Yoga and Stress Management-Yoga for stress and anxiety

 

Yoga for the willing!!!

 Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure.It is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand.Stress tends to be short term and in response to a recognized threat.Based on your stressful situations it could be Acute or Chronic.These two describe the difference between the little stress that we experience on a daily basis, and the more severe stress that can build up when you are exposed to a stressful situation over a longer period.

Common cause for stress?

• being under lots of pressure.
  

• facing big changes.

• worrying about something.

• not having much or any control over the outcome of a situation.

• having responsibilities that you're finding overwhelming.

• not having enough work, activities or change in your life.

• times of uncertainty. 

What these stress will do?

It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, speed up the aging process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

Anxiety  

 Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress. It's a feeling of fear or apprehension about what's to come.Most of us experience anxiety at some point of our life.When symptoms of anxiety become larger than the events that triggered them and begin to interfere with your life, they could be signs of an anxiety disorder.It's a natural and common response to stressful life events like leaving or changing jobs ,having some financial difficulties etc.Common anxiety is a feeling that may occur and disappear.It does not interfere with your everyday life.In the case of an anxiety disorder, the feeling of fear may be with you all the time.

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense.

• Having a sense of impending danger, panic

• Having an increased heart rate.

• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

• Sweating and trembling
  

• Feeling weak, tired or exhausted.
  

Some anxiety disorders are: 

• Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD): Which is an anxiety following a traumatic event.

• Separation anxiety disorder: Fear of being away from the home or your loved ones.

•  Illness Anxiety Disorder : Which is caused by thinking about your health.

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder :Recurring irrational thoughts that lead you to perform specific, repeated behaviours.

• Phobia : Excessive fear of a situation, activity or a specified object.

• Panic Disorder  : Experiencing recurring panic attacks at unexpected times. This repeats at certain times and the person suffering from these attack are often worried about the next time recurring panic attack.

Both Stress and Anxiety are normal although sometimes these can harm us based on how deep it occurs and continues in our mind. It is a natural part of the fight or flight response and the body’s reaction to danger. The purpose of this response is to ensure a person is alert, focused, and ready to deal with a threat.Our nervous system has a great impact on our body and mind.Our nervous system consists of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic pathways which regulates the vital functions of the body.Amongst these Sympathetic is termed as" Fight or Flight mode".It is mainly activated by stress and prepares our body for a fight.It acts as a survival mechanism that increases heart rate,blood pressure,blood sugar and dialates the pupil.Hence called as fight or flight mode.This Sympathetic system acts very propmptly whenever we are facing an immediate danger.Overstressed situations will make our sympathetic nervous system to get overburdened and doesnot function properly.This creates a fatal consequences in our body system.

Stress is short-term and in response to a recognized threat whereas Anxiety can linger and may not have an identifiable trigger.

To overcome all these stress and anxiety we can make use of the same nervous system which acts as a power tool.How is this Possible?

Its possible through our Parasympathetic nervous system which is termed as "Rest and Digest mode".To get our mind into a relaxed state these parasympathetic pathway plays a huge role.In this mode your body can rebuild and strengthen your immune system.Our breath has a direct connection to our mind and heart through this system through a nerve called the Vagus Nerve.

The powerful tool to combat stress and anxiety is Breathing.Conscious breathing acts typically on this stress management.There are many styles and ways to breathe.Normal breathing we are not using our lung capacity to its fullest.So conscious breathing can cope up with the sypmtoms of PTSD and other disorders.With the help of proper breathing techniques  we can overcome stressful situations and calm down our nervous system.

Yoga also plays a huge role to relieve stress and anxiety.There are many forms of yoga.You can follow the style which suits your body.Like slow pace,fast pace,muscle building,relaxed form so and so.We know our body better.So always listen to your body before performing any kind of practices.Yoga is not an exercise it is a practice which takes us to achieve good health,awareness,peace and then into fitness.This is a therapeutic way of acheiving a good health which typically focuses on breathing and then practicing with dynamic,gentle or soothing poses based on your body capacity.We must take this as our daily routine to get the most benefit out of it.

There are various types of yoga.

12 types of yoga includes Hatha yoga,Astanga,Iyengar yoga,Vinyasa yoga,Power Yoga,Yin yoga,Bikram yoga,Kundalini yoga,Restorative yoga ,Anusara yoga,Jivamukti yoga,Sivananda yoga.

Practice is very important in yoga.Whatever style you choose thats absolutely normal but don't forget to practice on a daily basis.

Also physical activity can help people to combat stressful situations. This could be a brisk walk, a cycle, or a run etc.The dynamic and fluid movements of activities like yoga and qi -gong can also help people to feel calm.

Mindfulness and meditations also plays a huge role to overcome stress and anxiety disorder.Also many powerful breathing techniques,visualization,positive affirmations,mindfulness exercises plays a major role to overcome stressful situations..We need to understand what suits us the best.Depending on your stressful situations you need to consult a health professional and with the help of a doctor's advice you can also get trained under a good yoga professional.This will definitely help you to get rid of all your stressful situations.During stressful situations its difficult to have control over your mind and do any kind of activity to relax your mind.If you can have a better control over your mind alone,then by making use of breath techniques and yoga activities etc you are free to practice alone.Understand how deep your situation is and then follow your mind,heart and soul.

So finally to have a healthy mind and a body

• Exercise well. 

• Relax Your Muscles.

• Do some Deep Breathing.

• Eat Well.

• Slow Down.

• Take a Break.

• Drink plenty of water. 

• Talk to someone who gets it.

• Re-balance work and home.

• Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction breathwork or Yoga

• Make Time for Hobbies.

• Sleep Enough.

Amongst all these as i do practice and follow various types of yoga since 15 years what i felt was Yoga emphasis more on breathing and the mind/body/spirit connection.It also yields strong emotional benefits. People who practice yoga frequently get a better sleep and feel less stressed. It helps you learn how to concentrate on things you can't control and makes you to live in the present moment.

If you are not a yoga person you can follow any form of exercise the makes you to relax your mind and feel better.Its all about our mood and comfort.So follow your heart.

Here i am attaching my practice video which i have typically designed for stress and anxiety.The style of yoga is Yinyoga.This is a short video which includes very few poses.You can watch it as an illustration to these stress management tool.Its a slow pace yoga and i added a meditative form of practice along with yoga.

 My practice video details:

 Yoga Style :Yin Yoga a slow paced style.

 Targets your deep connective tissues like your fascia,ligaments,joints and bones. 

It's slower and more meditative giving you space to turn inward and tune into both your mind and the physical sensations of your body. 

Stillness is the key here!!! 

My educational practice video includes: Breath Meditation, Awareness in each Yin Pose, Deep Stretching and Relaxation.

 Benefits: 

• Calms and balances the mind and body. 
• Reduces stress and anxiety. Increases Circulation.
•  Improves Flexibility. 
• Balances your internal organs and improves the flow of chi or prana. 
• Releases fascia and improves joint mobility. 

This is the way where i have been trained and practiced

Give it a try and notice the shift in your emotions.

It's never too late to begin yoga.

You can practice anytime whenever you feel to do so.Yoga is for everyone.

Note : If you are a patient please consult a health professional before practicing any styles of yoga.This blog is not regarding a medical advice so please find the right way if you have any serious health issues by taking an advice from a good doctor.

With love and gratitude,

Namaste,

BSP

Yoga,mindfulness and meditation teacher/Educator/Yoga life Coach/Online Tutor/Yoga on Stress management

"Yoga provides us tools and techniques to lead a stress-free and a tension-free life".