Yoga and Stress Relief

The events of recent months vie for our attention and tug at the normalcy of everyday life. We now live in such extraordinary times that the very fabric of our society that had so long sheltered and embraced us is now rife with menace and danger. Although material abundance and technology surrounds us, there is an underlying primal fear and anxiety that is both elemental and pervasive, which does not go away. This is today’s reality and for the foreseeable future, fear and anxiety are here to stay.

On the other hand, fear and anxiety should not go away, for they are proper responses to those events and things, both tangible and intangible that threaten us. Fear and anxiety are nature’s way of stimulating our nervous system in order to ensure that we are able to respond to impending danger. However, excessive fear and anxiety can quickly escalate to the point of circumventing our ability to take appropriate action.

During periods of stress or extraordinary challenge, we most commonly hold our breath or even hyperventilate. Yet both physically and psychologically, holding your breath is the very worst thing you can do. The mechanics of excessive stress create an abundance of harmful blood chemistry that is both damaging to your body and to your emotional health.

Both your physical body and your emotional well being react to prolonged and excessive stress by elevations in blood pressure, pulse, metabolism, and oxygen consumption, all of which interferes with proper functioning. And if that weren’t enough, prolonged stress greatly interferes with effective thinking and decision-making. Although it is never appropriate to lose one’s control, now is a particularly critical time to maintain command of your physical and emotional health.

One of your most important tools in learning to control your stress; or more importantly, how to control your reactions to the enormous stresses being generated day-to-day, is learning about your breath. If you practice yoga, or any other form of the body-mind-breathing arts, you already know that these practices begin with or revolve around your breathing. Even though your breath is “autonomic,” meaning that it is always there and there’s nothing you need to do in order to breathe; it is also controllable and in so doing, controlling your breath yields substantial rewards. Reflecting both your emotional and physiological states, controlled and quiet breathing allows you to soothe both your mind and body. If left unchecked, stress often causes you to either breath too shallow or to hyperventilate. Both are bad.

Shallow breathing is characterized by unconscious breath holding or gasping and is usually a “startle” or “alarm” reaction causing your abdomen to tighten. As you inhale into your upper chest, oxygen absorption declines and your heart rate and blood pressure increase. Furthermore, gastro-intestinal distress can increase along with chronic neck and shoulder tension. Hyperventilation is characterized by rapid, shallow breathing interspersed by frequent sighs. During hyperventilation, too much carbon dioxide is expended which increases the blood’s alkalinity, which can cause or exacerbate anxiety, phobia, and/or dizziness. Controlled breathing circumvents both problems, which brings us to the subject of yoga and controlled breathing. Yoga exponents have known for millennia what science has only recently confirmed; that there is an intimate connection between yoga breath control and controlling aspects of your nervous and immune systems, your emotions, and your overall health.

Forget about learning esoteric yogic techniques and forget about contorting your body into a pretzel. Anyone and everyone can learn simple breath control techniques, for it is scientifically proven that a regular practice of even the most rudimentary breath control techniques create positive changes in both brain and body chemistry. This in turn lowers blood pressure, increases oxygen absorption, and slows metabolism; all of which helps you to think more clearly, especially when under stress. The more you practice, the more you get.

A basic and simple practice will yield immediate relaxation and a clearer mind. A sustained practice over time provides a potential for maximizing physical and emotional stability and health. It’s said that in life, there is no such thing as a magic bullet or a panacea that can fix everything; but to my way of thinking, controlled breathing is the next best thing.

Article by yoga instructor Sam Dworkis, auther of Recovery Yoga and ExTension. Visit his web site at www.extensionyoga.com .

The above article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. A qualified health care professional should be consulted before beginning ExTension or Recovery Yoga, or any exercise program. Read the rest of our disclaimer and terms of use.