How to Practice Yoga For Stress Relief

How to Practice Yoga For Stress Relief

It seems our day is filled with stress. Work schedules are getting more and more demanding, our children need to be shuttled between one activity and another, and time seems to be dwindling further and further away from us. What is a person to do to get sanity in their lives and get rid of stress? How about strike a pose.

Yoga

Yoga is considered a mind body exercise. With yoga you are typically concentrating on putting your body in different postures or poses. It often combines breathing with postures. It is with concentration on attaining different postures that you gain peace of mind. You are able to forget about your busy day and reduce stress.

Breathing is an important aspect of yoga. It is essential to reduce stress levels. Controlling how you breathe is a physiological response to reduce the amount of anxiety you have. The different postures that are coupled with the breathing exercise will increase the range of motion in your joints. Postures vary according to the body area they are designed to exercise. Laying flat on your back, standing on one leg, sitting peacefully are just a few postures you will come to learn when practicing yoga.

The value of Yoga

• Increase range of motion
• Stronger muscles
• Lower stress hormones produced in the body
• Lower blood pressure
• Increased ability to concentrate
• Peaceful night sleep
• Lower back pain relief

The list of yoga benefits are as numerous as the problems it helps you cope with. Unlike medications yoga has no negative side effects. Yoga can be especially beneficial when combined with standard treatment for medical issues. For example, it can help strengthen the lower back, give you pain coping techniques and complement the treatment you may have from traditional medicine.

How to start

There are many ways for the beginner to incorporate yoga into their daily lives. First, look in the directory or online search engine for yoga classes in your area. Stop in and see what the instructor has to offer. Another less expensive option is to rent a DVD from your local library or check out a book. These are great options for the beginner.