Greetings Mel (and others as well!) I don't know if you are still monitoring this post, since you didn't log in as a member, but I hope so - I think you will find help here.

I have coped for over 17 years with sometimes debilitating panic attacks, general anxiety, and agoraphobia - I understand completely how this can affect your life.

My yoga practise, such as it is, has helped me tremendously.  I practise power yoga - a vinyasa method which links breath to movement, and when you are focused in that way it takes power away from your anxiety.  I must agree with Kali about the meditation and pranayama as well - breathing exercises are important, and if you practise them when you are not anxious, you will feel all the more strong when you are, if you follow me.

However, I must also recommend a couple of other things.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is shown to be extremely beneficial with panic disorders.  I use it myself and cannot emphasize enough how much this can help you.  The premise is nothing new and can be found in the oldest of texts: change your thoughts, and you will change the way you feel.  Sounds simple - it's easier said than done sometimes!  However, once you have some tools under your belt to do this in times of high anxiety, you will feel much better and find that the anxiety has far less control over you. 

If you are unable to find a therapist who specializes (or at least is knowledgable with) CBT, try this book, "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David D. Burns.  (It's available on amazon.com, if not at your local bookstore.)  This book is excellent and can help you a LOT, trust me on this!  I call it my "anti-panic bible" - LOL.

I would also recommend a website: the Anxiety Panic internet resource (tAPir) features much information about different anxiety disorders and ways to get help, as well as a huge library of relevant articles, links, and a fabulous message board with a ton of supportive people who know exactly what you're going through.  The address is: http://www.algy.com/anxiety/index.shtml

And to those I must add: if you smoke, please quit!  Smoking can seem like a lifeline in times of anxiety, but is anything but - it will kill you.  If you (or anybody else!) need help quitting, please try www.quitnet.com - I quit 387 days ago   (YAY ME!) LOL  I'm so thankful I did it!

And as a final thought: you might be helped by medication.  If your situation feels dire, I would recommend speaking to your doctor about it.  I was adamantly against this at first (and still have reservations, honestly) but I must admit that meds sometimes do help where other methods fail.  Use your judgement.

I hope that will help!  Good luck to all of you!
Namaste!
Echo

I mentioned cognitive behavior therapy in my previous post, and thought I'd add the following... I've collected these quotes over the years from a variety of sources, and keep them all together with my anti-anxiety books.  I hope you will find them meaningful

Thoughts on Thoughts

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." - Proverbs 23:7

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts." - Buddha; the Dhammapada

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." - Matthew 6:21

"A man is what he thinks about all day long." - Emerson

"A man's life is what his thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

"The Japanese, concentrating on the abdomen, rid their minds of useless luggage.  The Sufi dervishes, using their feet, also rid their minds of useless luggage.  The ridding of luggage is more important than the method.  What is needed is a method that works, not a philosophy about method, which can be very confusing." - Sufi Ahmed Murad

"All will vanishes from life for him who keeps the sun in his heart." - Ramayana

I hope these will help any of you reading this, as I find them all most compelling!  (And btw, if anybody would like to add to my collection of "Thoughts on Thoughts", please post here or send me a PM!!! 

Best to you,

Echo