Building Inner Strength: How Yoga and Pilates Help You Find Calm

Some days, the world feels loud.

Your chest is a little tight. Your mind is running five conversations at once. You’re carrying something… you’re not even sure what…but it’s heavy. Maybe it’s been a hard week. A hard season. Maybe you’ve been holding it together for everyone else and forgetting to hold yourself.

If you found this post because you Googled “yoga for anxiety” or “how to calm down“… we get it. And we’re glad you’re here.

We’re Emma and Carla, and we’ve been practising yoga and Pilates together for over 20 years. We’re not therapists or psychologists (and we’ll always encourage you to talk to a professional if you’re struggling). But we can tell you this from our own experience: movement, specifically the kind of mindful, gentle movement that Yoga and Pilates offer, has been one of the most powerful tools for our own mental health.

Not as a cure. Not as a replacement for professional support. But as a daily practice that helps us stay grounded when everything around us feels uncertain.

Let’s talk about why it works, and how you can start.

The Science: Why Yoga Helps With Anxiety and Stress

This isn’t just “woo-woo”, there’s genuine, growing research behind yoga for mental health, and the findings are pretty amazing.

Your nervous system responds to breath

When you’re anxious, your body is stuck in “fight or flight” mode, your sympathetic nervous system is running the show. Heart races, breathing gets shallow, muscles tense up.

Yoga directly addresses this through conscious breathing. When you slow your exhale (even slightly longer than your inhale), you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s natural “rest and digest” mode. Research published in the Harvard Mental Health Letter found that Yoga modulates the stress response by reducing cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate.

In plain English? Breathing practices literally tell your body: “You’re safe. You can relax now.”

Movement releases stored tension

We carry stress in our bodies… tight shoulders, clenched jaw, tension in the hips (you know the feeling). You might not even realise you’re doing it until you try to relax and feel how much you’ve been holding.

Gentle Yoga and Pilates movements help release this stored physical tension. When your body softens, your mind follows. It’s a feedback loop: calm body → calmer mind → even calmer body.

Mindfulness creates space between stimulus and response

One of the most transformative aspects of Yoga is the mindfulness component. When you practise being present on the mat, that is, noticing your breath, feeling your muscles work, staying with a challenging pose… you’re training your brain to create a gap between what happens and how you react.

Over time, this shows up everywhere. That work email that used to spike your anxiety? You notice the feeling, take a breath, and choose your response. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it happens. And it’s powerful.

The research at a glance

Studies have found that regular Yoga practice can:

• Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels
• Improve heart rate variability (a marker of stress resilience)
• Enhance sleep quality
• Increase GABA levels in the brain (a neurotransmitter that promotes calm)

One 2020 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that Yoga was as effective as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for generalised anxiety disorder. We’re not saying swap your therapist for a yoga mat but adding movement to your toolkit? That’s backed by science.

What Kind of Yoga Is Best for Anxiety?

Not all yoga is created equal when it comes to managing stress and anxiety. Here’s what we recommend:

Gentle flow yoga

Slow, breath-matched movement that keeps you present without overstimulating your system. This is what Carla teaches in many of our MerryBody yoga classes fluid movements that feel like a conversation between your body and breath.

Yin yoga / restorative poses

Longer-held poses (2-5 minutes) that allow deep release in the connective tissues and create space for emotional processing. Even just 10 minutes of restorative yoga before bed can transform your sleep. Try Yin Yoga here.

Mat Pilates with breath focus

This one surprises people! Pilates requires so much focus and precision that it becomes a form of moving meditation. When you’re concentrating on engaging your core and controlling a movement, there’s simply no room for the anxious thoughts to spiral. Emma teaches our MerryBody Pilates classes with this exact intention.

What to avoid when you’re feeling anxious

High-intensity, fast-paced classes can sometimes increase anxiety if your nervous system is already overstimulated. If you’re in a heightened state, start with something gentle and build from there. Listen to your body, it knows.

