Yoga As A Stress Management Exercise
Written by Jamie Sue Tan on October 15th, 2009 in Self Development.
When it comes to stress and stress management, there are a lot of factors to be considered. Stress can come from work and/or family. They can also come from the financial, emotional, physical, and mental aspects of our everyday lives. While stress is actually beneficial to us at some extent, it leads to our physical and mental breakdowns it left unchecked. For this reason, there are various techniques and methods to help you deal with stress.
One of the techniques predominantly used for dealing with stress is yoga. Yoga is an age old practice which dates back 5000 years. It is a series of postures and breathing exercises. The exercises used in yoga are referenced from animals. But the ultimate goal of yoga practitioners is to attain body and mind tranquility. This relaxation factor makes yoga a useful practice to manage stress and anxiety. Yoga classes are offered to those who have the time and willing to undergo a full course. Full courses include behavioral training, diet, regimen, and exercises. Short classes are also offered, and these focus more on managing stress.
There are a lot of physical and mental benefits that yoga can bring. Physical benefits include increased flexibility, toning of muscles, muscle and joint pain prevention, and better breathing. Mental benefits include calmness, stress reduction, body awareness and total well-being. These meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment; meaning, meditation will help put you into a condition where you are not affected by what is happening around you that might deviate your focus from what you are doing creating a calm and positive outlook.
There are many styles and forms of yoga with varying intensities depending on each individual’s time and need. But for stress management Hatha yoga in particular maybe a good choice. This style of yoga is designed to encourage a calmer mind along with improved flexibility. Hatha yoga also have several forms which you can take depending on your preference but know that all forms of Hatha yoga have two basic components which is poses and breathing.
Regardless of the yoga type that you choose, it is not necessary to do every demonstrated pose. Some of them may be uncomfortable for you. If you feel so, or if you cannot hold it for as long as required, there’s no need to do it. The important thing is that you achieve the relaxation by doing these exercises. Try to do your homework before undertaking yoga. With research, you can pick one yoga type that will benefit you greatly but not at the expense of comfort.
