All Posts tagged Stress relief

Yoga Poses for the New Year

By 30 Dec, 2019 Diet & Exercise, Lifestyle Tips , , ,

Yoga poses

With the roaring 2020s just around the corner, it’s time to think about facing the new year with less stress. Most likely, some of your new year’s resolutions include taking better care of your body and maintaining your well-being. A lot of people manage stress, anxiety, and day-to-day challenges through exercise, and yoga is one form of exercise that gains more and more popularity—especially since it can be done either in a studio or at home, with company or individually.

Yoga can help with a variety of health issues, and different yoga poses are known to help heal different pains, whether those are physical or emotional.

Stress Relief

Like many forms of exercise, yoga can help ease day-to-day stress and contribute to a more relaxed state of being. It helps us bring our attention back to our bodies and focuses the mind and breath on what parts of it are experiencing tension and pain.

  • Forward fold/bend: A forward fold essentially looks like bending over to touch your toes. This pose helps the body release tension so that you are better prepared to relax. It also allows the upper back to stretch and release tightness in the neck and shoulders.
  • Standing forward fold with shoulder opener: This pose looks the same as a forward fold, but also incorporates your arms stretched behind you in an upward pull. In addition to increasing exhalation, shoulder openers help the body concentrate on the pose and reduce stressful thoughts. This pose helps release shoulder tension and relax the hamstrings.
  • Side stretch: A relatively easy pose, a side stretch can be done on both sides of the body, helping to release the neck, head, and shoulders muscle tension.

Balancing Emotions

Just as it helps relieve stress, yoga can help us process our emotions and let go of emotional tensions we have been holding in our bodies.

  • Tree pose: With a firm stance on the ground, this pose is accomplished by lifting and placing your foot either on your inner thigh or calf (being careful to avoid the knee area). Intended to stretch your upper body, while you raise your hands above your head and breathe into your heart space. The purpose is to ground yourself and embody the stability that comes with situating your roots into the earth.
  • Warrior II: With the tree pose having brought attention to your heart space, the warrior II helps you realize the extent of your inner power that comes from your heart space. Drawing 20 to 25 breaths in this pose, you can focus on drawing strength and confidence into yourself.

 Dealing with Pain

A combination of gentle yoga poses with conscious breathing techniques can help augment relaxation response, especially if used in restorative yoga which is meant to help heal deeper pain and allow the body to experience a pose for a longer period of time.

  • Nesting pose: To find this pose, lay on your side, legs bent and drawn in toward your belly. This pose is recommended if you have trouble sleeping or are suffering from insomnia, as it creates a sense of security and nurturing. Focus on the natural rhythm of your breath, observing how the breaths move in and out of your body, creating a secure pattern.
  • Supported backbend pose: This heart-opening pose is done by laying on your back with your legs bent. The key is to put a bolster under your upper back to releases chronic tension in the back and shoulders, working to undo the stress placed on our bodies from working at a desk, a computer, or driving. It improves the flow of the breath from the upper chest to the heart and rib cage, down to the belly.
  • Seated forward fold: Done in a seating position, it’s best to use a bolster to let your upper body meltdown as you reach for your feet. According to the information given by QC Kinetix (Bradenton),  our daily activities place a lot of stress and pain on the spine, not only on the shoulders and neck. This pose helps relax the hips and the back allowing it, as well as your chest and belly, to expand and contract with each breath you take.

While this list is far from exhaustive, it’s meant to provide a basic understanding of the benefits of yoga. The best way to get involved is to seek out a local class or begin practices the fundamentals of yoga (basic poses, like the ones above) through videos online.

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Stress Less with these 10 Simple Stress Busters

By 16 Sep, 2016 Mental Health , , , ,

Meditation in stress reliefStress. Just hearing the word can conjure that knot in your stomach, sweaty palmed, anxious feeling. Stress is more than just a mental state. High levels of ongoing stress can cause serious physical effects on your body. For many women, stress symptoms include headaches, fatigue, chest pain, sleeplessness, and stomach aches. While life’s stress triggers are not always in our control, managing stress is in our control. Follow these ten simple steps to reduce stress and stay healthy.

  • Focus you breathing. Breathing from your diaphragm helps bring oxygen to your blood, which can instantly produce a calming sensation. To focus your breathing, place your hand on your abdomen and inhale slowly through your nose, making sure that you can see your hand move out as your abdomen expands. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat until you feel you have achieved your desired level of calm.
  • Exercise regularly. Your body will be better able to physically battle stress when you keep it in fighting shape.
  • Eat a healthy diet. The foods you consume can do a lot to mentally and physically prepare you for life’s stressors. A diet high in processed foods, saturated or trans fats, and sugars can amplify your body’s physical reactions to stress. A healthy, balanced diet will help counter the impact of stress by strengthening your immune system and lowering blood pressure.
  • Just say no. Avoid smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs. These chemicals can accentuate stress hormones and further damage your body’s protective immune system.
  • Give yourself a mental break. When you begin to feel overwhelmed, and especially if you feel the physical signs of stress coming on, like a racing heart or a headache, physically separate yourself from whatever situation is causing you stress. Take a walk outside, sit quietly for five minutes, or go someplace where you can gather yourself and refocus on what truly matters.
  • Seek soothing sounds. Research shows that listening to calming music can reduce feelings of anxiety, lower blood pressure, and slow your heart rate. Tune in to classical music, nature sounds, or whatever your favorite style is that puts you in the mood to smile.
  • Get plenty of sleep. When your body and mind are over-tired, it can be more difficult to focus, manage your time effectively, and make good decisions – all stress triggers. Make sure you are getting at least six hours of sleep every night, no matter what is on your “to-do” list.
  • Meditate. For many, meditation is an effective technique for calming the mind, lowering the heart rate, and refocusing priorities. Meditation emphasizes the power of positive thinking, which is another important trick for managing high stress levels.
  • Build an emotional support system. Whether you just had a bad day, or you are coping with a life event that has raised your stress levels over time, everyone needs someone they can turn to for emotional support. Identify who in your life you can rely on when you need help managing stress. It may be a spouse, sibling, best friend, life coach, or religious leader.
  • Laugh. Laughter is an important stress-reducing technique. When you find you need a mental break from stress triggers, turn your attention to something that will make you laugh. Flip on your favorite comedy, scan some funny online videos, or play with your toddler.

No one can fully protect themselves from life’s greatest challenges, but by understanding that you can control how you manage your stress, you can feel confident that you can successfully manage whatever life events come your way.

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