Yoga Can Be An Effective Way To Reduce Stress
But maybe the word "stressbuster" is too strong to use
. Practicing yoga doesn't necessarily "bust" stress away as much as it can help reduce it over time, in the process teaching the yoga enthusiast techniques to handle stress if it occurs again in the future.
Yoga can be an effective way to handle stress in that, unlike pills or other medications, it doesn't create harmful side effects or bring with it the possibility of chemical dependence. Yoga, in fact, can be the exact opposite, helping you to cut your dependency on pills and medications to help you relax and instead teaching you how to discover the natural stress reducers that are inside of you to help you handle the obstacles that life may throw at you.
To begin with, "stress" (in its most common use today) is a term developed in 1932 by scientist Hans Selye and defined as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change." Although many researchers and scientists today refrain from defining stress, including those at the American Institute of Stress (because there can be good stress - such as winning a football game - and bad stress - losing a football), they do agree that programs like yoga can aid in reducing bad stress.
The scientific discovery of the benefits of yoga in reducing stress is continually being tested and analyzed. In a study by the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, the effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yogic breathing on reducing stress was tested. They discovered that "there is sufficient evidence to consider Sudarshan Kriya Yoga to be a beneficial, low-rick, low-cost adjunct to the treatment of stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, stress-related medical illnesses, substance abuse and rehabilitation of criminal offenders. Yoga techniques enhance well-being, mood, attention, mental focus and stress tolerance."
In another study, this one by the Department of Psychology and Centre of Health Equity Studies at Stockholm University in Sweden, 26 women and seven men from a large Swedish corporation were divided into four groups and underwent four months of either cognitive behavioral therapy or Kundaliniyoga aimed at relieving stress. The study found that not only did the psychological and physiological levels of stress decrease, but there was no significant difference in the amount of the reduction between the two groups. The study reported: "The results indicate that both cognitive behavior therapy and yoga are promising stress management techniques."
Thanks to studies like these, the medical world has embraced many of the stress reduction and relaxation techniques used for centuries in yoga. These practices involve slow, careful movements, muscle stretching, controlled breathing, visualization and meditation.
All of these techniques, yoga practitioners are well aware of, help to bring together the mind, body and spirit in a way that medication or medical treatments can never achieve. And by reducing stress, yoga also can help reduce or sometimes even eliminate the conditions associated with a number of other physical aliments. Yoga has been known to lower blood pressure, relieve insomnia, reduce muscle tension, provide relief from allergies and asthma, aid in attempts to quit smoking and help control overeating.
By eliminating the need for pills or other medical treatments which can be expensive, yoga can help individuals achieve a level of relaxation safely and naturally, using the healing elements that lie within the body. It may not be a "stressbuster", but yoga can put stress in check.
Yoga Can Be An Effective Way To Reduce Stress
By: Linda Adams
Yoga Can Add A New Dimension To Weight Loss Efforts Yoga in Schools: The Benefits of Hiring Yoga Trainers in Schools yoga with weights benefits Yoga Slowly Becoming A Familiar Sight In The Workplace Even Children Can Receive The Benefits Of Yoga With A Little Improvisation, Yoga Can Be Done Anywhere More Men Finally Turning On To Benefits Of Yoga Which Penis Enlarger Pills Really Work The Eight Fold Path Of Meditation - Patanjali'S Ashtanga Yoga Yoga Has Benefits For The Inside Of You, Too Yoga Has A Long History In America Gain More Insight Into Yoga By Understanding The Terms National Yoga Month Promotes Awareness Of Yoga's Mental And Physical Benefits Benefits of Free Online Yoga Classes