An estimated 80-90% of visits to the doctor are stress related. [1] There has been a huge rise in stress related diseases and the term “stress” or stating “I’m stressed out” has become familiar, and almost expected as a way of life in today’s Western go- getting culture.
We seem to equate being ‘busy’ with having a meaningful life. How often have you tried to organise a simple meal with old friends, finally ending up with a date 3 months down the line?
But anthropologists tell us that “the body that experiences stress has not changed much over the millions of years of being human” [2] - that is to say, that the body’s response to stress, i.e; the adrenal glands secreting hormones which cause the heart rate to increase and blood pressure to rise, still happens as it always did. The difference is that today’s stress is chronic. People are not ever taking the time to allow their bodies to relax and for the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in.
In the long term, this can cause health problems as when in chronic stress mode, body’s digestive, elimination, growth, and reproductive systems don’t work optimally.
Yoga allows people to take time for themselves, to slow down and be present in their bodies. Even allowing yourself some ‘breathing space’ can help calm the mind and body and reduce stress. It can give you a wider perspective, allow time for you to reflect on who you are, what your dharma, or life purpose is and realise that whatever issue is stressing you out is not the most important thing. Yoga classes may also introduce other techniques, such as meditation and positive thinking which have a powerful effect on the body and mind.
A good yoga teacher will encourage their student to have an awareness of their breath, perhaps encouraging simple breathing techniques, such as the three part breath, or ujjayi breathing. Controlling our own breath and particularly increasing the length of our exhale can help to induce the body’s relaxation response- that is, the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing heart rate, blood pressure and de-stimulating the brain and mind. The ‘sea shore’ sound of ujjayi breathing can also give a meditative focus, again helping to calm. Students can be taught such techniques to use in every day life.
The concept of Pratyahara, ‘sense withdrawal’, or ‘going within’ during yoga practice can also help students to focus on their inner self rather than focusing on the constant external stimulations such as phones, TVs, music, traffic that we face on a daily basis. Again this helps stimulate the body’s relaxation response.
A calming asana practice, that features grounding squats, passive backbends, perhaps some mild inversions and twists can calm. Energetically these asanas aim to rebalance apana or downward flowing energy, to rid the body of anything undesirable to good health.
[1] Psychologytoday.com Accessed 26/4/19
[2] Relax and Renew, p3, Judith Hanson Lasater
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