Almost everybody has felt anxiety at some point in their lives. For many, they feel it in the lead-up to an important presentation, or before public speaking. Others feel it before traveling, or maybe when they are inside of moving vehicles. The feeling can appear at any moment, and for some, it is absolutely debilitating. But we are not unique for feeling this way. Anxiety has been felt by both people and animals for centuries. One example of anxiety in ancient times is found in the Hippocratic Corpus, a series of medical texts from Ancient Greek, believed to be written by Hippocrates and his associates. In the text they describe phobias and anxiety, attributing it to a medical disorder, attempting to regulate it. However, Ancient Greeks were not the only people attempting to regulate anxiety. Throughout history many cultures worldwide have developed methods aimed at helping anxiety.

(University of Dayton)
Meditation has been practiced for centuries by many different people. The most famous practitioners are the Buddhist monks, also known as Bhikku. The Buddha said that humans create our anxiety, through neediness, and ignorance. The Buddhists follow methods to help anxiety, the most famous of which is meditation. The goal of meditation in Buddhist religion is to liberate a person from clinging, bringing them to Nirvana. In Buddhism, Nirvana is thought to be a state of being, wherein a person is free from greed, and other negative emotions. It is the ultimate enlightenment. They may be clinging to physical objects, or emotions. Either way, the goal is to release these things. Buddhists follow different meditation techniques, all of which are with different benefits. Today the most popular benefit of meditation is increased concentration. Buddhists came to understand the causes of anxiety, and the fact that it is a natural part of humanity. But they also understood that meditation can help assuage some of these worries. By meditating they allow themselves to come to a deep understanding of themselves, and their roles in the universe, alleviating anxiety.

(Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism)
Another way people have been regulating anxiety for centuries is through natural herbs. In India, the ancient medicine system Ayurveda was developed. Ayurveda includes many different holistic methods of curing different ailments. One aspect of Ayurveda was ashwagandha. Ashwagandha, also known as Indian winter cherry, is an herb that is believed to reduce stress and anxiety in those who use it. The herb has been used in India and Asia for centuries, and has made its way to the West. In India, the herb had many purposes, and was believed to have many healing powers. It was one form of Rasayana, a rejuvenation therapy. Today, people continue to take the herb, and studies continue to be done to test its capabilities. There are few conclusive tests about its benefits, however there have been positive results found. When compared with Lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, it had a similar ability to reduce anxiety, however the study was done on mice, not humans.
When you first think of saunas, you may imagine a hot, sweaty room to use after the gym. However, they have interesting origins and a rich history. Saunas are believed to have originated around 2000 BC in Finland. In the past, saunas had mythical beliefs surrounding them. They were tied to the afterlife and were used for spiritual ceremonies. Today, Finland is still tied to saunas, and they represent an important aspect of Finnish culture. Both the President and the Prime Minister have their own sauna, and many people are born in them. In Finland, and other parts of the world, saunas are considered a social activity. Albeit, this does not take away from the various benefits it offers to the users. Health benefits include detoxification, increased blood flow, better sleep, and better immune system. These benefits can also help with anxiety. Saunas are used to destress, and they can lead to a person's heart-rate and blood pressure decreasing.

The Nordic Nomad
These ancient methods, used for regulating anxiety are still prevalent today. Research continues to be done to prove their validity, however they are simple, and sometimes free ways to regulate anxiety. Try meditating for ten minutes using a YouTube video or free app! After an intense workout, consider going in the sauna for 15 minutes, allowing your muscles to relax, and reducing soreness the following day. For daily anxiety relief, you might consider looking into natural remedies, such as ashwagandha, or magnesium. These natural solutions may help feelings of anxiety. Nevertheless, also consider that the best direction may be seeing a doctor, and getting a diagnosis. Natural remedies cannot fix all problems, and sometimes the best solutions include doctor recommendations.
Anxiety has been felt for centuries, and for that reason, many natural remedies have been created to help. Past solutions for anxiety were varied, however, many continue to be effective today. Currently, anxiety is better understood from a scientific perspective. This has enabled scientists to create medications that are meant to lower anxiety. Regulating anxiety can be done in a variety of ways, and many different cultures have provided knowledge and understanding of anxiety through their own religion and lifestyles. It is about time that we get to know them and use them as well: they have been effective for much longer than we have been alive.
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