yoga posture for reducing stress

As technology speeds up the pace of life and we try to fit more into our busy schedules to maintain inner peace and contentment. we begin to worry and get anxious, our body becomes fatigued, irritable and more health problems occurs down the road. when faced with difficulties, our bodies respond with series of physical and psychological reactions that mobilize internal forces and prepare us to act; when in excess it could lead the body into other problems. Modern stress is of a different nature, we end up pumping high energy chemicals for low-energy needs. The price is high over long period of time, you turn the energy inward and you burn out. We can't control all life event but we can choose how we react to things that push our emotional buttons.- this is where yoga can help you regulate your body into its normal rhythm and prevent physical & emotional stress.

Pose Instructions:

         Lie back on the floor with the soles of the feet together and the knees spread apart, supported by folded blankets. Breathe deeply and slowly. To come out of the pose, put the soles of the feet on the ground with the knees bent and roll to the side.



You can also incorporate stimulating and restorative poses such like Virabhadrasana (warrior pose)



and bhujangasana (cobra pose) to energize the body and build strength. stay in-touch with your breathing while resting in Savasana (Corpse pose)

and Salamba Baddha Konasana (supported Bound Angle Pose) will help both body and mind to relax.

 Try Salamba Setu Bandha supported bridge pose,  helps your body de-stress, works the buttocks and thigh muscles.




Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall pose)
Jathara Parivartanasana (Reclining twist).

Author: Onyinye A

Yoga for Depression

                                                                       
                                       

Exercise and good nutrition is the key to a healthier you.                     PASCHIMOTTANASAN

  (Seated Forward Bend)

The number of Americans on Prozac and other anti-depressant continues to grow,($44 billion in sale). Although many others are finding relief by incorporating yoga and making lifestyle changes on their mat.

"Yoga postures can penetrate what Wilhelm Reich, the founder of the science of bio-energetics, called 'character armor', our unconsciously held patterns of physical contractions and defenses."

Pose instructions:

Sit on your mat with legs outstretched. Stretch the arms overhead and lengthen the spine. On an exhalation, reach the arms forward and rest the hands on the feet, calves, and knees, depending on your level of flexibility. Stay in pose, inhale deeply, and on each successive exhalation, let the torso sink towards the legs. After several breaths, reach the arms forward on an inhale and come up sitting.

Inverted postures works particularly well, it alters the blood flow, benefiting lymphatic drainage and the cranial sacral fluid. Increased blood flow to the head area = increased bio-availability of oxygen and glucose, and it is the two most important metabolic substrates for the brain."

Supported inversion and back bends for people suffering from a depression characterized by inertia or fatigue.

For anxiety a more active sequence is advised, modify your poses according to experience and physical energy level. Keep your eyes open wide while practicing, and move from posture to posture without pausing in between, to generate life force and focus the mind on the body.

Because there are different types of depression, some poses and sequences will work better for you than others. Listen to the needs of your body and mind and make modifications accordingly. Inevitably while you exercising you will face difficult thoughts or feelings, replace/balance these thought and feelings with positive images and thoughts- producing better feeling. As you create positive physical space within your environment as you do yoga poses, you'll create space within your consciousness.

Other recommended poses: 

Supported Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing Dog)

Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose)

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose or Backbend)


Written by Onyinye A