Stress is probably the single biggest contributing factor to a number of conditions; including the obvious ones such as headaches, depression, high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease, but increasingly is seen as a contributor to cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses too.
Our bodies are built to take a certain amount of stress - “good stress” it is sometimes called, as it helps us to focus better and perform tasks more effectively, and when in a situation of danger, it helps us with our fight, flight or freeze response.
The problem arises when we subject ourselves to prolonged feelings of stress. Prolonged stress increases the levels of cortisol, adrenalin and norepinephrine in our blood which can suppress the immune system, increase blood pressure and sugar, decrease libido, produce acne, contribute to obesity and more.
Stress kills - and finding ways of reducing the symptoms and dealing with the root causes are both important in terms of improving how we feel and our overall health.
Yoga can help people with stress in a number of ways:
- Breathing and meditation techniques might sound a little weird, but they are extremely effective at lowering stress levels almost instantly. There are many different exercises - if you think it’s just sitting cross-legged chanting you couldn’t be more wrong! Practised regularly, these techniques can not just help with immediate feelings of stress, but can reduce more chronic stress conditions.
- Relaxation helps you become more aware of where tension exists in your body, and gently let those tensions go. This raising of your awareness helps you manage everyday situations which might be stressful more effectively, building up a resilience which helps your body stay calm and relaxed more often.
- Gentle movement of the body helps you unwind. Yoga teaches what it calls “restorative poses”, which are incredibly gentle but powerful stretches which are deeply relaxing. Practised regularly, even for a few minutes each day, you will feel your body letting go of tension.
