A mint tin I bought years ago at some cash register.  It caught my eye because it had an elephant on it.  And I think this one works better for those that don’t carry a backpack or a bag.  This one can fit in your pocket.  What would I put in it?  Maybe a pocket Ganesha.  I love him because he is solid, heavier than you would think.  And yes, that grounds me just by feeling that little weight.  But it could also contain a smooth stone.  I’ve been collecting stones since I was a little girl.  This one came from a cave in the Black Beach of Iceland.  It’s where Ken and I first saw hundreds of little black “flying footballs” that turned out to be puffins.  Magical!  Every time I hold it, it brings back wonderful memories.  And the necklace here is an old one.  I think it was a Mother’s Day years ago that I received these two heart charms with March and June birthstones imbedded in them.  They are for my two incredible children – Chace and Meagan.  There’s a little “peace” charm added in.  Sometimes when I wear this, I hold the two hearts in one hand and it connects me to two amazing beings that I adore more than they will ever know.

Build your own Yoga Anxiety Bag.  Collect those elements you treasure, that help you feel safe, grounded and peaceful.  It really does break up anxiety, allow you time to pause, touch, feel, smell, maybe even taste (I forgot the Ashwaganda tea bag, oh well). 

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.