For years, I was plagued with anxiety attacks, longing for healing. I went to counseling and engaged in practices of self-care and embodiment, but there was always a glimpse of anxiety present no matter how deeply ingrained I was in my healing journey. For me, this was because I didn’t have my healing toolkit all in one place.
I went to therapy here, took yoga classes there, engaged in meditation at home, received massages at another studio, etc. There was always a felt sense of disjointedness, rather than a simple sitting and being. With Body Positive Works, my anxiety treatment center, I have all of my tools under one roof. By bridging multiple modalities in one space, I find an integrated, therapeutic, and holistic experience for healing.
Anxiety Causes
Although there are a plethora of anxiety causes, here are some that resonate with me. I hope you see that you’re not alone, and know that there is help available to support you on your journey toward growth, healing, and transformation.
- Taking on too much or trying to do too much at once, prompting feelings of overwhelm
- Perfectionism
- Not creating enough balance and not playing enough
- Not being open to daily shifts and changes
- Not talking and sharing about thoughts and feelings
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not eating a well-balanced diet for you and your body
- Medical issues that have anxiety as part of their symptomatology
Support For Anxiety
Support for anxiety takes on many forms and looks different for each individual. As someone who has found healing from my anxiety attacks, I want to layout what helped me. Here is a list of the tools, services, and practices that I integrated and utilized at both Body Positive Works and in my everyday life for deep transformation:
Counseling – weekly one-on-one counseling sessions to share and express my emotions and experiences and experiment with mind-body practices
Yoga – vinyasa, yin, and restorative classes to become embodied, to be with me as I am in the moment, feeling what I’m feeling, and experiencing what I’m experiencing through a lens of non-judgment
Meditation – sessions, both at home and within my counseling practice, to truly sit with and witness my thoughts and emotions
Breathwork – daily breathwork classes to shift my nervous system, and thus, my state, moving from the sympathetic nervous system, fight or flight, stress, and anxiety, to the parasympathetic nervous system, rest and digest, calm, and relaxation
Reiki – sessions to move stuck and stagnant energy in my body, creating space for new ways of being and navigating
Massage – bodywork to release energetic blockages in my body, opening up space for my true, authentic self to rise
Balanced nutrition – eating in a way that serves me and my body, nourishing my physical, emotional, and mental bodies
Engaging in self-soothing practices – for me, this entailed taking baths, listening to music, and being in nature, to name a few
Sleep – sleeping deeply for about 8 hours a night by engaging in practices that support rest, rather than impede upon it, such as scrolling through my phone and watching TV right before bed
Movement – daily, enjoyable movement, like dancing, walking/hiking, biking, weight lifting, satisfying movement to tune into my body
If you, or anyone you know, maybe struggling with anxiety attacks or anxiety in general, I invite you to take an integrative approach to your healing, unifying different practices, services, and tools to guide you through your experience. Body Positive Works is a space that provides easy access to supports, as it brings together a multitude of modalities under one roof. Call 201-708-8448 if you are seeking to grow your anxiety management toolkit.
