Each of us constantly faces stress: at work, at leisure, in everyday life, and even at home, alone with ourselves. Stressors cannot be avoided, and negative emotions negatively affect the physical state and psychological background.
What do we do first when we are stressed or nervous? Of course, we run to the pharmacy in the hope of buying anti-stress pills. They really relieve symptoms urgently. But the problem will go deeper, into the subconscious, and you will still worry and accumulate tension in yourself. In addition, without a doctor’s prescription, unauthorized use of medications can only worsen the situation. Therefore, it is so important to be able to relax properly, as well as learn how to manage stress. Only this knowledge will help you effectively deal with stress, neutralizing its negative consequences. The following techniques, techniques and exercises will help you learn how to deal with stress and how to properly relax after interacting with stressors.
Stress: causes and consequences
How do you know if you are stressed? Pay attention to these symptoms:
- headache,
- frequent colds,
- panic attacks,
- chronic fatigue,
- insomnia,
- increased blood sugar,
- increased blood pressure,
- problems with the reproductive and cardiovascular systems,
- muscle cramps.
Appearance also suffers: early gray hair, hair loss, acne, wrinkles. Modern man suffers serious losses from stress!
Doctors and psychologists are trying to take control of the situation and are developing various stress management strategies. But, as practice shows, they do not solve problems. On the contrary, global statistics show an increase in the number of people living in constant stress and depression. Against the backdrop of a sad picture, there is a way out - yoga for stress.
Moreover, many people have already felt the positive influence of yoga. But to overcome stress, you don’t need occasional exercises, but regular and varied practice that will literally be woven into your everyday life.
Yoga against stress
There are a variety of practices, styles and directions in yoga. How to choose exactly what will relieve stress, help stabilize the emotional background and lead to harmony?
First of all, focus on working with the physical body. By loosening your muscles and joints on the mat, working with blocks and clamps, you improve your overall well-being, normalize your hormonal levels and improve the flow of energy. You can work out your physical body in Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and a number of other areas.
Yoga for relaxation, relieving fatigue and stress is always an individual approach to stress. Therefore, do not try to immediately get into an advanced class or perform complex asanas. Otherwise, you can get injured, which will only aggravate the stressful condition. Approach the practice wisely and do not forget the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) in relation to your body.
For successful practice in different schools of yoga, it is recommended to first study the principles of yama and niyama, and then move on to performing asanas. In any case, even the simplest practice for beginners, consisting of basic aces, can relieve fatigue and stress.
If hatha yoga is based on the principles of eight-step yoga, such a practice will benefit not only you personally, but also the world around you.
↑ Meditation as a method of relaxation
Meditation has been known since ancient times as a good way to be alone with yourself and leave problems aside. Meditation involves complete physical and mental relaxation and helps control stress and emotions. This method of training will overcome depression, insomnia, fatigue and other problems associated with emotional stress.
A person’s physical health also suffers from emotional stress, and natural processes in the body are disrupted. Meditation will also help cope with such disruptions in the functioning of internal organs.
When a person gets rid of anxiety and stress, the body directs all its strength to self-healing.
Physiological effects of yoga on body and mind
One of the most common misconceptions about yoga is that yoga is just another form of exercise. In fact, the benefits of yoga extend beyond the physical body. Thanks to modern technology, we can see how regular practice affects the brain by increasing gray matter density. How does this happen?
Our brain is mainly made up of two types of tissue: 60% white matter and 40% gray matter. Both play an important role in cognitive performance, however, each type of tissue has different functions.
Gray matter is made up of brain cells, or neurons. It is responsible for learning abilities, memory, vision, hearing, smell and touch. Affects muscle control and self-awareness. White matter is a network of connections that connect parts of the brain together, allowing different areas to send and receive signals.
In other words, white matter allows the brain to coordinate thoughts and movements. Both gray and white matter complement each other, allowing us to think, coordinate movements, and interpret the world around us.
Studies based on structural brain scans have shown that general intelligence and the quality of a person's mental performance is associated with the volume of gray matter. Yoga, which involves consistent practice of body control, breathing and concentration, leads to increased gray matter density and activation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
Yoga for relaxation and stress relief works by slowing down certain parts of the brain during the session to allow for rest.
This function helps relieve stress, which is localized in two main areas of the brain - the frontal and parietal.
When you feel stressed or anxious, your body produces stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Yoga helps reduce stress hormones.
Even 15 minutes of daily practice brings tangible benefits and can prevent serious conditions such as depression and heart disease.
Benefits of Meditation for Relaxation
- reduces blood pressure;
- the production of stress hormones decreases;
- heartbeat improves;
- enhances concentration and attention;
- Nervous tension decreases;
- improves mood and overall well-being of the body.
During the day, if stressful situations arise, try to return to the “here and now” state, look at yourself and the situation from the outside.
Yoga exercises to relieve stress
What yoga poses help relieve stress? First of all, those that calm the adrenal cortex and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Among them are forward bends in different variations, light twists, balances and relaxation asanas.
Garudasana
(eagle pose) – its anti-stress effect lies in balance and rebooting of the circulatory system, which occurs due to twisting of the limbs and further relaxation. Garudasana requires deep concentration, making it difficult for the body and mind to do anything other than focus on the present moment.
