As we walk the
tightrope between modern life and our animal instincts, the human race strives
to find balance. In our bodies, our minds, our environment, in our lives. With
our brains over-stimulated and our bodies more sedentary than ever, many of us
suffer from the fatigue and imbalance that comes from chronic stress without
sufficient recovery. A yoga practice is an excellent way to soothe nerves that
are in a constant state of overdrive.
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| Yoga – A Cure for Modern Day Stress |
As we walk the
tightrope between modern life and our animal instincts, the human race strives
to find balance. In our bodies, our minds, our environment, in our lives. With
our brains over-stimulated and our bodies more sedentary than ever, many of us
suffer from the fatigue and imbalance that comes from chronic stress without
sufficient recovery. A yoga practice is an excellent way to soothe nerves that
are in a constant state of overdrive. Yoga can help give us the ability to live
healthy amidst hectic schedules and bustling environments. Why does it seem
that as technology evolves at such epic pace we have less and less time at our
disposal? Now more than ever we need to slow down, quiet our minds, take a deep
breath...
Stress has become a chronic aspect of life for many of us; and it takes its
toll. The nervous system senses continued pressure and remains slightly
activated, producing extra stress hormones over an extended period of time.
This can wear out the body’s reserves, leaving us feeling depleted or
overwhelmed. Over time the immune system weakens causing illness and fatigue,
mood swings, lack of focus, and irritability. Stress is implicated in many
health problems from migraines and insomnia to lupus, MS, eczema, poor
digestion, weight gain, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. In milder
situations a little stress can keep us on our toes and help us to rise to a
challenge. However, in today’s world chronic, unreleased stress has become
prevalent and is taking a tremendous toll on our bodies as it diminishes our
enjoyment of life.
In city living the constant noise, electricity, radiation, radiowaves,
electromagnetic rays, and infra-red which surround us, create an ever-present
stimuli that haggars the central nervous system. We do not yet know long term
effects of this “white noise.” We may not consciously be aware of it, but our
bodies register all that is going on around us. In our jobs and lifestyles we
are often engaged in many tasks at once and feeling that we are constantly on
the go, and that even when we do have a moment to spare we can’t seem to truly
relax.
What is Stress
In a challenging situation the human brain responds to stressors by activating
the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus (located in the
center of the brain) signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones
adrenaline and cortisol, and release them into the bloodstream. Heart rate,
blood pressure, and metabolism increase, blood vessels open wider to allow more
blood flow into large muscles groups, making our muscles tense and putting the
brain on high alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases a dose
of stored glucose to increase the body’s energy. Sweat is produced to cool the
body. This chain reaction of physical effects happens to prepare the human
being to react quickly and effectively, enabling them to handle the pressure of
the moment. Cortisol is a natural steroid that raises your blood sugar level
(so the muscles have plenty of fuel) and suppresses inflammation, but it also
suppresses the immune system. The adrenal hormones are catabolic, which means
they foster biological processes that burn energy and break down cellular
structures. If you activate the adrenal glands over and over again without
sufficient recovery in between, your body becomes depleted and exhausted.
Stress is necessary for the human to remain self-sufficient; to survive. In the
jungle, ancient man conjured stress hormones when needed to fight a bear or a
tiger, or to survive extreme weather conditions. With a concrete defensive
action stress hormones in the blood get used up entailing reduced stress
effects and symptoms of anxiety. In modern life some stress situations sharpen
us; clear the cobwebs from our thinking, and stimulate faculties to attain our
true potential. Each stage of human evolution happened by adapting in order to
survive extreme conditions and stressors in our environment, as at this time
the body is prepared to act with increased strength and speed while the mind is
sharp and focused. Stress and a human response to stress is necessary.
However, what we need now is to learn to adapt to our new world, to handle the
increase in milder but consistent stress in a better way and to learn to
release before it affects us in a negative manner. When we fail to counter a
stress situation these chemicals and hormones remain unreleased in the body and
bloodstream for a long period of time. This leads to a long list of symptoms
such as tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and rapid heartbeat, and
compels the mind-body to in an almost constant alarm state in preparation to
fight or run away (known as the fight or flight response).
Accumulated stress can increase the risk of both acute and chronic
psychosomatic illnesses, and cause everything from headaches, irritable bowel
syndrome, frequent cold and fatigue, to diseases such as hypertension, asthma,
diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer. Many medical doctors and
psychologists go as far as to say that 70 – 90 % of visits by adults to primary
care physicians are for stress related problems.**
Yoga Affects Stress
Enhance the body’s natural functions:
To recover from the exhaustion associated with chronic stress, we need to do
things that turn off the adrenal hormones and promote secretion of anabolic
hormones. Certain yoga poses, such as inversions help to stimulate glands in
the brain (Pituitary, Pineal). Moving into the ALPHA state is very important.
The alpha state is considered the ideal waking state, where we reach the
pinnacle of our creative thought process while the body is in a healing cycle.
Alpha state is often attained during savasana; final resting pose in yoga
practice.
Yoga’s smooth, deep, symmetrical breathing, twists, stretches and balancing
postures help to enhance the body’s natural functions, keeping the spine, house
of the nervous system supple, enhancing flow of fluids in the spine and
stimulating glands and circulation of blood and lymph throughout the rest of
the body. Muscles are lengthened and toxins are released. Pranayam (breath
exercises) and poses such as cat where we roll along the spine with breath can
help to flush and clear the lung tissue.
