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Yoga and Meditation to Reduce Stress and improve mental and physical health is not a new concept. We find mention of the word “Yoga” in the Rigveda of Hinduism. Several of the Upanishads of Hinduism also mentions yoga. The purpose of Yoga, as per Hinduism, is to focus on meditation and releasing oneself from worldly attachments. So, the ultimate goals are focusing on your mind and gaining insight and attaining liberation (moksha) from samsara (worldly attachments). It is a process leading to unity with the divine (the one Brahman), which is pure awareness.
The term “yoga” means a modern form of Hatha yoga and a posture (asanas)-based physical fitness, stress-relief, and relaxation technique for the western world. Yoga and meditation are ideal forms of physical and mental exercise to reduce stress and keep our minds and bodies healthy.
In the case of meditation, we use techniques like mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to focus on awareness and achieve a calm and stable state of mind.
Precautions before proceeding with Yoga (yoga and meditation to reduce stress)
For most healthy people, yoga is considered a safe practice. It is, though, should be done under the guidance of a trained instructor. But there are some situations where yoga might pose a risk for you, and you should consult with your physician before proceeding.
- Pregnancy
- A herniated disk
- Eye conditions
- Uncontrolled blood pressure
- Severe osteoporosis
Still, you can practice yoga but might need to avoid a few poses. If you feel uncomfortable or develop any symptoms, you should immediately consult your physician.
Learning Yoga and meditation to reduce stress
You can practice yoga and meditation to reduce stress. Today you can learn yoga from YouTube, websites, books and many other channels. Still, it is beneficial to learn it from a trained instructor. Your instructor will be able to identify which yoga and asana poses are best for your need and modify the postures based on your abilities. It is vital to understand that you need to practice yoga and reap the benefit of yoga safely and effectively, or else you might harm your body.
Hatha Yoga and Stress – (yoga and meditation to reduce stress)
The physical practice of yogic postures is called Hatha Yoga. Hatha yoga could be of different types: some could be slow and focused on stretching, whereas others could be fast and involve a lot of workouts. Each yoga postures have its benefits. So, it would be best to determine what is best according to your physical fitness and necessity. All will help you relieve stress, keep your body healthy, and release endorphins (the feel-good hormone). Stress causes your body to feel tight and causes pain. The stretching in yoga releases tensions from problematic areas.
Sukhasana (Easy pose)Sukhasana lengthens your spine and opens your hips. It helps you to calm down and eliminate anxiety. It also reduces mental and physical exhaustion.
How to do Sukhasana:
- Start by sitting down with your spine straight and legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees and bring your left foot under your right knee and your right foot under your left knee.
- Keep your palms on your knees.
- Align your head, neck and spine.
- Gaze ahead and pay attention to your breathing.
- Stay in this position for 60 seconds and then change the crossed legs.
Balasana (Child’s pose)
Balasana is beneficial for your lymphatic and nervous systems, which calms your mind and releases stress. It also stretches your thighs, hips and ankles and relieves neck and back pain.
How to do Balasana:
- Start by kneeling and sitting on your heels.
- Bend forward till your chest touches your thighs.
- Let your hands rest on the side.
- Hold this position as long as possible and breathe deeply.
Paschimottanasana (Seated forward bend)
Paschimottanasana stretches your spine, hamstring and lowers back. Apart from relieving stress, this pose eases the symptoms of PMS, improves digestion, stimulates the liver, reduces fatigue and relieves symptoms of menopause.
How to do Paschimottanasana:
- Begin by sitting down with your feet extended forward.
- Bend forward till your stomach touches your thighs.
- Hold your feet with your hands.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds and then return to the original position.
Ananda Balasana (Happy baby pose)
Ananda Balasana calms you and gets rid of fatigue and stress. It stretches your spine and groin.
How to do Ananda Balasana:
- Lie down with your legs extended and arms on your side.
- Bend your knees towards your belly.
- Stretch your hands and hold your feet.
- Open your knees wide and stay in this position for 60 seconds.
Uttanasana (Standing forward bend)
Uttanasana relieves mild depression and stress, relaxing your brain and stimulating your kidneys and liver. It strengthens your knees and stretches your hips, calves and hamstring.
How to do Uttanasana:
- Stand straight and bend forward.
