Stress is everywhere. Sometimes it feels like stress is just part of modern life. However, stress is really bad for the health and shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed as a joke. According to the World Health Organization, stress is a leading health problem in the United States and other countries.
Long term stress is damaging to the health, increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and many other illnesses. In order to prevent stress from causing permanent harm, it is essential to try to reduce and relieve stress. Yoga is an effective tool for stress relief.
Yoga enhances feelings of well being and reduces stress levels. Numerous studies have shown yoga is effective for relieving anxiety and improving symptoms of depression. The body, mind, spirit connection in yoga helps you learn to find the calm and peaceful state within yourself. This connection helps in other areas of life when stress creeps in.
The controlled breathing of yoga reduces stress and improves the mood. The combination of breath and movement is effective for releasing tension and inducing relaxation. There is abundant research that shows the calming effect of controlled breathing. In fact, breathing exercises are often used in stress management programs because it is an effective technique.
These benefits are most noticeable with the regular practice of yoga. As you continue with your regular practice, you will experience an overall calming of the central nervous system. This results in enhanced feelings of well being, both in the studio and out in the world.
The more you practice yoga, the more the overall philosophy will become part of your lifestyle. One reason yoga reduces stress is that you learn a more positive outlook. This changes the way you approach problems and stressful situations in daily life.
Another thing that changes with serious yoga practice is the way the practitioner looks at other people and beings. The idea of connecting with your inner self and realizing the connection between the individual and other beings also changes the person’s interaction with others. It becomes less important to hold onto stress and harbor anger, both of which cause emotional and physical damage in the form of increased stress levels.