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Getting
away without going away:
Yoga and stress management
By Harriet Russell- yogasite.com
Stressed? Feel short on time? “To do’s” building
up? When will you ever get your personal projects done? When did
the kids grow up, anyway? Time bound consciousness is a common
state of mind. Don’t worry. Yoga and meditation can help.
Stress reduction is a result of stress management. Learning to
live with stress and learning to reduce stress are both related
to how we think. How we think determines how we act, or react.
There are three factors in our lives that contribute to who we
are in this world. They are heredity, environment, and lifestyle.
Heredity cannot change. What we are given is what we have. Environment
is difficult to overcome also. Lifestyle, however, we can change.
In our daily habits lies the potential for lifestyle changes.
How we eat, exercise, and deal with stress can be modified. The
situations we put ourselves in and our attitudes about life circumstances
can also be altered.
Practical techniques for everyday stress
What are the practical ways that yoga can help us solve day-to-day
problems in life that can cause stress? On a physical level, yoga
goes beyond just toning and strengthening muscles. Standing postures
correct structural alignment and strengthen the spine. Twists
massage the internal organs. Forward bends lower blood pressure
and relax the nervous system. Inverted postures purify the lymphatic
system. Yoga postures and breathing strengthen and balance the
immune, hormonal, digestive and nervous systems.
Yoga also improves our mental state, increases concentration,
builds self-esteem, and helps us to deal with stress in a positive
way. Mental and emotional improvements include clarity of mind,
greater awareness, increased concentration and focus, a more positive
attitude, less mood swings, improved self esteem, "groundedness",
and stress reduction.
When the body and mind are synchronized, a spiritual dimension
comes forth: improved intuition, a deeper "knowing"
inside, an openness of heart, a feeling of greater love and compassion
for oneself and for others, a connection to the divine, to God,
in whatever way that expresses for each individual.
Chair yoga for the office
How can you take care of your body and mind while sitting at a
desk or computer for hours on end? When I worked on Wall Street,
I used to stretch while in my chair. Pretend to look at someone
behind you, grab one side or back of the chair and twist first
to one side, then to the other. While seated, you can arch the
back opening the chest and then round the back releasing. Do this
several times. Stretch your arms overhead and interlace the fingers.
Or just stand up and stretch your arms overhead for a moment.
Lift the shoulders into a shrug and then release them (and the
tension) suddenly. Moving the head up and down then side to side
gives a good neck stretch.
Take a deep breath
Take a deep breathing break in the non-smoker’s lounge.
Get fresh air in good weather at lunchtime. Mental anxiety caused
by thinking or worrying too much, creates tension in the shoulders,
the “should-ers” Notice when you feel tension in the
shoulders. It is usually a result of too many “should’s”
you put on yourself. What should be is projection or expectation.
What is, however, is reality. Facing reality with a deep breath
brings us into the present, and provides clarity.
Here is a simple breathing exercise that oxygenates the blood,
increases lung capacity and cleanses toxins and allergens out
of your system. It also takes the mind away from mental worry
by focusing on breathing. It can be done seated or lying down.
Locate three parts of the torso: belly, lower lungs, and upper
lungs. You may place a hand on one part moving it to another,
until you get familiar with the technique. Do not force the breath.
Do not hold the breath at the top of the inhalation nor at the
bottom of the exhalation. Let it be a circular breath with smooth
and even transitions. Breathe into the belly gently filling it,
then move the breath into filling the lower lungs, then all the
way up under the collarbones into the upper lungs. Exhale slowly
with one long breath. Repeat 6 times. Then breathe regularly.
You may use this as the only practice and repeat it over and over,
or add on the following two steps. Breathe into the entire torso
with one full breath. Exhale slowly in three parts from the upper
lungs, to the lower lungs to the belly. Repeat 6 times. Then breathe
regularly. Breathe into the belly, the lower lungs, then the upper
lungs in one long smooth three part deep breath. Then exhale slowly
from the upper lungs, lower lungs, and belly. It is like a glass
of water filling in from the bottom to top and pouring out from
the top to the bottom. Repeat 6 times. Then breathe regularly.
If you keep your eyes open, no one will ever notice you are doing
this while seated in your chair. What a stress buster! It is great
to use in heated discussions as it improves your ability to listen
because you are better able to remain calm.
Competition is stressful. Stay focused on what you are doing in
the moment and don’t worry about how it was yesterday, or
how it will be in the future. Keep your eye on the goal, but be
open to whatever results actually happen. An attitude of acceptance
is key stress management.
Relaxation
Relaxation is a vital part of stress management. At the end of
the posture practice or any exercise work out, lying down in relaxation
pose brings the final integration of body and mind. The quiet
allows for awareness of our inner self. Given time to reflect,
we can discover the spiritual side of our nature. We awaken refreshed,
rejuvenated, and renewed.
If you have your own office, ask not to be disturbed for 20 minutes
and close the door. Lie down on the floor with your feet slightly
apart and your arms at your sides with palms facing upwards. You
may do the three part breathing, a tension and release exercise,
or a body scan. You may combine them together as well.
Tension and release exercice:
Tighten your fists, arms and shrug your shoulders up towards the
ears, lifting only one inch off the ground. Then release suddenly.
Repeat twice more. Tighten your buttocks and legs and flex the
feet, lifting only one inch off the ground. Then release suddenly.
Repeat twice more. Tighten your face and squinch your eyes. Release.
Repeat two more times. Relax into the ground and practice the
same three part breathing described above to continue to the calm
the mind.
Body scan
With your body relaxed now, begin the body scan. Without moving,
focus the mind on the soles of the feet, then the ankles, calves
and knees, thighs and hips and the belly. Keep scanning up your
body into the lower back, the upper back, the shoulders and neck.
Relax your arms, your hands and feel the tension just wash away
from your face and head.
The focus itself will bring relaxation. Breathe normally and evenly.
Each breath in brings in fresh energy, each breath out rids the
body of tensions and toxins. Breathe in rejuvenation and exhale
into deeper relaxation. Feel the body melt into the ground, but
keep the mind alert yet relaxed. As a beginner, you may fall asleep!
That’s quite all right. As you practice you will be able
to go into a deep state of relaxation without falling asleep.
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