TIPS ON STRESS REDUCTION AND ATTITUDE
By Mary Fogelman
YOGA AND SOME EXERCISE
Many centuries ago in India, great gurus noticed that human beings were "disjointed". The mind, body, emotions and spirit were each pulling in their own directions, causing a continual separation.
These gurus evolved and perfected over the centuries a system of self-development known as YOGA, meaning yoking, union, or joining together. YOGA is more than breathing, stretching or meditation. It is a way of living a good moral, ethical life, free of guilt and full of forgiveness of oneself and others.
The ultimate goal is peace and enhancement of all aspects of our life. Your real nature - stillness and awareness - is always present, waiting to show itself to you. Relaxation is the vehicle used on the road to peace.
In yoga, a good start is with a quick tension reliever and a pose that firms the muscles of your neck and face. It's called "The Lion":
Sit on heels; hands rest on knees. Slowly move trunk forward. Simultaneously widen eyes and extend tongue. Fingers are spread far apart. You must feel a strong pull in all muscles of the face and neck; if not, you must intensify the effort. Do not be reluctant to assume all the ferocity of a lion. Hold the extremely tensed position for 15 seconds. Very slowly withdraw tongue; relax eyes and fingers. Settle back into original position.
There's an old yogic saying, "Life is in the breath; he who only half breathes, half-lives". Most of us breathe very short and shallow breaths, and use less than 1/10 of our breathing capacity. As shallow breathing becomes a habit, blood vessels throughout the body constrict, reducing the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain by as much as 20%. As a result, you feel tense, fatigued, unable to relax. Proper breathing is one of the most powerful gifts we have. For instance, 70% of the body's toxins exit through exhalation, only 20% from the skin, 7% through urination, and 3% from bowel movements. That's awesome.
Proper Breathing:
Oxygenates all the cells in the body, massages internal organs. It is said that cancer cannot thrive with oxygen.
Creates endorphins, a natural form of morphine, that makes you feel more positive and energetic.
Strengthens the immune system.
Cleanses the organs and cells by activating the lymph system.
Builds endurance.
Improves circulation (infuses the blood with extra oxygen and purifies the blood).
Balances emotion.
Relieves chronic tension, fatigue and depression.
It can even slow down the physical signs of aging and reduce the craving for addictive substances like alcohol, drugs, tobacco and food.
There is intelligence to breath. It has a language. Breath sings, whistles and laughs. It stops in fear, chokes in sadness, and gasps in amazement. Breath yawns, sneezes and snores. Breath heals!
There are many different types of breathing exercises. The main one is abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing.
Abdominal breathing (deep breathing) is the easiest way to relax. It's impossible to feel stress while doing this type of breathing. This is a natural breathing of newborn babies and most sleeping adults. It can increase the amount of air taken into the lungs 600%.
To practice, close your eyes; place right hand on your abdomen and left hand on top part of your chest. First, without changing your breathing, simply notice how you are breathing. Which hand moves the most? Abdominal or chest? Now, let your shoulders drop far away from your ears. Feel your spine, that it is straight but relaxed. As you inhale, let your abdomen gently expand like a balloon, and breathe all the way up to the top of your lungs. As you exhale, feel your abdomen contract. In fact, gently push on your abdomen as you exhale.
You are inhaling peace and serenity, and exhaling stress or tension. (If you feel light-headed, stop and breathe normally).
This is a very important first step, not only in yoga, but for all of us in our daily living. It will help breathe away your ST.
Notice any difference in the way your mind and body feel compared to a few minutes earlier?
