Stress is often a matter of the mind. One of the best stress management tools for the mind and spirit is yoga. There has been public interest over the past couple of years surrounding stress reduction and other benefits of yoga. A National Institutes of Health survey found that 25 million people said they intended to try yoga within the next year.  According to a New York Times article, the number of Americans practicing yoga and Tai Chi doubled from 7.4 million in 2000 to 14.7 million in 2005. When it comes to stress management techniques that reinforce both the mind and body, yoga seems to have an impact.

What is yoga?

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years in India and may be the oldest of all meditation traditions. Most people in the West practice hatha yoga, a type of yoga that places an emphasis on physical postures. Yoga’s main purpose is to bring together mind, body and soul to attain a state of spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. It involves several types of physical postures, controlled breathing exercises, and various forms of meditation. Yoga is often used in combination with other treatment for depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders.

What are the benefits of yoga?

Some common physical benefits of yoga are:

• Increased flexibility
• Increased lubrication of the joints, ligaments, and tendons
• Stimulation and massage of all organs in the body
• Detoxification
• Toning of muscles

Some common mental benefits of yoga are:

• Contentment
• Practicing self-discipline
• Self-awareness
• Devotion to something healthy
• Increased concentration
• Learning to step back from the world and view your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions with an unbiased eye
• Feeling more connected to the universe around you

For a more comprehensive list of yoga’s many benefits, visit here.

How do you practice yoga?

Before practicing yoga, find a quiet, comfortable area without distractions. Wear something comfortable and take off any jewelry. There are various yoga styles and poses that revolve around meditation, mental imagery, controlled breathing, stretching, and other exercises. Here are a couple of simple ones to start off with:

• The lotus position. This is probably the most familiar yoga pose. Sit in a cross-legged position with your right foot placed on your left thigh and your left foot on your fight thigh. The soles of the feet should be turned up and your spine should be completely straight, like an arrow. This position can be held for long periods of time and is said to be best for promoting proper breathing and physical stability. If you find that you can’t do the full lotus position right away, try a half-lotus, with just one foot placed on the opposite thigh.

• Shavasana. This is also known as the “corpse pose.” Simply lie flat on your back with your legs spread about two feet apart and your arms flat and away from body. Let your feet fall to the side and have your palms face up. Then, breathe in and out of your nose. Concentrate on relaxing every joint and muscle in your body. Do this for about five minute to start, and eventually work up to fifteen or twenty minutes.

• Konasana. Stand with your legs spaced two or three feet apart, a little more widely spaced than the shoulders. Let your hands hang loosely to the side and stare straight ahead of you. While inhaling, raise your hands in a straight line, with your palms facing downward, so that your hands are parallel with the ground. Keep your arms and legs straight.
  While you exhale, simultaneously touch your left foot with your right hand while the left hand and arm are stretched and pointed upwards. Inhale and go back to your standing position. Then touch your right foot with your left hand while keeping your right arm and hand stretched and pointed upwards. Repeat this several times.

References

Adamson, E. (2002). The everything stress management book. Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation.

Anonymous. Health and Stress. Yonkers: Dec 2006. p. 1 (11 pages)