Yoga for Stress Relief

Discover the Power of Yoga for Stress Relief: A Path to Mindfulness and Wellness

By Dennis Bluthardt, Namaste Studios

Stress is part of daily life. Adults, children, and people from all walks of life make this silent confession: I am stressed. Work is stressful, as is the family. Though it is usually not enough to make it chronic, often it is. Both states, stress and chronic stress, have their degrading effect on our mental and physical health. I wanted to write this blog to give you some strategies that may help you reduce stress and anxiety. 

One of those strategies is to do yoga. Yoga has three tools. It is a whole-body mindfulness-based movement practice. That is what it is for investigations into the science of treating stress. Adult whole-body movement is one of the three primary tools that will keep your mental well-being stable throughout your life; the other two are the evolutionarily designed breath control exercises of the mammalian diving reflex and where-is-your-attention-now mindfulness-based cognitive training, the basis of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that nowadays is presumed to be the most helpful tool in the cognitive neurosciences psychology toolbox. And yoga is also, of course, a whole practice!

In this blog, I want to investigate yoga in its entirety: Treating the body is good for flexibility; it adds strength to muscles, bones, and your brute, simple power; it keeps your mind sharp. First, we look at an aspect of yogic movement, restorative yoga (you should also know about yoga and inversions). So, the result is old familiar restorative practices and the modern surprise of Iyengar inversions.

What is Stress, and How Does It Affect Us?

Stress is our body’s way of responding to any demand or threat. When we sense danger, real or imagined, our body automatically initiates a fight or flight response. The body actively elicits responses from hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol to think quickly. Increased heart rate leads to higher risks of heart attacks or heart disease, weakened immune system, and digestion can be rather tricky. From a psychological perspective, stress often plays out as anxiety, depression, or severe mood shifts. You might feel overwhelmed, out of control, unable to calm down, worry, have difficulty concentrating, or feel bad about yourself.

For these reasons, stress relief is a global term that underlies wellness. Exercise, for example, is excellent for stress relief: Exercise helps to manage stress by increasing the production of “happy” chemicals in our brains. Moreover, exercise forces the body’s central and sympathetic nervous systems to communicate, improving overall body function and aging. Reducing stress enhances cognitive function, improves emotional resilience, and, most importantly, gives one a positive, personal outlook on life. 

How Yoga Promotes Stress Relief

Yoga is a multifaceted discipline involving physical postures, breath control, and mind quieting, linking to ancient Indian philosophy. The thread that runs through all aspects of yoga is the act of mindfulness or being on purpose in the present moment: being aware of thoughts, emotions, and whatever is happening in your personal and external environment without judgment about whether you like it or like some parts or not, just being present to what is so. So, yoga, in its many forms, can create an opportunity to cut down on the noise of the projected future and be with what you are doing and not what could happen.

The physical aspect of yoga involves learning a series of positions or postures designed to bend the body this way and that, which works on flexibility, muscle and core strength, balance, and so on. These are the hatha practices that dominate the Western version of yoga. Taken to their best place, they involve learning how to connect your physical movements with the head of the orthopedic surgeon, somehow regulating your breath. Additional strategies, forced exhalations, slow and fast breaths, and holding the breath at the end of the exhalation or inhalation are a few breath-control opportunities a good yoga class can introduce. There are meditation classes with the simple goal of learning how to turn off the volume on our FBCH and stay centered for a few moments or protracted periods, which positively reset our neurophysiology. All yoga forms can and likely serve our species well to help reduce excessive stress.

Effective Yoga Poses for Stress Relief

Yoga can be a helpful tool for individuals who need to relieve stress. Here are three examples of yoga poses:

• Child’s Pose (Balasana): Kneel on the mat, sit back on your heels, and stretch your arms forward while lowering your forehead. This gentle forward fold helps release tension in the back and shoulders.
• Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana): Starting on all fours, arch your back (Cow Pose) as you inhale, lifting your head and tailbone; then round your spine (Cat Pose) as you exhale, tucking your chin and pelvis. This rhythmic flow encourages mindfulness.
• Corpse Pose (Savasana): Lie face-up with your eyes closed. This pose integrates the “you time” you’ve created during a yoga session.

If you make yoga a part of your daily routine, you’ll feel a sense of peace and detachment that you can take with you wherever you go.

Mindfulness Techniques to Enhance Your Yoga Experience

Mindfulness is all about cultivating awareness of the present moment. It is a simple concept, but mastering it can take a while. In yogic practices, this concept connects more deeply with our practice and the sensations we feel within our bodies. Mindfulness is nonjudgmental awareness; it is the process of viewing the feelings and emotions you might experience when you are in a challenging pose and reframing that experience to serve your personal growth and self-discovery.

Here are several mindfulness techniques to practice within yoga poses:

A mindful breathing exercise is one of the first techniques any yogi will pick up. You may occasionally get sidetracked from your goal of achieving nirvana. Often, stray thoughts swear us away from focusing on our physical form, and our minds wander. Concentrating and focusing on your breathing can serve as a momentary distraction and allow you to get back to focusing on the now. It can also serve as a physical form of rhythm that can help guide your movements within your practice.

Before moving on from each pose, take some time to gauge your feelings. Learning something different may come with some inherent fear. You should dive into these feelings rather than curtail them.

How to Build a Consistent Yoga Practice

Experiencing the transformative practice of yoga for long-term stress relief is as simple as dedicating 10-15 minutes to unwind, release, breathe, and move. Morning practices can set a fantastic tone for the day. Evening practices can help us sleep. It does not need to be an ordeal or an event. Get it where you can fit it in, and do not beat yourself up if you have an off day. The point is to use our bodies to get out of our anxious heads, which could take 10 minutes daily. 

There are many apps available to guide us. I have used “Yoga for Beginners” and “Down Dog.” On these types of apps, they may ask about your skill level and your time dedication. Next, you will be guided through which style of yoga (a topic we will cover next) you would like to practice. You can also search on YouTube for instructional videos. If your schedule and lifestyle allow, join a local yoga class to deepen and enhance your home-based practices.

Yoga is a practice that attacks stress from all angles. It combines physical movements, different breathing techniques, and meditation to enforce a philosophy of mindfulness. People are fully absorbed in the present moment, dismissing any additional worries or concerns and producing a serene mind.

Yoga builds strength and flexibility, relaxing the body’s muscle system. Breathing exercises also have significant benefits, such as healing the brain and forcing one to meditate. At the beginning of one’s yoga journey, practicing yoga with an instructor in person is most beneficial. Most yoga studios offer smaller rooms with limited yoga students, which is excellent for beginners and novices. Many studios offer free online access to classes even if you feel unsafe yet to attend an in-person venue with other people.

Please share with us what you’re doing to move physically this year! Your fitness journey might inspire someone else to take yoga.