Stress and Anxiety Management

Yoga for Stress Relief and Anxiety Management

Many people turn to yoga when they start to feel their stress and anxiety levels rising.

Whether it’s a bad day, or a down spell, yoga together with pranayama can assist in relieving the symptoms that come with stress and anxiety.

How can yoga help?

First of all, any type of exercise is a destresser. It releases dopamine into the system telling the body that we are feeling good and active.

But why does yoga specifically help?

During yoga practice our minds and bodies focus solely on the posture, or asana, that we are creating. Focussing our minds on a particular subject, especially a positive one such as yoga, allows us to ignore and temporarily eliminate negativity and bad vibes.

When we feel stressed or anxious, our bodies reaction is to try to make itself small, we hunch and we curl up. Certain postures within yoga practice can help to open the bodies centre, the heart and the chest, allowing for extra oxygen to enter the body and ultimately sending a message to the muscles that we are feeling open and free.

What is Pranayama and how what does it do?

Pranayama is the Sanskrit word for breath work. If theres one thing as humans that i think we can all collectively agree we take for granted, its breathing. Pranayama ensures we put focus back into every breath.

Most people will unconsciously practice shallow breathing throughout the day. Whilst this is enough to ensure we stay healthy, it doesn’t allow a lot of oxygen to flow through the body and the brain.

The deeper the breath we inhale, the more O2 we are allowing to enter the body. The O2 flows to the muscles and the brain, allowing for clarity of thought, clearer thinking. With every long exhale we produce, the more CO2 toxins we release from the body, essentially a body cleanse with each breath.

Practicing the two together can, over time, have a profound affect on your overall sense of calm and wellbeing.

Suggested Yoga Postures for Stress Relief

• Downward Facing Dog

• Hero Pose

• Tree Pose

• Triangle Pose

• Standing Forward Bend

If you would like more details on any of the above information or postures, or assistance with stress or anxiety relief, please feel free to get in touch