The Yoga Minibook for Stress Relief; A Specialized Program for a Calmer, Relaxed You

by Elaine Gavalas

• ISBN13: 9780743227018
• ISBN10: 0743227018
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-07
• Publisher: Fireside

Summary

Take a deep breath and say good-bye to stressThere is no getting around it -- at work, at home, or while commuting from one to the other, stress is always there. Whether you are anxious about your health, your safety, or your relationships, daily stressors can feel overwhelming.Why let stress control your life when you can send it packing? In as little as 10 minutes a day, this targeted yoga program relieves tension effectively and restores the sense of balance that stress so often disrupts. Step-by-step illustrated instructions guide you through calming asanas, breathing exercises, and meditations specifically selected to:combat anxiety, depression, and stress-related illnesssoothe muscles and lower blood pressureprovide rest, relaxation, and tranquil sleepimprove your flexibility and cardiovascular fitnessIdeal as the start, midday break, or calming cap to your day, this unique yoga program will renew your body, mind, and spirit and bring you the inner peace and poise you crave.

Author Biography

Elaine Gavalas, M.A., M.S., is an exercise physiologist, weight management specialist, and nutritionist. She has practiced, taught, and written about yoga, fitness, and weight management for more than fifteen years. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Understanding Yoga	p. 1
Before You Begin	p. 17
Yoga Relaxation and Breathing	p. 31
Yoga Meditation and Mantra	p. 60
Yoga Movement Meditation	p. 87
Restorative Yoga	p. 107
Yoga for Emotional Wellness	p. 130
Index	p. 159
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Chapter 3: Yoga Relaxation and Breathing Would you like to remain calm, alert, and focused, even as a storm of stress rages around you? You may be one of the millions of people around the globe who have been deeply troubled by shocking global or personal events, and you may be searching for ways to restore a sense of calm and balance to your life. With the relaxation and breathing techniques that follow, you'll tap into yourself and find inner balance as you gain strength and stability. At one time or another we all face chaotic events beyond our control, but we can learn to counter their effects. Yoga practice is a great way to do just that.Daily life is full of challenging and sometimes stressful moments. Many of us deal with the pressures of two-career households, long work hours, and a shifting economic landscape. It's no wonder we're in the midst of a stress epidemic. The American Institute of Stress has determined that stress lurks behind nearly 90 percent of visits to the doctor. Stress has been linked to all of the leading causes of death, including heart and lung diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, accidents, and suicide. Research has also confirmed the role of stress in many serious health problems, from depression to insomnia. But don't let the numbers get you down. You can learn to manage and beat stress with regular practice of these relaxation and breathing techniques.Stress is an inevitable part of life. We usually think of stress as negative -- something that knots the stomach, brings shortness of breath, and challenges our immune system. However, certain types of stress are actually good for you. There's the positive stress that helps us to win a race, or that creates sexual tension or inspires us. The magic of yoga is its power to release the negative stress that can cause us harm. The Stress Response Stress results from the way we react to a situation, not from the situation itself. It's our reaction to the event that determines its effect on our physical and mental health. For example, if we perceive a situation as dangerous or threatening, we'll experience anxiety and fear. This fearful response generates a fight-or-flight physiological reaction.Our body's autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts, the sympathetic system -- identified with the fight-or-flight response -- and the parasympathetic -- which counteracts the physiological effects of the sympathetic. Our sympathetic nervous system energizes and prepares us to either flee or engage in battle by releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline. These hormones sharpen perception and reaction, dilating our pupils to allow more light in (to help us see better); increasing our breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure (to maximize blood flow to our limbs); and stopping digestion.Although the threatening situations have changed, our physiologic reaction to danger is much the same as early man's. Obviously modern negative stressors generally aren't life-or-death situations, but our bodies respond just as cavemen's bodies did when faced with a saber-toothed tiger. When our fight-or-flight response is evoked daily by life's annoying hassles, such as being stuck in traffic or waiting in line at the supermarket, or by more serious life events, such as a death in the family or a contentious divorce, it takes a toll on our health. Our sympathetic nervous system becomes overloaded, often producing chronic muscle tension (especially in the shoulders, neck, and jaw), elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and digestive problems. Left unattended, this can result in chronic illness, pain, and disease.We can release chronic muscle tension and the other symptoms of negative stress by practicing yoga relaxation and breathing techniques. Performing yoga's relaxation poses and deep breathing turns off the fight-or-flight response and turns on the parasympathetic nervous system, known