- Stretch your body to touch your palms to the ground.
- Straighten your legs for a deeper stretch.
- Hold this position for three to four deep breaths and then return to the original position.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
During this pose, focus on deep breathing as you calm your mind and let go of tension.
How to do Savasana:
- Lie flat on your back with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
- Allow your toes to splay out to the sides.
- Position your arms next to your body at a 45-degree angle.
- Align your head, neck, and shoulders with your spine.
Deep breathing will allow your body to relax fully. Stay in this pose for 10–20 minutes.
Pranayama or Breath Control to reduce Stress (yoga and meditation to reduce stress)
Pranayama, or breath control, is a critical yogic practice. You can use pranayama as a tool for relaxing the body. Breathing is an involuntary act, but you can control it with exercise. It is incredible how different pranayama or breath control techniques can help combat stress and relax your mind. To name a few pranayama techniques:
- Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
- breath of fire (Kapalabhati)
- lion’s breath (Simhasana)
- Sitali breath
- Humming bee breath (Bhramari)
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a practice that helps people to focus their attention and achieve a better state of awareness. Meditation results in changes in your consciousness and have several health benefits.
How to Meditate to reduce stress: (yoga and meditation to reduce stress)
To meditate, you must sit in a relaxed position and clear your mind. Try to focus your mind on one thought only. You may use mantras like “OM” or focus on your breathing, counting, looking at the candle or lamp or nothing at all.
Clearing the Mind (Yoga and meditation to Reduce Stress)
Our mind is a natural wanderer. It is always active, and races from one thought to another in a split of a microsecond. It dwells on incidents from the past to possibilities in the future. It makes us tired and stressed. Though meditation sessions could be of any length, 30 minutes of clear mind can do wonders to our health. Start slowly but try to increase the meditation session with time. Meditation helps us to overcome
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Sleep problems
- Tension headaches
Yoga and meditation to Reduce Stress
With the help of Yoga, we can control our minds. While performing various yoga poses or asanas, we must concentrate a lot. Thus, worries and other thoughts are kept at bay as some yoga poses are very physical.
Yoga also acts as a form of meditation. Pranayama, which, as discussed earlier, is part of yoga practices. When you focus on each inhale and exhale, unnecessary thoughts are averted. It another is way to clear your mind and a basic meditation technique. Remember to practice Yoga and Meditation to reduce stress.
How can Yoga and Meditation help to reduce stress
Different postures of yoga help our body stretch our muscles, improve their flexibility, and make them stronger. You can practice Yoga and Meditation to reduce stress and get a healthy life.
- Yogic postures and meditation also improve our balance and posture.
- It reduces stress and anxiety.
- Meditation helps us to fight depression and eliminates worries.
- It enhances inner peace and self-concept.
- Meditation improves our cardiovascular health.
- It helps us to get better sleep or quality of sleep.
- Meditation makes us more positive and focused.
- Yoga provides flexibility to the spine and also provides relief from back pain.
- It relieves rheumatoid arthritis patients by benefitting the bones, joints, and muscles.
- Yoga and meditation relax our mind and body and give us emotional upliftment.
- Both meditation and yoga increase the levels of oxytocin and serotonin hormones. These hormones act as mood enhancers and increase our feeling of happiness and wellness.
So, if you start practising these forms of exercise daily, you will stay healthy, active, and happy.
The U.S. National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health defines meditation as a practice of mind and body which increases calmness, improves psychological balance, and enhances overall health and well-being.
Yoga and meditation are ideal forms of physical and mental exercise to reduce stress and keep our minds and bodies healthy.
References
- Lemay, V., Hoolahan, J., & Buchanan, A. (2019). Impact of a yoga and meditation intervention on students’ stress and anxiety levels. Yoga and meditation to Reduce Stress American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(5), 7001. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe7001
- Mineo, L. (2018, April 17). Less stress, clearer thoughts with mindfulness meditation. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/less-stress-clearer-thoughts-with-mindfulness-meditation/
- Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. International Journal of Yoga, 4(2), 49–54. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.85485
- (N.d.). Researchgate.net. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from Yoga and meditation to Reduce Stresshttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/233389229_Impact_of_Yoga_and_Meditation_on_Stress_levels_of_Industrial_employees