5 Simple Practices for When Anxiety Hits

You don’t need a full yoga class to access the benefits. Here are five practices you can use anywhere, anytime:

1. Extended exhale breathing (2 minutes)

Breathe in for 4 counts. Breathe out for 6 counts. Repeat for 2 minutes. This simple ratio activates your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body to calm down. You can do this at your desk, in the car (parked!), or in bed.

2. Legs up the wall (5 minutes)

Lie on your back with your legs resting up against a wall. Close your eyes. Breathe. This gentle inversion calms the nervous system, reduces swelling in the legs, and creates an incredible sense of peace. It’s one of our favourite “reset” poses.

3. Child’s pose (as long as you need)

Kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels, and fold forward with arms extended. Rest your forehead on the mat. This is a surrendering pose, it’s a physical way of saying “I’m letting go for a moment.” In our classes, we always say child’s pose is an option at any time. No permission needed.

4. Gentle seated twist (1 minute each side)

Sit cross-legged, place one hand on the opposite knee and gently twist. Twists help release tension in the spine and stimulate digestion (your gut and brain are deeply connected). Breathe into the twist and feel the wringing-out sensation.

5. Body scan relaxation (5-10 minutes)

Lie flat on your back, close your eyes, and slowly bring your attention to each part of your body, from toes to the crown of your head. Notice where you’re holding tension and consciously soften those areas. This practice is used in yoga nidra and meditation, and it’s profoundly calming.

Beyond the Mat: How a Movement Practice Supports Long-Term Mental Health

Here’s what we’ve seen in our MerryBody community over and over again: the benefits of yoga and Pilates go so far beyond the physical.

People who stick with a gentle, consistent practice report:

• Feeling more resilient when challenges arise
• Having better tools to manage overwhelm
• Sleeping more deeply and waking more refreshed
• Experiencing greater self-compassion (this is the big one)
• Feeling connected to a community that understands

That last one matters more than people realise. When you’re struggling with anxiety, it can feel incredibly isolating. Being part of a community, even an online one, where people show up imperfectly and support each other? That’s healing in itself.

One of our MerryBody members, Katie, told us:

“I’ve made my way through all the foundation classes and now I’m going through the beginner classes. I love the way you explain everything in so much detail. It’s become my little sanctuary.”

That word: sanctuary, is exactly what we’re going for. A space where you feel safe to be exactly who you are. Where movement isn’t punishment. Where showing up is always enough.

Creating Your Own Calm: How to Start

If you’re reading this thinking “okay, I want to try this,” here’s our gentle nudge:

Start incredibly small. One 10-minute class. One breathing exercise. One evening with your legs up the wall. That’s enough. That counts.

Be patient with yourself. The benefits build over time. Some days the calm comes quickly. Other days, just getting on the mat IS the win. Both are valid.

Find a practice that meets you where you are. If you’re new to yoga or Pilates, start with our beginner guide and build from there. The most important thing is that it feels safe and supportive.

Consider a guided program. Having structure takes away the decision fatigue. Inside MerryBody, we create curated weekly class plans so you never have to think about what to do, you just press play and we guide you through everything.

An Open Invitation

If you’re going through it right now, whatever “it” is, we want you to know: you don’t have to have it all figured out to start.

MerryBody was built for humans who want to feel better. Not perfect. Not “fixed.” Just… better. Calmer. Stronger on the inside.

Start your free 7-day MerryBody trial →

You’ll find:

• 🧘 Gentle yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes (10-30 minutes)
• 🌙 Restorative classes and guided relaxation for those heavy days
• 🌱 A beginner Foundation Program to help you start with confidence
• 💛 Affirmations and mindset work woven into every single class
• 🤗 A warm, judgement-free community that gets it

No pressure. No intensity. No guilt. Just a space to breathe, move, and remember that you’re already doing better than you think.

You don’t need to wait for the storm to pass to start finding calm. Sometimes the calm is built right in the middle of the storm, one breath, one movement, one 10-minute class at a time. Actually why don’t you try this class right now… 

 

We’re here for it. And we’re here for you. 💛

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla 

P.S. If you’re new to Yoga, our Beginner’s Guide to Yoga at Home is a great companion to this post. And if you’re curious about Pilates as a form of moving meditation, read how 10 minutes of Pilates changed everything.