Stress Relief By Yoga

Stress seems to be the root cause of ill health – physical and mental. Stress results in problems like insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, weight gain/lose, heart disease, arthritis, weakness of immune system, loneliness, hypertension and menstrual disorders etc.

Here are some ways to overcome stress:

1. Aman Mudra
Sit cross–legged or on a chair, with your back straight, but not stiff. Join the palms together at the centre of the body, with the base of the palms and fingers touching softly, just below their tips. (as in picture) Stay in this position as long as comfortable. It can be 30 seconds or more. Practice this regularly once a day, at a fixed time, convenient to you.

2. Four Step Breathing
a. Chest Breathing: Inhale and expand your chest. Then exhale and relax your chest. This is one round of chest breathing. Do this ten times.
b. Abdominal Breathing: Inhale and expand your abdomen. Then exhale and relax. Do this ten times.
c. Yogic Breathing: Inhale and first expand your abdomen, then expand your chest. Exhale and relax your abdomen first and then your chest. Do this ten times too.
d. Tadan Breathing or Ajgari Mudra: Inhale from both the nostrils slowly. While inhaling expand your abdomen making it like a pot
belly. Hold for 5 seconds, then exhale from your nose and pull your stomach in while exhaling. Do ten rounds of this.

3. Om Mantra Dhyan
Sit in a comfortable meditative pose with eyes gently closed. Keep your back straight and upright, shoulders relaxed. Place both hands in “Ghyan Mudra”.(Touch tip of the index finger with tip of the thumb keeping other three fingers straight to form Ghyan Mudra) Now silently recite the “Om” mantra and focus your mind on the rhythmic flow of this mantra. Practice this dhyan for at least 15 times daily. Slowly increase the time as per time available.

4. Progressive Relaxation Technique
Sit in padma asana or sukh asana. Now inhale and tense your body for a few seconds or as long as possible. Then exhale and relax your body.
You can use this exercise to relax, whichever part of your body is feeling tense. It can be done anywhere and at any time.

5. Warm Up Cup Therapy
Rub your hands together vigorously until they become warm. Then cup them over your closed eyes
for five seconds, while you breathe deeply.

6. Mini Self Massage
Massage the palm of one hand by making a circular motion with the thumb of the other hand. Do
this exercise on both hands.

7. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Nadi means channel or flow of energy and shoudhana means purification.
Sit in a comfortable meditative posture. Keep the head and spine upright. Relax the whole body and close eyes. Then with the thumb of the right hand close the right nostril. Now breathe in through left nostril. Then close the left nostril with ring finger and release the pressure of the thumb on the right nostril while breathing out through the right nostril. Now inhale through the right nostril. Hold the breath, then release the left nostril and breathe out. This is one round. Do this for at least 20 rounds.

Benefits: The whole body is nourished by an extra supply of oxygen, while carbon dioxide is efficiently expelled and blood purified of toxins. This pranayama increases vitality and lowers level of stress and anxiety by harmonizing the prana.

8. Shavasana
Lie flat on the back with arms about 15 cms away from the body, palms facing upwards, fingers of both hands slightly curled up. Close your eyes. The head and spine should be in a straight line. Relax the whole body and be still. Become aware of your natural breathing and with every inhalation, chant the word SO and with every exhalation think of the word HUM. Repeat this mantra for 5 to 10 minutes, or according to time available.

Benefits: This asana relaxes the whole psycho–physiological system. It should be practiced before sleep. Try not to move the body while doing this asana, as the slightest movement will create muscular contraction. This asana is very useful for high blood pressure patients, heart patients, depression and stress.

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