Yoga on the Park – September: a time of transitions: seasons, wardrobe, tasks… physical and mental changes.
Some of the symptoms of stress from this: tension, soreness, restlessness, low energy, headaches, upset stomach, tense muscles, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia
Yoga is a good response. Some yoga practices, particularly restorative and nidra, can bring you to rest, repair & refresh.
An ancient practice ideal for modern life!
Controlled, valid medical research is proving this. A 2004 study shows that a regular yoga practice ameliorates the effect of stress: slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and eases the breath. It also helps increase heart rate variability thus providing flexibility in one’s response to stressors.
Another medical study found a correlation between the ability to deal with stress and sensitivity to pain. The non-yoga participants… some described as healthy and others with fibromyalgia… were found to be much more sensitive to pain. The yoga practitioners in this study, perceived pain at a higher threshold, hence were more able to deal with the physiological effects of stress.
One of the components of yoga drawing particular interest from the medical community is pranayama: breathing techniques. No coincidence that to control over-reaction we have been taught to take ten slow breaths before we speak. Research has begun on the use of yoga practice for PTSD. Researchers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., are now using yoga…both asana and pranayama…as treatment for vets showing symptoms of PTSD. They believe this to be more efficacious, with less stigma, than traditional methods.
Last week a young woman walked into my class and told me that her therapist has been telling her for years to ‘do yoga’ to help with her anxieties. Even my ‘old school’ GP admits that yoga may actually be having a positive effect on my general health and hence on my mind-set/energy in dealing with the day-to-day stressors we all experience. The news is spreading.
On Sunday, September 30th find out what one yoga practice specifically designed for stress reduction, can do for you. From 2-4 on that afternoon, repair and refresh yourself.
Yoga on the Park
