In honor of National Stress Awareness month, we thought we would bring to you 4 ways yoga can help with stress and anxiety.  We hope that after reading this post, you will do your body a favor and explore yoga classes to help lower any stress and anxiety you may be feeling.

 

Yoga Helps to Interrupt Worry Cycles

Have you ever had a song stuck on repeat in your head and you just can’t shake it?  Of course, you have!  We’ve all been there.  Worry can do the same thing.  We can get caught up in worry and let whatever we are worrying about bounce around in our heads. This can lead to LOTS of stress and anxiety.  Yoga can help!  Through things like poses, breathing exercises, mindfulness, and increased focus and concentration, we can break the worry cycle.  This allows our brains to relax.  When the worry cycle is broken, it’s not as easy to get back into a fit of worry.  Not only can yoga help to break the worry cycle but it can help you stop it from creeping in.  The more you practice yoga, the better you will become at dismantling the worry cycle through relaxation and breathing techniques learned in yoga.

 

Yoga is Known for Regulating Breath

Breathing is a huge component of yoga and that’s no accident.  Our breathing patterns are linked to our nervous system.  When we take quick, shallow breaths, our anxiety levels increase.  When we take slow, long, deep breaths, our body responds and begins to unwind and relax which helps us control our stress levels.

 

Yoga is a Fantastic Way to Lower Tension

Let’s do a little exercise.  Sitting up straight with your feet on the ground, do a little scan of your body.  How does your jaw feel?  Is there any tightness or tension?  What about your shoulders, wrists, thighs, ankles, or feet?  Chances are if you have been at a desk all day or sitting in traffic you may feel where your body is tightened and not as limber as maybe it could be.  Yoga can help ease the feeling of tension throughout your body.  When your body is less tense, it is less likely to suffer injury, headaches, and muscle pulls.

 

Yoga Increases Awareness

As you deepen in your yoga journey, you will begin to become more aware of how your body feels.  You will know when it begins to tense up and what poses and exercises you can do to relieve the tension.  You will also begin to recognize worry cycles beginning to emerge and you will know exactly what to do to break them.  The more aware of your body you become, the more you will be able to give it what it needs.

Are you interested in trying yoga classes at East West Healing Solutions?  To see a class schedule, click HERE.