We go straight to the source for a series of calming yoga postures.
Colleen
Saidman Yee wears many hats: international yoga instructor and Gaiam
video star, founder of the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy Program,
battler of epilepsy, former fashion model, and wife to ubiquitous yogi
Rodney Yee. With the release of her latest book, Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom, fans and newcomers alike get a chance to hear Saidman Yee's eye-opening life story. The book's fashionable whiff of sex,
drugs, and yoga may pique surface interest, but her message is a deeper
one of navigating obstacles like the hollow business of physical
beauty, a car crash at age 15 that left her with brain trauma, and a
very public yoga-world affair that led to her divorce (and
the judgment of many strangers). At points in her life, insecurity and
addiction delivered the kind of one-two punch that could knock a person
into a permanent state of anxiety. Instead of letting trauma win, she
found the perfect tool to help her recover: yoga. Here, Saidman Yee
demonstrates six yoga poses to help soothe anxiety and then shares
insights about her book.
1. Mountain Pose
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
Standing poses elicit feelings of strength and control.
Stand with your back to the wall in Mountain Pose, with
feet together and arms by your sides, for two regular breaths (image A).
Exhale and hug your right knee into your belly (image B). Set the foot
down as you inhale, and with an exhale, hug your left knee into your
belly. Inhale and set your left foot down. Repeat four times on each
side.
2. Tree Pose
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
Balance poses, such as tree pose, demand a focus of the
mind, which is crucial during anxious states. Pressing your palms
together in prayer position helps you avoid feeling exposed and
vulnerable.
Continue standing with the back of your torso against the
wall, heels out about 4 to 6 inches. Hug your right knee into your belly
and then place your right foot as high as possible on your left inner
thigh. Press your palms together in front of your chest in prayer
position. Stay for five breaths on each side.
3. Chair Pose With Eagle Arms
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
This is a challenging pose that keeps the mind attentive
and requires strong use of the legs. The arms in Eagle Pose release
tension in the upper back muscles between the shoulder blades. Having
the wall behind you and your arms in front of your torso create a
feeling of safety.
With your back against a wall, bend your knees as if
lowering onto a chair. Bend your arms, sitting the right elbow into the
crook of the left, backs of your hands facing each other. Pass your
right hand in front of your left and bring the palms together, thumbs
pointing toward the tip of your nose. (Grab your wrist if you can't
press your palms together.) Hold for five breaths, then reverse your
arms and hold for five more breaths. As you inhale, lift your elbows
slightly. As you exhale, bend your knees a little more deeply.
4. Standing Forward Bend
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
Forward bend releases the hamstrings. The hamstrings and
calves can become tense when we get stuck in fight-or-flight mode. A
forward bend also makes exhalation easily accessible.
From Mountain Pose (image A), fold forward to Standing
Forward Bend by placing your hands on the floor or on a block, knees
slightly bent. Hold for five breaths. Put your hands on your hips and
use the strength of your legs to slowly raise your torso one vertebra at
a time to stand.
5. Child's Pose
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
This pose releases the muscles of the back and is very relaxing. It encourages full exhalation, which helps alleviate anxiety.
Sit on your heels facing away from the wall and spread
your knees wider than shoulder-distance apart. Pull the end of a pillow
or cushion into your inner thighs and lie over it. Turn your head to one
side and keep your eyes open. Do a simple body scan meditation by
naming the parts of your body, either aloud or silently. Count the
length of your exhalation. Stay for two minutes, then turn your head to
the opposite side and stay for two more minutes.
We Like: Magic Carpet Yoga Mat in Baja Smoke
6. Final Relaxation (Savasana) With Chair
PHOTOGRAPH BY ZEV STARR-TAMBOR
The final relaxation with the chair releases the calves.
Drape your arms across your body like you are giving yourself a hug to
create a feeling of safety. Observe the sensations that come over you
and watch them pass like clouds.
Lie down on your back and rest your calves on the seat of a
chair. Cross your arms in front of your torso as if hugging yourself.
Scan the body from the head to the feet. If you feel restless, return to
your body scan. Stay for five minutes.
Now that we've all found our calm, Colleen Saidman Yee answers some of our most burning questions about her book.
