Yoga for stress relief

Research has shown that yoga is capable of reducing cortisol and adrenaline hormones. And these two are the main stress hormones that make you feel stressed. But practicing yoga once or twice is not enough to balance these hormones. Most studies show that regular exercise for 30 to 60 minutes per day, 3 to 5 days a week, for hormonal correction will give you stress relief in 3 to 6 months. Although all yoga styles can help, hatha yoga, pranayama, and meditation are particularly effective.

Your whole body gets to rest in Balasana. It not only reduces stress but also helps in eradicating fatigue. Do Balasana for 1-2 minutes.

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Malasana is the most prominent of the asanas done while sitting down. According to Ayurveda, Malasana balances your Vata, thereby reducing your stress levels. Do this asana for 1 minute.

Uttanasana increases blood flow to your head and calms your brain. Do this asana for 1-2 minutes.

Halasana is especially beneficial for reducing stress levels. This asana also increases the blood flow to the head and it calms your mind as well. Do this for 1-2 minutes.

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In Sarvangasana, your body is in an inverted position, this increases the flow of blood to your brain and helps in reducing stress. Do this asana also for 1-2 minutes.

In Shavasana, your body is in the most relaxed state. There is nothing easier than this to reduce the stress level. Do this asana also for 5-10 minutes.

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With the practice of Bhramari Pranayama, you will get relief from anger, anxiety, and despair. You can do this anywhere - whether at home or in a garden. Do this asana also for 5-10 minutes. Repeat the process of Bhramari Pranayama 3-4 times and as the practice progresses, it can be done more times.

When the level of Vata is high, the state of mind usually becomes rajasic and your thoughts become unstable. Typical symptoms of vata imbalance are impatience, anxiety, insomnia, and constipation, all of which are commonly associated with stress.

Yoga and breathing exercises should not be too intense or vigorous (such as kapalbhati) in a state of excess vata. Vata can become more imbalanced after such exercise. No matter which asana you practice, it is essential to do asanas that calm the mind and body at the end of the practice. You can try these asanas to reduce excess vata: sitting poses like Malasana, standing poses like Tadasana with both feet on the ground or inverted poses like Sarvangasana and Sirsasana Is.

Apart from yoga, Ayurveda also has suggestions to control excess vata. People who have an excess of Vata should stick to a regular schedule of sleep and meals and eat warm, nutritious, sattvic food whenever possible. Sweet, sour, or salty foods are believed to be beneficial in reducing Vata. Caffeine (tea and coffee), nicotine (cigarettes), and other stimulants can aggravate Vata.

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Perhaps the most important discovery of the ancient yogis was the connection between the breath and the state of mind. It has been known for centuries in yoga that short and rapid breaths have a direct link to a distracted mind. As proof, think when you are scared or nervous then your breathing becomes faster and it is also not very deep. If you're feeling stressed, slow down your breathing and make each breath deeper.

To some extent, this happens automatically if you breathe only through your nose instead of your mouth. But if you do not have the practice of breathing in this way, then in the beginning you have to pay attention to it. In Ujjayi breathing, in which the vocal cords are contracted, the rate of breathing automatically slows down and the breath is very deep. In addition, the sound produced in the Ujjayi breath in itself creates meditation and calms the mind.

A simple technique that can give almost instant relief from tension is to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. By doing this, you will immediately feel relaxed in your nervous system. In the beginning, practice reducing the speed of exhalation to half of the speed of inhalation. But keep in mind that under no circumstances should you feel short of breath - this can have the opposite effect. Once you master this style, you can do it anywhere and anytime. Initially, you try to do two to five minutes. As your skill increases, you can do this for longer periods.

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Pratyahara - the overcoming of external stimuli - which is the 5 limb of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, can help reduce stress. We believe that a major cause of modern stress is constant exposure to external stimuli such as social media, television, smartphones, etc. If you can control these or at least reduce their quantity in your life, then you can get relief from stress. Make sure to set aside some "quiet time" for yourself every day when no such external stimuli can reach you. Do not watch TV while eating, turn off the phone for a while and spend time only with yourself.

Use the wisdom of yoga: Shavasanas, pranayama, and meditation will help calm your mind and make you feel less stressed. Don't run to mind-numbing drugs to reduce stress!

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Janushirasana is a very good asana for opening tight muscles of your body. Holding this asana for a few seconds helps in opening your mind and keeping away from stress.

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Downward Dog Pose - In this posture, keeping your body in a V-shaped position strengthens your arms and abdomen. Performing this asana helps in relieving stress and makes you feel more active.

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Setubandhasana helps in reducing the discomfort of your shoulders. It flexes your spine and strengthens your back and arms, as well as stretches the chest, neck, and spine, and helps calm the mind, reduce stress, and mild depression.

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Daily practice of Baddha Konasana helps in reducing chronic back pain. This asana helps to open up your hips and reduce the effects of sitting at a desk for your work all day. This Baddha Konasana helps in relieving mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

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Balasana - By doing this asana, a stretch is created in the whole body, due to which after doing this asana, a feeling of freshness will be felt in the whole body.

Some things need to be kept in mind while practicing yoga, which is explained here -

• Remember that you get relief from yoga practice only after continuous practice and you get it slowly.
• Yoga asanas do not increase joint pain, for this, during practice, take the help of objects, pillows, and other equipment to support the body, as necessary.
• Don't push yourself beyond your physical capacity. If the pain increases, stop the yoga practice immediately and consult a doctor.

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Although stress is not a serious problem and in some time stress gets cured on its own, if it remains for a long time, it can lead to many physical problems. Therefore, stress should never be taken lightly. To avoid this, Ayurvedic medicines and yoga should be resorted to. Also, nutritious food should be taken.

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