Take care to not get swept up in fear and anxiety

For some people, the lockdown can trigger depression, anxiety, grief, and trauma. “With a global health crisis, financial instability, and physical isolation, we are all experiencing varying degrees of trauma. During isolation, feelings can come up that we are not prepared to process or integrate. We need connection; it's human nature,” said Stacey Chandler, certified in 200-hour yoga teacher training and 300 hours of advanced yoga psychology. “In this unprecedented time, and many without the skills or guidance on how to care for mental heath, it is likely we’ll have another kind of epidemic,” said Chandler. Chandler is a certified yoga and meditation teacher, Ayurvedic and Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner who specializes in Yoga Psychology and Yoga for Mental Health.

Chandler is offing help for people to stay grounded so they don’t get swept up in fear or anxiety. “We are experiencing grief and don’t even know it. We don’t have the skills need to navigate the feelings we’re experiencing,” she said.

How people manage stress and care for their mind now will help prevent post-traumatic stress. Meditation is a key tool. Yoga psychology has the same goal as psychotherapy – self-awareness, self-regulation – but for some people, the body work can take one to a deeper level of healing and transformation, she said.

Chandler is dedicated to offering a safe space where the principles of yoga are used to assist with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Due to coronavirus concerns, services are now virtual. She is offering private sessions and a free online course. Chandler said she wants everyone to know they are not alone, and she is willing to help.

Chandler will offer a Yoga for Mental Health Zoom workshop at 10 a.m., Monday, April 27. The event is free but registration is required; go to www.lewes.lib.de.us to register.

If customers desire a private Skype or Zoom session, they are $35 for 45 minutes. “It’s more important than ever to take care of our mental/emotional health,” she said. 

“Virtual classes and sessions really help in times like these,” Chandler said. “There is tender gratitude to be living in a time where this kind of connection is available to us; however, I think it will show us in time that there is nothing more beneficial than human, in-person connection.”

For more information, go to www.shantishala108.com, or contact Chandler directly at 302-703-7108.

Yoga for Mental Health, 10 a.m., Monday, April 27 

Through yoga and breath work, instructor Stacey Chandler will offer simple yet effective practices you can easily do at home to invigorate the mind, build confidence, and lift your spirits.

Editor’s note:  Work such as Chandler’s is not meant to replace psychotherapy by a licensed mental health professional. Chandler said, “What I do can certainly be a complement to psychotherapy but certainly not better or a replacement. I do not make the claim to treat or diagnose; that certainly is not in the scope of my work. I do, however, utilize yogic and Ayurvedic wisdom and tools to assist those who suffer with anxiety and depression. I am not a licensed therapist. I am a yoga and meditation teacher with training in yoga psychology in addition to several other certifications in yoga or mental health that were not mentioned in the article.”