Do you have anxiety or depression? I do, and I can tell you from experience that they can be as tough to defeat as any human fighter you might encounter.
In the past couple of years, I’ve discovered that one of the most powerful ways to combat them has been through martial arts. In particular, the practice of a certain posture has increased the stability of not only my physical structure but also my emotional and mental structure. If you think this is a load of BS, I don’t blame you. I’d probably think the same if I hadn’t experienced the power of posture for myself.
So, what exactly is the posture that I’ve found for controlling my anxiety and depression? I’m going to give you two answers, one simple and one not-so-simple:
- The simple: Shoulders back and chest out. That’s it. You’ve probably been told to do this since you were a kid. You know, stop slouching and be confident!
- The not-so-simple: Shoulders back and chest out is just the beginning. But it’s a good beginning and by itself helps quite a bit.
I don’t use any devices or equipment to hold this posture, however, I do think some of the devices/equipment in this Women’s Health magazine article here could help.
Now I have to admit that I’m not absolutely sure why this posture helps me fight anxiety and depression, but I do have a couple theories:
- In the internal arts that I practice, this posture is offensive and enables the issuing of dynamic force. When I feel anxiety or depression coming on, I often find that I’m not in this posture and instead in a more defensive one. However, when I transition into this more offensive posture, I find that the anxiety or depression “backs down” almost instantaneously, as if it knows that I’m in a powerful posture from which I can attack and defeat it.
- This posture substantially increases the blood flow to my brain; strengthens my breathing; and aligns and straightens my upper gastrointestinal tract, in particular, my pharynx and esophagus. Recently, I found an article from the National Institutes of Health that seems to confirm what I am experiencing.
If you have anxiety or depression, I encourage you to try this posture. I think you’ll find it powerful and useful. I also encourage you to try a martial art like water boxing, which can help further the development and power of your posture (and offer other benefits). In fact, some studies, like this one from researchers at UCLA, have shown internal martial arts to decrease anxiety and depression. (Some research has also found yoga to have the potential to combat anxiety and/or depression.) And if you want the complete not-so-simple answer to the posture I use to combat anxiety and depression, come check out water boxing at one of my classes or seminars.