Stretching Out Of Stress
In this post I’m going to talk about stretching out of stress in just 10 minutes everyday. Specifically, how you can use Yoga Asana (poses) to help balance out your hormones and manage stress daily.
Managing stress in the modern world
We live in a highly stressed world. No matter what we do to maintain balance and manage our stress, essentially there will be a reason that causes us to feel stressed more than ever before. Whilst it’s very difficult to remove stress permanently, there are simple actions you can take everyday that will help you manage stress better.
The Ayurveda approach
Ayurveda is about preventative action. However, when the symptoms of stress are already present, Ayurveda will look at addressing the root causes of stress.
According to Ayurveda, stress is a psychosomatic disorder that has many causes in our day-to-day life. Stress can trigger allergies, asthma, herpes, high cholesterol and hypertension.
Analysing your stress can be helpful. Separate the things in your life that you find stressful into two categories; things you can do something about and things you can’t. If you can do something about it, then do it! If there’s nothing you can do, then surrender to it. Accept it. When there’s nothing I can do about a situation, I have to surrender to it and in accepting it, there is peace. Meditation will help with this.
Another key factor in helping you get out of stress is monitoring your negative thinking. Stress is often the result of fear that is based largely in the imagination. Look at your negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking. Just changing your thinking or attitude can alleviate a lot of stress.
Yoga Asana
Whilst Yoga Asana will contribute to helping you manage stress, there are a number of daily mindful practices that you can do to help you further. Here are 3 (relatively easy) Asana that can be done in 10 minutes each day that will help promote blood flow, regulate your breathing and give you a sense of wellbeing.
- Simhāsana (Lion Pose) – Kneel on the floor and sit on your legs. Place your hands on your knees. Inhale through the nose then open your mouth wide and poke your tongue out towards your chin. Open your eyes wide and exhale making a ‘ha’ sound and repeat. This pose is perfect to relax facial muscles, reduce neck tension and relax your mind.
- Halāsana (Plow Pose) – Lie flat on your back, arms by your side. Slowly raise your legs as you lift your lower back. Continue lifting until your legs are bent over and beyond your head (work up to putting your feet over your head). Place your hands on your lower back. Breathe well. And repeat by rolling slowly back to a lying position. This pose silences a busy mind and helps you leave stress behind. It’s also great for bad PMS or if you’re going through menopause.
- Savāsana (Corpse Pose) – Lying down on your back, palms facing up and the body is relaxed but your mind is present. In this position, taking a few deep breaths and then falling into your regular breathing can be extremely beneficial. You can enhance this asana by playing soothing music, a guided meditation or listening to an audiobook or relaxing podcast. It’s important to note that in this position, you are still alert. Your attention is on your breathing and noting how your physical body feels. In the meditative state, you allow your mind to calm and focus on what’s important.
Important Information
To reap the benefits of Ayurveda, you first need to identify your prakruti (core constitution/ dosha). The current imbalance of a dosha will be your vikruti. You can take a short quiz here to discover your prakruti so that you can use the tips in this blog to help you balance your dosha back to its core state.
Please note that this quiz is for general guidance. You should always get a full consultation to identify your doshas with a trained practitioner. The Ayurvedic content that I provide in my blog only covers some of the self-healing techniques that you can use to help alleviate symptoms of common ailments. For further information and to book a consultation, please visit the Ayurveda Pura Spa website here.
Learn more about Yoga at Ayurveda Pura Spa by taking a Yoga class with Dr Deepa Apte. Hit the link below for further information:
Puja McClymont – certified coach, wisdom teacher, speaker and host of the SELF Care 101 podcast.
As a life and leadership coach, I help mission-driven individuals who are seeking direction, to gain clarity, by expanding their inner awareness through the ancient wisdom teachings of Ayurveda and Yoga; so that they can lead more purposeful and fulfilling lives.
Discover tips and insights through my YouTube channel, podcast, blog and email edit.