Start performing Garudasana from Tadasana. Slowly lift your right leg and cross it over your left. Then cross your left hand over your right and begin to bend your elbows, connecting the back of your hands. Garudasana can always be deepened by twisting the arms and legs deeper. Find a position in which you can maintain balance and breathing.
This pose is not only good for relieving stress, it helps to open and lengthen the shoulders and hips - these are the areas of the body that are most affected by emotions and experiences. Do Garudasana on both sides. Stay on each side for at least 5-7 breaths.
Uttanasana
(extension pose) – bending forward. Yoga for beginners under stress is rarely complete without this asana, which can be performed in different variations.
Start with deep breathing. Then slowly, while continuing to breathe, go into an incline. When the head drops below the level of the heart, the heartbeat will slow down and the mind will begin to calm down.
The arms hang freely along the body or you can use an elbow grip. Uttanasana is one of the best poses that can quickly relieve an acute reaction to stress. Stay in the asana for up to 10 deep breaths.
Paschimottanasana
(posterior stretching pose) is a variant of bending forward from a sitting position. Sit on the mat, stretch your legs and lift your feet up. Raise your arms up and, maintaining extension, smoothly lower your body to your feet.
At the same time, it is important not to round the back, but to keep it straight, which will ensure maximum extension of the spine from the sacrum. If you cannot yet place your stomach and chest on your hips, you can bend your knees. Stay in the asana for 10-15 breaths.
Marjariasana
(Cat Pose) is a short, dynamic sequence in which the body moves from a downward to an upward spinal position. Marjariasana gives relief to the spine and all back muscles, helps stabilize breathing during movement, which calms the mind.
To perform Marjariasana, kneel and place your hands on the mat. Palms should be placed under the shoulders, knees under the hips. As you inhale, push your chest forward and lift your head up.
The back in this position will be in a deflection. Keep your stomach engaged. As you exhale, lift your upper, middle, and lower spine and begin to lengthen the crown of your head toward the floor. Move with the flow, arching and rounding your back.
Balasana
(child's pose) is one of the best asanas that brings relaxation and peace. The big advantage of Balasana is that it does not require special adjustments, and it is accessible to those who are taking their first steps in yoga.
Sit on your heels and lean forward, lowering your body onto your hips. Move your arms back if you want to achieve complete relaxation of your back muscles. When you stretch your arms forward, your back will also be in a stretched position.
In Balasana, the head is lowered onto the mat, but if you have a headache, you can put a rolled up blanket or block under your head so as not to lower it too low.
Basics of meditation and proper preparation
Meditation is one of the types of ancient spiritual practices that have been popular at all times. It is based on complete concentration on a specific object or complete detachment from thoughts and this surrounding.
Meditation helps you to establish close contact with your own soul and body in order to discover the root cause of your problems.
During the process of meditation, it is possible to achieve deep relaxation, which will allow you to remove internal tensions and muscle blocks. But only with proper, complete preparation.
Initially, you need to make a decision about how to conduct classes. You can practice meditation at home, in a room where you can calmly concentrate in peace and quiet.
In addition, one more set of conditions must be met:
- for meditation you need to choose a calm, secluded place so that no one can interfere;
- It is better to start meditation after a shower, wearing clean, loose clothes made from natural materials;
- if desired, you can choose a special musical accompaniment in the form of sounds of nature or calm classical music;
- you need to try to distract yourself from anxious thoughts and tune in to good results.
During meditation, it is very important to take the correct body position, which does not cause discomfort and muscle strain. While sitting, it is important to keep your back straight and level.
If it is impossible to fulfill this condition, you can simply lie on your back in the “shavasana” pose, with your legs wide apart and both arms outstretched freely.
Preliminary preparation is very important because it allows you to tune in to the meditation and allows you to enhance the final effect. Through meditation, a person manages to detach himself from everyday worries that cause anxiety and successfully switch to good positive thoughts.
Chandra bhedana pranayama
To deal with stress, you can practice Chandra bhedana pranayama. This is breathing through the left nostril, which fills with energy the left, lunar, channel, which is responsible for our calm and balance.
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Place your left hand on your knee. Place the fingers of your right hand in nasikagra mudra. Inhale through your left nostril and exhale through your right. At first, inhalation and exhalation may be equal. The exhalation can then be lengthened for greater impact on the parasympathetic system.
Anuloma-viloma pranayama
Another pranayama that will help you always stay in balance is anuloma-viloma pranayama, or alternate breathing through both nostrils. The principle of this pranayama is to align the energy that flows through the pingala nadi (right energy channel) and ida nadi (left energy channel).
The starting position for the body and arms is the same as for Chandra Bhedana Pranayama. Breathing is carried out through the left and right nostril at equal intervals.
To begin, take the proportion 4:4 - inhale through the left nostril for 4 counts (seconds), exhale through the right nostril for 4 counts. Next, inhale through the right and exhale through the left. Continue breathing for 5-10 minutes. You can gradually increase your breathing amplitude by 1 second.
Yoga is a great tool for relieving stress and tension. Stress takes all our energy, destroys the body, poisons relationships with the outside world. When we are in semi-panic mode, yoga gives us several tools that we can use individually or all at once.
If you don't have time for a full practice or pranayama, you can finally just lean forward and relax. But it is better and more effective to use an integrated approach, including working with the body, controlling breathing and clearing the mind. Yoga is becoming increasingly popular. This means that more people are discovering the benefits of this practice, including for finding harmony and peace.
