Wouldn't it be nice if holidays were really the way they're portrayed on television commercials? In TV land, photogenic families eat elaborate gourmet meals in homes that look like they were decorated by Martha Stewart. For most of us, the reality is much different. Squabbling kids, long lines at the mall, and cooking disasters can quickly turn your mood from joyous to frazzled. Luckily, yoga can help you regain your holiday spirit and reduce your stress level. How Does Yoga Relieve Stress? Although twisting and turning your body into challenging poses is certainly a key part of yoga, the practice also involves controlled breathing and meditation. As you shift from the Child's Pose to Downward Facing Dog, your tight muscles begin to loosen and relax. Meditation and deep breathing help you slow down and calm your busy mind. As you concentrate on controlling your breathing and performing each pose perfectly, you'll forget about your shopping list or the countdown to the holidays. In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, yoga can also help you sleep better, relieve aches and pains, reduce your blood pressure and prevent headaches and migraines. The next time you start to feel stressed, find a quiet space and try one or more of these yoga poses:
Don't let stress ruin your holidays. These yoga poses offer an all-natural solution to stress and anxiety and can be performed almost anywhere. Do you need a little help perfecting your poses? Click below to enroll in a class led by an experienced yoga instructor! Looking to get more out of yoga? Check out our yoga teacher training this Spring 2019! Sources:
WebMD: Yoga: Fight Stress and Find Serenity, 11/5/15 http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art-20044733 Yoga Journal: Yoga for Stress https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/stress CNN: 10 Yoga Poses to Beat Stress, 1/3/15 http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/29/health/yoga-reduce-stress/index.html International Journal of Yoga: Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life, 7-12/11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/ |