Yoga for De-Stress:

Breathing(Pranayama):

In the practice of yoga, you will begin to better understand your breath and how it impacts your body, mind and spirit. We’ve all heard the phrase “cleansing breath,” but what does that mean? A cleansing breath is a deep breath that moves into the belly.

As we move our breath into the diaphragm and belly, we begin to experience all of the physical benefits of deep breath, as well as the emotional calming that occurs when we breathe deeply. If we are thinking about each inhale and exhale as we move through our practice, our mind quiets and we aren’t thinking about the things that are stressful.

Most Useful Breathing techniques:

  • Nadi Shodhana
  • Ujjai Breathing
  • Kapalbhaati

Stretching Yogasana :

Stretching is another immense benefit of yoga. As we move through the yoga postures, we stimulate our glands, organs, and brain. This will help bring the body back into balance in a natural way. When we stretch in yoga, we also listen to our bodies. If you feel tight or find yourself uncomfortable in a certain posture, it might be the place where you carry stress.

Some of the stretches that we incorporate in our practice may trigger a “fight or flight” response. Keeping the awareness on our breath allows us to work through those feelings and find the benefits of the stretch.

Yogasanas:

  • Ardha Chakrasana
  • Veerbhadrasana 1,2
  • Trikonasana
  • Prasarita Padottanasana
  • Paschimottanasana
  • Janu Shirshasana
  • Upvishtha Konasana

Balancing Yogasana :

Many yoga poses focus on balance. If we achieve balance in our practice, we might be able to take that balance into other parts of our lives. Balance is something that can’t be forced. Patience, breath, and practice are the biggest allies when practicing balancing poses.

Yogasanas:

  • Tree Pose
  • Tadasana
  • Natarajasana
  • Veerbhadrasana 3
  • Ardha Badha Padmottanasana
  • Uthita Hasta Padangushthasana

Sunita,

200Hr YTTC August 2017