An age old Hindu tradition of yoga has proven itself the most effective and documented practice of stress management. The practice combines postures with breathing exercises and mediation to activate relaxation which in turn provide more productive responses to stress.
Stress is defined as the human response to emotional strain or suspense. This human response coordinates with autonomic nervous system and compels sympathetic nervous system to release neurotransmitters and hormones that have multiple effects on the human body. The released hormones often cause increase in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, blood sugar and stomach acid production. These hormones can also produce various abnormalities in immune function and lead to illness. In response to this, effects of yoga have been recognized to lower heart rate and blood pressure thereby reducing the demand of oxygen, eventually reducing stress level.
Yoga exercises are a combination of postures, breathing and meditation. The postures help to stretch limbs and soothe muscles, organs and nervous system while breathing helps to focus and relax. Common principles of yoga poses recognized for coping with stress are mind focus, body focus and breathing focus. Mind focus helps to control mind by yoga breathing, breathing focus helps to soothe the nervous system and body focus helps to learn about various body parts and organs.
The basic exercises for stress are savasana, makarasana, balasana, yoga breathing and yoga relaxation. These yoga asanas are most widely accepted stress relievers. Relaxation yoga is the most defined way of managing stress through a systematic method of physical, mental and emotional relaxation.
Stress is considered to be an affliction of modern living. Everyone today is experiencing stress due to the hectic routine, juggling families and strenuous jobs. The only time tested technique to manage stress and noise of modern life is yoga, a blessing of ancient living.
In the pages further, you will find more information on the kinds of stress, causes of stress, yoga exercises for stress, stress injury and other essential information related to stress management and yoga.