Yoga For Stress

The benefits and importance of yoga in reducing every day stress.

Plagued by stress, we have slowly adapted our bodies and minds to its demands, but not without consequences. For some, a certain amount of stress can be healthy or simply induced by a situation that warrants that particular response.  Constant, chronic stress is radically different. With mounting expectations on our time, the pressure of the economy, finances and the feeling of being pulled in a million different directions, a shift within our bodies has taken place as a coping mechanism to handle the enormous amount of stress that we have burdening our minds.

The physical manifestation of undue stress occurs when our body resides in a constant state of panic or fight-or-flight response, often referred to as the sympathetic nervous system. The brain sends signals of fear to the adrenal glands who prepare by producing the hormones Cortisol and Adrenaline. Unlike Verizon Fios or Brighthouse Networks, our Central Nervous System offers two channels, parasympathetic and sympathetic. As the mind and body calm, the natural state in which we should spend most of our time, parasympathetic nervous system returns, causing hormones, brain patterns and nerves to stabilize.

Stress can lead to a wide variety of physical and emotional issues. In fact, our country spends 50% of it’s health care costs on three of the most preventable diseases, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, all of which have links to stress. The most wonderful news about stress is that it is manageable and reversible. Fortunately, when it comes to health, small changes yield significant results. In addition to overall healthy lifestyle changes such as: regular, light cardiovascular exercise, eating nutritious foods and developing a positive outlook, a regular yoga practice is a proven method for stress management and has a variety of other benefits as well.

Yoga is a 5,000 year old dicipline for bringing balance into the body. It is a safe and effective way to keep stress at bay for all ages and levels of ability. Hatha yoga combines physical poses, breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation to restore all systems in the body to optimal function. As a result, the mind is clear and focused, the body is balanced and healing can occur. One misconception about yoga is that you must be flexible before you begin. Flexibility develops with practice. Yoga is meant to safely increase the range of motion in the muscles and joints and open the body so that it may become more flexible which empowers those less flexible to also be successful and see and feel even more growth.

An appropriate yoga class will include a wide range of instruction on each pose. You should expect the teacher to offer modifications that are building blocks into the actual pose, specific guidance for the pose both verbally and visually and advanced options that allow more advanced students to progress as well. One of the best tools yoga practice offers is the ability to listen to the subtle and noticeable sensations of the body, to be aware when stress begins to occur so that it can be stopped before it escalates. The breathing techniques learned in yoga can be used anyplace or time to calm the body when it you notice stress levels rise.

Yoga also teaches the practitioner to remain present and focused, not allowing the mind to spend energy dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. From a present perspective, the student can identify what behaviors or situations are causing stress and make changes. The frequency recommended for beginners is one class per week, eventually building up to the optimal three yoga practices per week to manage their stress. Positive energy and a vibrant, healthy body, mind and spirit are no match for stress.

This article was contributed by Anne Bromberg, owner of Trinity Yoga Studio. For more information please visit www.trinity-yoga.com