Strike a Pose to Banish Stress!

By: Kristie Lindblom

“I’m exhausted and my morning hasn’t even begun!” My friend Becky on my Facebook wall. She just spent a hectic two hours getting herself and her family out the door for their day. Becky’s life is dynamic and fulfilling. She has a successful career and a loving family. However, with all this living comes a big four letter word: S-T-R-E-S-S!

Let’s face it, you can hardly turn on the morning news without hearing a story linking stress to one disease another. The bad news: the reality remains that our responsibilities are not changing any time soon. The good news: While yoga can’t take your stress away, it can help to minimize it’s effects on the health of your body.

“WOAH!” You say, “I have absolutely no time to fit an hour long yoga practice in to my day!” Fortunately, there are three simple ways to integrate the tools of yoga in to your life, even when time is at a minimum.

1. Take a Deep Breath!

One of the greatest gifts the ancient yogis gave us is the time they spent focused on pranayama (breath control) and understanding the different effects various breathing patterns have on the human body. While some are invigorating and energizing, other pranayama techniques can be used to calm and balance the mind. Using these forms of breath control throughout our day allows us to help induce the relaxation response (our body’s antidote to the Flight or Fight response) by lowering the heart rate and reducing blood pressure.

The Full Yogic Breath

Without forcing, invite the breath in to the body using three focused points of drawing in. On your inhale, slowly draw the breath down to the belly, ribs, and chest. While exhaling, gently release the breath from the chest, ribs, and belly. The process allows us to take in seven times the amount of oxygen than we would in a typical breath. This process of bringing in renewed energy and restoration is a powerful instrument that can be used to induce deep relaxation. It encourages the body and mind to unwind and rest and is wonderful to use to prepare the body for sleep.

Ratio Breathing

This type of breath involves breathing with a ratio of 1:2. Gently draw breath in as deep as is comfortable and then take twice as long to empty the breath out. This breath helps to release negative feelings, calms the mind, and relaxes the muscles. It is particularly useful in times of anger or high emotions.

2. Strike a Pose!

While many people find it challenging to fit in an hour long yoga practice, try to take twenty minutes for a brief, stress relieving sequence. Included below, are modifications so that even in an office, airport, or hotel room, one can find ways to work these postures in to their day.

Child’s Pose (Balasana) While gently stretching the thighs and ankles, this surrendering posture helps to quiet the mind and rest the brain.

Cobra (Bhujangasana) This posture strengthens the spine and brings a beautiful stretch to the lungs, chest, shoulders, and abdomen. It also carries the added benefits of relieving stress and fatigue and opens the heart. Traditionally, this posture is said to destroy disease by increasing body heat.

Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) As a therapeutic posture, this pose is healing for high blood pressure, insomnia, menstrual discomfort, mild depression, and sinusitis. Additionally, this posture calms the brain and relieves fatigue.

Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana) As with all twists, this posture brings length and space to the spine. Additionally, the twist gently massages the adrenal gland, releasing soothing hormones to reduce stress.

Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani) As a highly therapeutic posture, this posture allows the feet and legs rest, softens the heart, relieves backaches, and helps the mind find calm.

Corpse Pose (Savasana) This posture has been said to be both the most important and the most difficult of all yoga postures. Hold this posture for several minutes to help relieve stress, calm the mind, relax the body.

3.  Develop Mindfulness

Offer yourself the gift of having an awareness of the present moment.  By watching– without judgment– your environment, thoughts, feelings, and actions as they happen, we begin to notice patterns in the causes of our stress and our reactions to it.  In this way, we can be proactive in working towards approaching life with a greater sense of center and calm.

Kristie Lindblom, RYT is a yoga instructor that specializes in therapeutic and restorative practice. She is a Stress Management Specialist at the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. www.searchingforsattva.blogspot.com