| If you can focus on your breath while you are in a | | | | stress relief is a key aspect. |
| stretch you can actually direct the breath into the | | | | Meditation is another fantastic form of calming the |
| muscles. This brings awareness to that part of your | | | | mind. Once you can bring your awareness inside your |
| body. With the same idea, if you bring awareness to | | | | body, you can start to slow your thoughts down and |
| your breath you can focus on filling your lungs to | | | | really give your brain a rest. Meditation can be |
| capacity with energy reviving, fresh oxygen. This | | | | practiced by simply focusing on your natural breathing. |
| oxygen moves through your veins with your blood and | | | | Whenever a thought comes in to your mind you simply |
| goes into your muscles. We use our breath to warm, | | | | refocus on the breath. Those thoughts keep coming |
| to relax, and even to release tension from our bodies. | | | | and you just keep bringing your focus back to your |
| Yoga is the practice of connecting the mind and the | | | | breath. Eventually you will be able to stop the thoughts, |
| body either in yoga postures or in a meditative state. | | | | simply rest your brain, and find your inner peace. |
| We use the breath as a tool to connect the mind to | | | | Try a local yoga class with a certified Instructor. Many |
| the body. | | | | YMCA's and local Community Centers have yoga |
| We can implement the mind and body connection by | | | | classes or there might be a yoga studio near you. As |
| breathing into basic yoga poses. Focus is the key. If | | | | a certified Instructor I teach classes that are mixed |
| we are trying to stretch and thinking about doing the | | | | levels all the time. Don't worry about not knowing what |
| laundry or going shopping, stress at work, or the stress | | | | to do. Let the instructor know that you are new to |
| of the economy, our focus is not inside our body. | | | | yoga and he or she can offer you some modified |
| When we are stressed our muscles tighten. We want | | | | poses throughout the class. |
| to give our stress a break; bring awareness inside our | | | | The one thing you need to remember is to listen to |
| bodies. Breathe for a little while and just be aware of | | | | your body. Keep your focus on how it feels in each |
| what you are thinking (or stressing) about. Be aware | | | | pose and make sure that every pose feels good. If |
| of shallow breathing as opposed to re-energizing deep | | | | you can get a gentle stretch in a pose, stay there and |
| breathing. Be aware of tightness in the neck and | | | | breathe into it. |
| shoulders from stress. | | | | Use your breathing as your guide in each pose also. If |
| This awareness lets us take a step back and look at | | | | you are gasping for breath then you are too far into |
| what we are thinking about from an outsider's | | | | the pose and you need to back out to a point where |
| perspective. Do we really need to hold onto that | | | | you feel a gentle stretch - but you can still breathe |
| anger? That stress? Will it make it better if we worry | | | | deeply and slowly. Don't worry about how anyone else |
| about it? Yoga lets us tune in to our thoughts and our | | | | looks in a pose. Make your yoga about you. Every |
| bodies and notice what kinds of tension we hold onto. | | | | body has its own unique flexibility. You are looking for |
| Then we can let go of any unnecessary burdens. Let | | | | your stretch just as the person next to you is looking |
| those tight muscles relax and release. | | | | for theirs. Yoga is not a competition - it is very |
| Basic yoga poses can erase some of the tension we | | | | personal. |
| hold onto in our muscles due to stress. By simply | | | | Can you benefit from basic yoga poses? Of course |
| breathing into some poses we can give our brain a | | | | you can. You can benefit from anything from chair |
| rest from stress and give our muscles a little stretch | | | | yoga to power yoga to a deep meditation. Basic yoga |
| so they can let go of tension. It is physical and mental | | | | poses build awareness; awareness allows us to use |
| at the same time. | | | | our breath to alleviate stress. Too much stress can |
| Don't get me wrong; many, many people practice | | | | lead us into risks of many diseases including heart |
| yoga postures just for the exercise of it. And it is good | | | | disease. We all need to let the stress out. |
| exercise. Flexibility and strength increases with the | | | | Do something good for your body - take some time |
| practice of the physical postures. But when you | | | | for some gentle yoga poses. You will feel calmer, |
| practice the focus, the breathing and the postures you | | | | stand taller, feel stronger and have more confidence. |
| really gain more benefit from yoga. The mind calming, | | | | Breathe your stress away, practice yoga. |