Beat Stress With Yoga – The daily commute from home to office and back combined with endless professional responsibilities adds stress to your life. Add to that absence of any form of physical activity and you are moving slowly towards numerous health problems in the future. All you need to do is take a deep breath and pay attention to the quality of your breathing.
Does your breathing sound shallow and forced? Is your breathing heavy and labored? If the answer to these questions is a resounding YES, it is something you should take care of right away Now, either you can take the traditional route of pharmaceuticals and monthly doctor visits or sign up for a yoga instructor certification course.
The yoga experts have come up with some effective yoga techniques to help you beat stress.
Breathing – The Quintessential Activity
With focus on your breathing you are able to focus on the present moment. Unfortunately, you hold your breath many times in a day. In survival mode, you reduce your breathing. Both of these are detrimental to your health in the long run.
On the other hand, you should never hold your breath. There are yoga techniques that help minimize stress and relieve all tension in your body. These exercises are easy to do even for a beginner.
Let us now find out the yoga breathing exercises that can help you get rid of unnecessary stress.
Yoga Breathing Techniques
Given below are three yoga breathing exercises to help you get over stress.
1. Belly Breathing
This is one of the core breathing exercise you do at the beginning of yoga class. It brings awareness to your body and calms down the mind. An easy way to do this exercise is thinking of your belly as a balloon. You can practice Belly breathing when looking to get rid of unnecessary thoughts.
Steps To Belly Breathing
- Sit or lie down on the yoga mat and close your eyes. Keep your spine completely straight.
- Let your hands relax in your lap or next to your body’s side. Keep your palms facing up.
- Inhale through the nose and expand your belly.
- Exhale through the nose and relax your belly.
2. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Nadi Shodhana is the best yogic breathing technique to release all tension and balance the left and right hemisphere of your brain. You should practice this technique before sitting for a meditation session or when going to sleep.
Steps To Alternate Breathing Technique
- Sit with your spine completely straight and eyes closed.
- Let the first two fingers of the right hand rest on your forehead.
- Place both the fingers between your eyebrows.
- Bring the thumb of your right hand over the right nostril and close it.
- Inhale through your left nostril and hold your breathe for a few seconds.
- Keep your mouth closed while performing the step mentioned above.
- Cover and hold your left nostril with the ring or fourth finger on your right hand.
- Slowly release your thumb and exhale through the right nostril.
- Inhale via the right nostril using your thumb.
- Release your fourth finger from the left nostril and exhale.
Keep the focus on your breathing as that shifts the awareness from your mind to the body. You should enroll in a yoga instructor certification course to know more about this breathing technique.
3. Rhythmic Breathing
If you are looking for an energizing breathing technique then try the Rhythmic breathing. It is the best yogic technique to refresh your mind and body when you feel a little sluggish. It is similar to drinking a cup of coffee.
Steps To Rhythmic Breathing
- You can do this breathing technique in any position with eyes closed or open.
- Inhale through the nose twice in short and quick succession.
- Exhale through the nose twice in short and quick succession.
- Relax.
However, simply practicing these breathing exercises is not enough. You also need to include the right yoga asanas to reap the full benefits. Read further to know which yoga asanas help you beat stress.
Yoga Asanas To Beat Stress
1. Child Pose
Child’s Pose relives your neck, shoulders, and hips of any pent-up tension. It is an effective yoga pose that offers you a plethora of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.
Steps To Practice Child Pose
- Kneel on the yoga mat and keep your knees together.
- Place your buttocks near your feet.
- Exhale and bring your torso to rest over your thighs. Let your forehead touch the mat.
- Extend your arms to the front of the yoga mat. Keep your elbows bent and palms facing down on the mat.
- Inhale and take some deep breaths.
2. Corpse Pose
The best yoga pose to completely relax your body and mind after a yoga session. It decreases the Beta waves and relaxes your central nervous system. Almost every yoga class ends with this yoga asana.
Steps To Practice Corpse Pose
- Lie down on the yoga mat. Press your elbows and lift your back slightly off the mat.
- Bring your shoulder blades back and down on the mat. Drop and keep your shoulders away from your ears.
- Extend your arms outwards next to and away from your body with both palms facing upwards.
- Extend your legs outwards and away from each other. Keep your feet on the side of your body.
- Let go and relax your body.
Conclusion
Yoga offers your body and mind a natural way to relax and let go of all negative things. You should enroll in a yoga instructor certification course to know about other yogic techniques.
Also Read: Hatha Vs Vinyasa