Say YES to Yoga for Stress Relief and Problem Solving
10 Dec 2008 ~ Categories: blog • body • yoga
They say we all hold our stress somewhere in our body – our hips, our neck…our brain. Maybe all these places.
What happens when I get on my mat and practice yoga, is that the stress energy starts to dissipate. I reconnect to my physical self. I remember again that the breath moving in and out of my lungs is a constant, soothing rhythm that connects every moment of my day. It’s a welcome reminder that there’s more to me than what’s going on in my head. Thank goodness.
On a physiological level, there’s something to be said for hanging upside down. It’s calming. So much of yoga involves dropping your head below your heart. The simple inversion – whether it be in downward dog, shoulder stand, or a simple hanging forward bend – recalibrates my perception of my head being in charge. For me, it’s an opportunity to let all the clutter flow out of my brain for just a little while. What I’ve found is the monkey-mind chatter tends to quiet. Suddenly, in that more relaxed state brought on, oddly enough, by physical exertion, I find myself solving problems and creating solutions to all those little nagging issues that have been bogging down my day: how to draft that difficult email; what to get my mom for her birthday; how to handle a situation that’s been vexing me.
From a more esoteric perspective, my experience has proven again and again that the breath and focus required to practice yoga creates a circulatory healing energy that pushes out mental and physical blocks. The movement and breath combine to create a dynamic flow in my body and mind that keeps my enemy – stress – from getting a foothold. With a moment of mental space, I come back to things that really matter the most: taking care of my body, my mind and my heart. It’s a gift I give myself so that I can be the best “me” for all the people in my life.
Yoga helps. Sometimes it’s just that simple.
Say YES to Yoga,
Amy
