Anger Management with Yoga Therapy
Anger Management with Yoga
Yoga Therapy for Anger
The wide range of applications for yoga therapy is really quite remarkable and in this article I will give you some nice techniques for anger management, with which you can release and be free of your anger. Anger is really just energy in motion, and yoga has some great techniques on how to effectively deal with this often overwhelming burst of energy. Of these techniques, I am going to focus on one in particular which comes from the timeless school of Kundalini Yoga and has a very unique way of helping you manage your anger problems.
This anger management technique, is designed to help you consciously release any pent up anger or frustration, so that it does not remain suppressed within you, waiting to explode like a ticking time bomb. The technique also helps you learn to become a witness to this energy, so that it is not able to influence your thoughts negatively. Many times previously I have spoken about developing this Witnessing Consciousness to help you in your emotional mastery, and indicated that difficult times, such as when you are angry for example, are a perfect opportunity for developing this potential. This technique gives you a chance to create such an opportunity in order to practice and develop this profound aspect of yourself.
Yoga also provides some other excellent techniques for anger therapy, which I have detailed previously and I will also show you how to combine them effectively with the anger management technique I am going to detail for you today. As mentioned, this therapy comes from the school of Kundalini Yoga and will be part of our Free Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises E-book, here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.
In addition, as I had mentioned yoga therapy has a wide range of applications and some of the previously detailed programs which might interest you as well are the following: 4 Effective Treatments for Stress and Anxiety Disorder and Depression and Anxiety Help with Yoga.
Below you will find illustrations and complete practice details for this anger management technique. If you are new to yoga, please also follow the guidelines on how to practice yoga which I have detailed in the following 2 articles, Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Practice and Guidelines for Kundalini Yoga Practice.
Anger Management Yoga Therapy
Illustration #1 Starting Position – Get Angry
Illustration #2 Anger Management Therapy
Illustration #3 Anger Management Therapy
Illustration #4 Anger Management Therapy
Anger Management Yoga Therapy:
a. Instructions for practicing Anger Management Yoga Therapy:
- This technique is relatively simple to do and is quite effective as well. To start, lie on your back as show in Illustration #1. Then close your eyes and raise your arms straight up towards the ceiling. Make a fist. Now inhale deeply and really get angry.
- Now, tense your arms and clench your fist and slowly start to bring your hands down towards your chest, as shown in Illustrations 2 and 3. Pretend as if you are pulling an immensely heavy object down towards you. Continue to let angry flow as you do this. Any anger that come up just allow it to come up. Remain angry.
- Once your fists reach your chest (Illustration #4), exhale forcefully from the mouth and with the outgoing breath release all the anger consciously. Then inhale again, raise your arms and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 repetitions.
- After completing your three repetitions, relax completely in corpse pose for 1-3 minutes. Just observe any remnants of anger which might come up and allow this energy to run it’s course and then let it go completely.
b. Duration for Anger Management Yoga Therapy:
- 3 repetitions total. Make sure you are slowly pulling your hands down. Corpse Pose for 1-3 minutes afterwords.
c. Benefits of Anger Management Yoga Therapy:
- Helps release suppressed anger and frustration.
- Helps one consciously learn to release and be free from anger.
- Helps develop the art of observing feelings and thoughts without judging or interfering.
d. Practice Tips for Anger Management Yoga Therapy:
- Don’t be afraid to really get angry when doing this practice. Also, if you notice certain thought patterns coming up repeatedly during this exercise, learn to detach yourself from them, let them run their course and allow them to finish.
- In general, don’t judge yourself when you get angry. We all get angry and there is nothing wrong with that, it is ok. Just learn to observe this anger and don’t get swept away with the ego empowering, hateful, negative thoughts that anger ignites. Instead, try to use this opportunity to practice forgiveness and develop your Witnessing Consciousness.
More Anger Management Yoga Therapies:
- Another great technique, which can be used to balance a system disposed to anger and irritation is Sheetali Pranayama for Stress and Anger Management or the Cooling Breath. You may wish to practice this after corpse pose, if you feel the anger mangement technique has left you overheated or irritated.
I believe that yoga helps with anger management due to the increase of oxygen and blood flow to the brain, which really helps dilute the stress hormones. I like to say it that way because most people need a more scientific explanation to try something.
Hi Amnol, thank you for sharing yoga as a anger management technique. I always thought of yoga as a very spiritual thing but it seems it has its practical uses as well :)
I would suggest using it together with cognitive behavioural therapy to help in the effort of anger management therapy.
I like the concept of yoga therapy. Do you think it would work with children in need of anger management for children ? What would be the youngest age that a child could realistically benefit from yoga therapy?
I have been doing this for only 3 days am already see a difference. I am not ecstatically happy but my mood has certainly calmed down a lot. I have also been doing the Sheetali Pranayama. I started doing them both when I lay down to go to bed at night also and I do not seem to think about things to the point of not sleeping.
For my Sadhana I am doing the spinal warm up, Sheetali Pranayama, the mantra meditation for wealth, this one for anger and then i end with 10 minutes of corpse pose. Do you think this is a good combination or do I need to add something to balance it. My real goal is the wealth but I believe that anger blocks is and I have been angry for a while. Thanks for your input and thanks for this awesome site!!
Diane