Given harsh schedules, deadlines, responsibilities and clutter involved in a single day, the onset of stress can be easily explained. Stress causes mental havoc and also affects you physically. It is hardly an exaggeration to say stress is an epidemic in today’s world.
Stress aggravates existing medical conditions and also sets off a series of chemical and hormonal reactions in the body that cause a great deal of discomfort and pain (examples include ulcers, headaches and depression). If unchecked, stress can disrupt the way you live.
This is where yoga comes into the picture. Yoga is a holistic tradition of physical and mental fitness. It is highly therapeutic and is effective in battling stress through a series of poses, breathing techniques and meditation. The body’s natural reaction to stress is shallow, jagged breathing. This disrupts the supply of oxygen to the vital organs in the body, setting off a variety of negative symptoms. Yoga helps you use complete lung capacity and breathe fully. It also teaches you to channelize your mind, enabling you to be calm and collected even in a stressful situation. While there are many styles of yoga, the best forms to combat stress are the slow and gentler branches of yoga.
Types Of Yoga For Stress
Hatha Yoga -Is the most popular and practiced form of yoga, especially in the West. It combines a sequence of gentle postures and stretches with a variety of breathing techniques and meditation. These slow movements allow the body to repair and heal effectively. The breathing techniques ensure the body gets an adequate supply of oxygen and as a result a positive flow of energy. In addition, Hatha yoga can be modified and adapted to suit your requirements.
Ananda Yoga - Ananda means “a state of bliss;” this is an inward form of yoga. Through a combination of stress-relieving affirmations, gentle postures, breathing techniques and meditation, it enables you to access and control your dormant energies, which are then channelized for your spiritual wellbeing. By practicing Ananda yoga you’ll find immediate serenity. It is especially useful for ensuring relief from stress as the practice helps the beleaguered mind to heal and emerge stronger.
Kundalini Yoga -This is one of the oldest branches of yoga. It has a strong spiritual inclination. Kundalini yoga focuses on accessing the dormant energies within the body for the purpose of healing and cleansing the mind and body. Using chants, meditation, deep breathing and postures you can channel your inner reserves of energy towards self transformation and self healing process. Kundalini yoga allows you to be one with the universal self, resulting in a calmer, stronger you.
