11-Stress Management through Yoga

Many aspects of the average modern lifestyle are run at great speed .We tend to try to fit more and more into our lives , with heavier workloads, more demands on our time, greater distances to travel to our destinations , and higher expectations .Different people experience stress in different ways , and while stress symptoms can be clearly diagnosed,there is no common medical solution for them .There are , however , may possible ways of trying to deal with feelings of stress - from doing sport , having a massage and taking nerve tonics to going on vacation , changing jobs or trying to develop a more positive outlook on life .

Yoga is also an extremely popular and effective system for bringing about relief from stress , and is complementary to all of the options listed above .


The "fight or flight " response

Feelings of stress are not directly caused by specific external factors; they come about due to the body's instinctive response to these external factors , known as "fight or flight" .As part of the survival instinct , this is a very useful reaction : it is activated when we are confronted with imminent threats , such as a natural catastrophe or a direct physical attack .At such times , we literally need to face up to a situation ( "fight" for our life ) or flee from it ( "flight") to save our lives .

Time pressure , emotional conflicts , financial worries , pollution , competitive environments and excessive noise cannot be compared with an imminent physical threat , yet our nervous system interprets them in the same way .The activity of certain body systems is put on high alert , while other systems are temporarily slowed down .These changes actually create the strong subjective impression that we are undergoing a life -threatening physical emergency .Depending on the situation , the body starts to behave as though there is really somebody we should fight or from whom we should run away .


Autonomic Nervous System
1) Sympathetic Nerves

Part of autonomic ( involuntary ) nervous system , sympathetic nerves originate from the thoracic ( central ) and lumbar ( lower ) area of the spine , from where they spread out to many of the body's systems , sending news of the apparent "emergency" at time of stress .As the name suggests , we have no conscious control over this part of the nervous system , so we do not know that nerves have been activated until we experience actual stress symptoms .


The sympathetic message consists of

1) Increased strength and speed of heartbeat
2) Changes in the digestive system
3) Increased contraction in the skeletal muscles
4) Increased rate of breathing
5) Increased glucose levels


2) Parasympathetic Nerves

The parasympathetic nerves , another part of the autonomic ( involuntary ) nervous system , originate from below the brain and from the sacral ( lower ) area of the spine .They connect to exactly the same organs as the sympathetic nerves , but their effect is opposite . They generate "rest and repair" in the organs , which means that they tell the body to return to normal once the "emergency scenario" of the stress reaction is over .

The parasympathetic message consists of

1) Slowing down of the heartbeat
2) Slowing down breathing patterns
3) Promoting digestive gland secretions
4) Encouraging the digestive processes
5) Stimulating bowel movement
6) Increasing secretion of tears and saliva


Like any other nerves , parasympathetic nerves need to be activated in order to transmit their message .While the sympathetic ( stress - activating ) nervous system is stimulated automatically , the parasympathetic ( calm-inducing ) nervous system needs to be activated consciously , other than during deep ,relaxed sleep .This is why you may feel incapable of "just relaxing" in a stressful situation . However , through yoga , you can learn how to do this .


How does Yoga help us manage stress ?


Yoga exercises reduces the over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and activates the "rest and repair " of the parasympathetic nervous system .Daily practice is a guaranteed protection against stress , because the benefits last for up to 24 hours . Stressful living conditions may continue to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system , for example by asking your heartbeat to accelerate or your digestion to slow down ,but the activated parasympathetic nervous system effectively counteracts the stimulation , allowing you to remain relaxed .And even if , due to overwhelming circumstances , you experience some stress reactions , you can keep your cool because you know that these symptoms will disappear once you do your yoga session in the evening .


The Yogic approach to stress management is not just confined to yogic exercises ( i.e yoga asanas ) but also involves practicing breathing exercises ( pranayama ) , adopting a healthy vegetarian diet ,relaxation , positive thinking and meditation ( i.e Following the 5 Basic Principles ) .This combined approach will help us to eliminate stress a great deal from our day to day life .