How to overcome Stress with the help of Yoga.

“Stress is the physical and psychological effects we experience as a result of the way we react to changes in the surrounding environment”- Pavel Stoyanov

I. Stress and its impact on life

Stress is becoming a part of life in present days due to the increased workload and long working hours resulting in other health problems too. Work pressure mounting up due to stress and looming deadlines and difficulties with colleagues and bosses building up the physical tension in our bodies. The stress remains bottled up as we sit at our desks with little opportunity for movement, leading to physical and mental health problems in the future. The continuous state of tension can negatively affect the health of a person.

Yoga reduces:

• Breathing disorders
• Increased heart rate
• High blood pressure
• Fatigue
• Emotional tension
• Vague thinking
• Panic attacks
• Indigestion
• Impaired blood pressure
• Increased blood sugar leads to Diabetes

II. Some tips to get relieved from stress

Here are some tips to get relieved from stress:

• If possible, schedule a time to practice each day
• Practice relaxation techniques while you’re doing other things
• If you exercise, improve the relaxation benefits by adopting mindfulness
• Avoid practicing when you’re sleepy
• Expect ups and downs

A variety of stresses relieving techniques are available to keep your body healthy:

III. Yoga and its importance

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. It is an art of balancing mind and body. Yoga results in peacefulness by balancing the physical and mental status to get relaxed and manage stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga is the common type of yoga which is practiced more in general can be achieved through behavior, diet and meditation. If you want to still manage the stress of daily life style or health problems, yoga is helpful. Depending upon the problems of a person, different forms of yoga can be helpful. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on the super soul.

IV. Various types of Yoga

Yoga has six branches:

• Hatha Yoga
• Bhakti Yoga
• Raja Yoga
• Jnana Yoga or Yoga of the mind
• Karma Yoga or Yoga of rituals

1. Hatha Yoga: Hatha Yoga helps to balance the mind-body-breath. It also helps you to be self-aware, self-confident and independent.
2. Breathing Exercises: To relax the various physical and mental systems of the body.
3. Meditation: To calm down the mind, self-introspection and improving concentration and focus.

V. Benefits of Yoga

Yoga Promotes:

• Muscle Tone
• Cleansing of the internal organs
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Weight loss
• Mental awareness and Focus

Benefits of Workplace Yoga:

• Increased strength and flexibility
• Good Posture and muscle tone
• Increased strength and balance of energy
• Sense of well being, calmness and centeredness
• Improved blood circulation
• Increased awareness of the beauty of life in all its forms
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved respiration
• Improved concentration
• Improved Focus

1. Impact of yoga on mental health

• In the present busy work schedules a person suffers from anxiety, depression and mood swings. Yoga helps a person relax which leads to mental health as a form of psychological therapy. It is an adoptable medical therapy to reduce anxiety and stress for better health and concentration.
• Yoga is beneficial for children who suffer from deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorders through yoga postures and breathing exercises.
• Meditation is another form of yoga which results in inner peace and purpose.
• Yoga has been used as a medicine to heal torture or trauma.

2. Impact of yoga on other health conditions

• Frequent headaches and migraines are relieved with yoga as it circulates blood and oxygen to your head.
• A regular yoga practice helps boost antioxidants from the body and improves the immune system to heal quickly from disease or injury.
• Yoga helps you maintain healthy weight and height throughout the life. Power yoga is a form of yoga which reduces the weight by burning the additional calories.
• Particularly in women, it is observed that, yoga practice may relieve from the symptoms of menopause.

3. Yoga in daily life

• Yoga is the best medicine for insomnia.
• Yoga helps in maintaining body energy throughout the day. It also cures other symptoms like stiffness, depression, tiredness, and weakness.

4. Impact of Yoga on the cardiovascular system

• Some forms of yoga controls your blood pressure and keeps blood flowing evenly throughout your body.
• Heart rate and blood pressure can be lowered through Hatha yoga.
• Hypertension can be relieved through Hatha yoga with reduces heart rate and blood pressure.
• Yoga also reduces the cholesterol levels in the body.

5. Impact of yoga on bones, muscles and joints

• Yoga keeps your body strong and improves your muscle strength, legs, hands, feet, abdominals and shoulders.
• Stretching and breathing exercises improve your flexibility, helping joints, tendons, and muscles stay limber.
• Hatha yoga can relieve chronic back and neck pain, since the poses and postures gently stretch and strengthen your back and neck muscles.