Yoga for Stress Management
Yoga for stress management is a proven strategy, and there is extensive research confirming that embarking on this ancient practice works.
One such study held annually by the American Psychological Association since 2007 is called “Stress in America” which is part of its Mind/Body Health campaign to examine the state of stress across the country, understand its impact and explore various stress management strategies.
The survey measures attitudes and perceptions of stress among the public and leading sources of stress, common behaviours used to manage stress and the impact of stress on our lives. The survey draws attention to the serious physical and emotional implications of stress and the inextricable link between mind and body.
The survey found:
- Money and work are consistently the top 2 sources of significant stress (67% & 65% respectively)
- Negative stress can lead to irritability, anxiety and depression
- If chronic stress is sustained, it leads to burn-out or distress
- Stress tolerance and resilience is affected or determined by many factors.
These include genetics (inherited psychology and physiology), childhood experiences, personality characteristics, existing stress, lifestyle and health (diet, sleep, exercise) and existing stress management resources/techniques.
Yoga and meditation has been identified in this study as one the practices for stress management. Other practices the study found to reduce stress include: reducing the number/intensity of stressors, creating more breaks at work, taking time for leisure, improving time management, reducing caffeine & nicotine, social support, humour, improving stress tolerance through cognitive behavioural therapy and positive psychology, and improving sleep, nutrition and exercise
According to Psychology Today, an Australian magazine that focuses on Psychology, 85% of people who do yoga report that it helps them relieve stress. One of the main concepts in yoga is being non-judgmental toward both yourself and others, which is a powerful tool for stress relief.
In addition, they claim that an estimated 80 to 90 percent of visits to the doctor are stress-related but less than 3% of doctors talk to their patients about how to reduce stress. Yoga, meditation, and other mind-body practices train your body and mind to be able to cope with stress better and improve overall health and well-being.
Yoga also trains your counter-stress response system called the parasympathetic nervous system. With regular yoga practice, your chronic daytime stress hormone levels drop and your heart rate variability increases, which is measure of your ability to tolerate stress. This has been shown to improve even after a few sessions of yoga.
Yogi Bhajan, an authority in the yoga world, is known for bringing Kundalini yoga into the US. He sums up perfectly the benefits of yoga for stress management: “Yoga teaches you the techniques and awareness to stay healthy. You gain strong immune, glandular and nervous systems. This foundation gives you energy and lets you deal with the mental and spiritual facets of your life.”
To find out more about yoga for stress management at your workplace or school contact The Wellness Union
To your optimum health, well being & ideal weight!
Dr Ian Kaminskyj
Melbourne NLP Hypnosis Centre
1300 983 717