Prevention: What made you decide to write this book?
Saidman Yee: The truth is that there wasn't much logic or planning involved. I had never considered it. As a former model, druggie, and college dropout, I thought my job was to be mute. That changed when I discovered yoga in 1987. One of my longtime students, Esther Newberg, who is also a highly respected literary agent, suggested I try writing a book out of my pretty dramatic life story. I had no idea how to get started, but I kept getting up every day and writing, surprising myself.
Saidman Yee: The truth is that there wasn't much logic or planning involved. I had never considered it. As a former model, druggie, and college dropout, I thought my job was to be mute. That changed when I discovered yoga in 1987. One of my longtime students, Esther Newberg, who is also a highly respected literary agent, suggested I try writing a book out of my pretty dramatic life story. I had no idea how to get started, but I kept getting up every day and writing, surprising myself.
PVN: How often do you practice or teach yoga?
SY: There are about five days a month I don't teach, but every single day I drag my butt out of bed to practice first thing in the morning. Most days, my husband and I go to our Yoga Shanti studios in Sag Harbor or New York—or someplace else in the world—to teach. If we don't do our routine in the morning, chances are we won't get to it.
SY: There are about five days a month I don't teach, but every single day I drag my butt out of bed to practice first thing in the morning. Most days, my husband and I go to our Yoga Shanti studios in Sag Harbor or New York—or someplace else in the world—to teach. If we don't do our routine in the morning, chances are we won't get to it.
PVN: How does yoga ease your anxiety?
SY: With anxiety, you panic, feeling stuck and helpless, and hold your breath, creating pressure in the head. When anxiety begins to lessen, there is release: an exhalation, sigh, yawn, or a dropping of the shoulders and jaw. It's almost like putting down a bag you didn't know you were carrying. When we practice yoga, we learn that we can sit with our anxieties and patterns and observe them instead of trying to escape. We become conscious and mindful. Gradually we may be able to let go of a familiar anxiety when we feel it in order to change.
SY: With anxiety, you panic, feeling stuck and helpless, and hold your breath, creating pressure in the head. When anxiety begins to lessen, there is release: an exhalation, sigh, yawn, or a dropping of the shoulders and jaw. It's almost like putting down a bag you didn't know you were carrying. When we practice yoga, we learn that we can sit with our anxieties and patterns and observe them instead of trying to escape. We become conscious and mindful. Gradually we may be able to let go of a familiar anxiety when we feel it in order to change.
PVN: What would you say to skeptics who don't think yoga can address a problem like anxiety?
SY: I'd say, "How's everything else working for you?" I'm joking, but not really.
SY: I'd say, "How's everything else working for you?" I'm joking, but not really.
PVN: How has your yoga practice changed over the years?
SY: When I was younger, I just loved to sweat and didn't worry so much about injury. Now, with more information about my body, I tailor my practice to balance myself physically and emotionally. Since menopause, I need more muscular strength, so I may hold standing poses and use my body weight to build mass, or even put small weights in my hands or on my ankles. On sluggish days, I'll do ten sun salutations to get my blood flowing. My 50s have been about relaxing and accepting myself. Yoga isn't just about being able to put your feet on your head in scorpion pose (though that can be fun). Yoga is the practice that brings me home—to me. It's a dear and seasoned friend that I count on in every circumstance—from the burying of my mother, to my daughter's leaving for college, to the trauma and disappointment I feel when I have epileptic seizures.
SY: When I was younger, I just loved to sweat and didn't worry so much about injury. Now, with more information about my body, I tailor my practice to balance myself physically and emotionally. Since menopause, I need more muscular strength, so I may hold standing poses and use my body weight to build mass, or even put small weights in my hands or on my ankles. On sluggish days, I'll do ten sun salutations to get my blood flowing. My 50s have been about relaxing and accepting myself. Yoga isn't just about being able to put your feet on your head in scorpion pose (though that can be fun). Yoga is the practice that brings me home—to me. It's a dear and seasoned friend that I count on in every circumstance—from the burying of my mother, to my daughter's leaving for college, to the trauma and disappointment I feel when I have epileptic seizures.
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