Yoga innately helps us to create balance; to know our bodies, to recognize when
we are not balanced both on and off of the mat. On a purely physical level
hatha yoga creates strength, flexibility, grace. Part of Yoga’s philosophy is
to take the approach of strengthening and healing the body in the process of
healing and cleansing the mind. Yoga views the body as having many layers.
Asana (physical yoga postures) affect the body but also these deeper layers, en
route to creating a whole, balanced self. Hatha yoga practice creates
unobstructed energy flow.
Release Tension:
Stressed out individuals tend to carry a great deal of physical tension in
their bodies. Yoga helps to unlock and release these tensions before they can
accumulate over time and become chronic physical and psychological conditions.
As we release physical blockages, toxins, and limitations from the body we also
do so in mind, spirit, and emotions. The benefits of yoga postures (asana),
breathing (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) include increased body
awareness, release of muscular tension and increased coordination between
mind-and body which leads to better management of stress and cultivates an
overall feeling of well being
During the resting poses in yoga such as child’s pose, abdominal tension is
released. This allows internal organs to unwind promoting deep breathing and
enhancing digestive and reproductive functions. This deep rest affords the
central nervous system much needed time in ‘para-sympathetic’ mode (relaxed
calm state, free of the “flight or flight” stress response) in order to recover
and rejuvenate. Creating focus through a series of specific bodily poses also
helps us to truly take our mind off of work and other stressors.
The Breath:
In normal conditions the body follows a natural breath pattern that is slow and
fairly regulated. Under stress when the body shows symptoms such as tightening
of muscles, distractions, anxiety, hyperactivity and angry reactions, breathing
becomes quick and shallow. One tends to hold one's breath frequently. With
restricted breathing inflow of oxygen is diminished. Lungs are unable to exhale
the stale airs and residual toxins build up inside the body. Stiff muscles
restrict the circulation of blood that so even less oxygen comes in and fewer
toxins are removed. This in turn affects the healthy regeneration of cells and
can accelerate aging and disease. Medical studies show that the oxygen-starved cells
are the major contributing factors in cancer, immunity deficiency, heart
disease and strokes. Breathing also affects our state of mind and consequently
makes our thinking either confused or clear. Lengthening and deepening breath
in yoga creates a more balanced state of being. A change in breath pattern
creates a change in the metabolic process, emotions, endorphins, internal
chemical reactions, and the release of specific hormones. Mind affects body;
body affects mind.
Mind Body Connection:
The sensitivity that comes through a yoga practice helps to develop a level of
skill in cultivating, observing and choosing one's posture, breath, emotions,
and diet more wisely. As we practice we learn to listen with our bodies.
Whenever we experience an emotion, our bodies register this emotion and mirror
it. The next time you get angry, stressed, or afraid, stop and notice exactly
what is happening in your own body in that moment. Which muscles got tense? How
has your breath been affected? How did your posture change? Is your heart
beating faster? What affects you and why? Are you able to notice it as it
happens?
Over time yoga helps us to let go of unwanted emotional and physical patterns.
Yoga practice is great for providing recovery and can also help you deal with
stressful circumstances without having such a strong negative reaction. The
mindfulness – mind-body awareness cultivated with yoga practice allows us to
realize emotions as they arise; sensing what is the cause of the emotion and
how that emotion affects the body/mind. As Patanjali says in his Yoga Sutras**,
“Yoga quells the fluctuations of the mind." It slows down the mental loops
and patterns of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause
stress. No matter what age, we can release past traumas, feelings of guilt or
inadequacy, denial, patterns of feeling unable to communicate or connect,
patterns of addiction, (all of which lead to more guilt and denial). We need to
clear out these patterns in order to stay freshly alive or else there is an
accumulation, a blockage, both physical and mental. We need to continually
release these psycho/somatic holding patterns. As we release blockages, toxins,
and tightness physically, we also do so in mind, spirit, emotions.
Awareness from the inside out and from the outside in are necessary. They are
one in the same. Through a regular yoga practice we develop a balanced state on
a consistent basis and this translates into our lives off the mat. We become
better equipped to handle everything that comes our way in life; to handle life
with more grace, ease, and presence, from a more objective point of view. By
staying open we keep on top of the game, in the moment, able to truly enjoy
each day to the fullest. The way we deal with coworkers and friends or family
will innately be transformed. The very way we perceive things around us and who
we are as a person from moment to moment will be transformed. Our sense of
self-perception is the root of our own life. From here the world around us
takes shape. As we become more aware of ourselves we are able to be less
judgmental, more open, more honest, and take things less personally. True
wisdom comes from within, from self knowledge and a clear eye.If you learn to
quiet your mind, you'll be likely to live longer, and fuller, with better
health. Yoga and meditation offer some of the same benefits as
antidepressants-without the side effects.
It is no wonder yoga has soared to such heights of popularity. Through yoga
practice we begin to find a sense of wholeness. We become more aware. We create
balance in our bodies, in our minds, in our lives. As we evolve individually
and come closer to an open, authentic state of being, we also evolve as a
species, creating a better world for us all.
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