Yoga for Stress Management | Stress Relief

How to relieve stress?

In this day and age, most people have a lot of stress to deal with from work and personal life. How to relive stress has become a matter of much concern. However, while there are several medicinal drugs available in the market promising to be the ultimate answer to how to reduce stress, one should attempt yoga for stress management.

Dating back to over 5,000 years ago, yoga is one of the oldest disciplines of the body and mind. This discipline was founded in India, and has since spread around the world. Yoga is not only well-renowned as a form of physical exercise but also popular as a means to promote spiritual growth. There are several yoga techniques that can be done to combat stress. You could attempt “pranayama” or breathing exercises along with yoga “asanas” or physical poses.

Stress Relaxation Techniques

Stress usually causes high blood pressure, increased heart rate, insomnia, and loss of concentration, among other symptoms. Ujjayi pranayama is an extremely effective stress relaxation technique. This is a slow-breathing technique that requires you to take deep breaths in and out from the nostrils. Carotid sinuses detect blood pressure and accordingly send messages to the brain and heart. Thus, if your blood pressure is high, the pressure on the carotid sinuses brought about in Ujjayi pranayama sends a message to the brain and the heart to slow it down.

Another useful breathing technique is Analom-Vilom, where you need to inhale through one nostril and exhale through another alternatively. This exercise helps increase your breath-holding time and thereby helps keep your heart rate normal. This technique has also shown significant evidence in improving memory and concentration levels, and is therefore included among stress relaxation techniques.

Stress Management Exercises

In terms of physical yoga, Bikram Yoga is the best option. Bikram yoga involves physical workouts performed in a heated room. Stretching of the muscles in the heat stimulates blood flow and ensures a steady supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing vitality and thereby reducing stress.

Another useful routine is the sun salutation sequence. This exercise is a series of 12 poses that help improve strength and flexibility of the muscles. As it is a fairly long routine, it works out all the joints and ligaments and relieves any tension in the body parts. Moreover, this routine opens out various organs, stimulates them and keeps them healthy and stress-free.

You should also consume a diet that is complementary to the stress management exercises. Yoga can also be used as a preventive treatment against stress. So you can always practice yoga at home and watch your individual experience with this form of therapy grow. However, make sure you learn yoga properly as improper exercises will only cause harm to your health.