When Everything Becomes Too Much – How Yoga Can Help Us Cope

---

“I don’t even know where to start.”
“I’m just going through the motions.”
“As soon as I stop, I start crying.”

These are sentences I hear regularly in my work as a yoga therapist – in one-on-one sessions and in group classes. Many people come to me wanting to “switch off,” but what’s often hidden underneath is deeper: Overwhelm. Chronic tension. A sense of helplessness.

They feel drained, disconnected, overstimulated. And they’re not alone.
We live in a time of constant demands, uncertainty, and overstimulation. Especially those who carry a lot – at work, in families, in care roles – often realize: I’ve lost touch with myself.

---

When the Body Sounds the Alarm

From the perspective of yoga therapy and body-based work, overwhelm isn’t just psychological – it’s physical. It shows up in the body: as tension, sleep issues, irritability, or a feeling of being numb or “not really here.”

Long-term stress keeps the nervous system stuck in survival mode. The body signals clearly, but often we only start listening when nothing works anymore. This is exactly where yoga-based regulation can begin: by reconnecting with the body, the breath, and our own rhythm.

---

What Yoga Philosophy Tells Us

Ancient yogic texts speak surprisingly clearly about what we now call “stress” or “burnout.”
Patanjali names Avidya – misperception or forgetting – as one of the roots of suffering. We forget our inner stability, our limits, and our needs.

“Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ” – Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.
(Yoga Sutra I.2)

Yoga is not about tuning out life, but tuning into ourselves.
In yoga therapy, we use mindful movement, breath awareness, and presence to return to clarity, self-regulation, and a felt sense of agency.

---

Three Simple Practices for Overwhelming Times

You don’t need 90 minutes or a yoga mat to begin. Especially in times of exhaustion, small steps matter. These three practices can help you reconnect:

1. Breathing Anchor – Longer Exhale

Sit comfortably. Inhale slowly through your nose (count to 4), exhale even slower (count to 6). Repeat for a few rounds.
→ The extended exhale helps calm your nervous system and creates inner space.

2. Hand on Heart

Place your hand on your chest. Feel the warmth and rhythm. Breathe. Silently say to yourself: “I’m here.”
→ Gentle touch can bring grounding and comfort.

3. Shake and Pause

Stand up and shake your body gently – arms, legs, shoulders. Let go with a sigh or sound. Then pause, close your eyes if it feels safe, and feel what’s changed.
→ A simple way to discharge tension and reconnect.

---

It’s Not About Self-Optimization

Many people tell me: “I should be coping better” or “I’m doing it wrong.”
But yoga is not about being better. It’s about being honest – with yourself, your body, your limits.

In yoga therapy, we don’t push – we listen. We create spaces where you don’t have to perform. Where you can just be.

Maybe your yoga today is one breath. One quiet minute. One moment of not reacting.

---

When You Feel Helpless …

… it doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means you’ve been strong for too long.
Yoga doesn’t promise to fix everything – but it offers a way back to yourself. Not by solving your life. But by softening your response to it.

“Yoga begins right where I am – not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.”
– Judith Hanson Lasater

---

✨ Would you like support on this path?

In my work as a yoga therapist, I offer individual sessions and small group programs for people who feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply ready to reconnect with themselves.

If you’re curious about how this could support you, feel free to reach out.
We’ll take it one step at a time – with breath, awareness, and compassion.

📬 Just drop me a line!