A Simple Yoga Breathing Exercise

Regular practice of yoga can help you to approach life in a less stressed manner, and in doing so, you will get more out of life. You may find you are able to achieve more each day and still feel more energized at the end of the day.

One of the most important things that you will learn from yoga is the correct manner of breathing. Most of us breathe too shallowly, and this can lead to stress and tension. It is only with correct breathing that you will teach your mind and your body to gravitate towards a more natural state of relaxation.

You will be able to bring about a peaceful and relaxed state more easily and that in turn will help you to cope with stressful situations.

The deep breathing techniques that are taught in yoga can lower stress and bring more calm in your life, while at the same time energizing you. Many people feel that they need some form of stimulation to get energized, but yoga will show them that this can be far from the truth. Yoga gives you long-lasting energy that is not influenced by hyper activity or nervousness.

You can practice the basic yoga breathing techniques wherever you like - even while sitting at your office desk.

Just follow this simple technique to quickly lower your stress levels and feel calmer and more relaxed:

1. Sit up straight in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on top of your thighs and begin to relax, slowly closing your eyes.

2. Now begin to think about the various parts of your body, starting with your feet and working your way up. Relax each part one at a time as you feel your muscles become soft and relaxed, releasing all the tension that is being held there.

3. Feel your lungs filling with breath, expanding and contracting in a relaxed manner. Allow your breath to go deep into your belly, expanding your diaphram naturally. Don't 'push' your breathing. Just maintain a relaxed breath in and out. With each outwards breath expel the tension that is being held in your body. Set it free and breathe in the next breath of relaxed energy.

This will come more naturally the more often you do it, and you will find that you can get into a relaxed state faster each time. It used to take me several minutes to relax when I started a yoga session, but now I can relax within seconds of starting the yoga breath technique. The energy that you get from this exercise will carry over further into each day of your life, until you find it easier to be relaxed in nearly all situations.

Try it now and see how you feel, and then make this a regular practice in your daily life to reap the benefits of yoga just by breathing!

Relieve Stress and Anxiety with Exercise

In your busy, stressful life full of deadlines and meetings, it’s hard to find time to get to the gym every day.  Well, what if I told you that not only will daily exercise make you look better and even lose some weight; it can also make your life less stressful?  Getting aerobic exercise can actually reduce anxiety by up to 50%.  Imagine having half the stress you normally do, just because you took a morning run.  While a workout can’t get rid of all the things you need to do during the day, it can help you cope with your stress better.  Here are some of the many reasons exercise is great for lowering your stress and anxiety.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Exercise improves your mood.  Aerobic exercise produces chemicals that make you feel happier and more ready to face the day.  It also increases blood flow to the brain; furthering this happy, energetic feeling.  The better you feel about life, the less stress will weigh on you and get you down.

* Exercise gives you more energy.  Stress makes you feel run down and tired during the day.  If you exercise in the morning, you’ll get a great energy boost to keep you going in the late morning and afternoon.  You may feel fatigued during the first few weeks of exercise, especially if you haven't been exercising regularly before.  Be persistent and the energy will come. 

* Exercise helps you sleep.  There is nothing that reduces stress more than a good night’s sleep.  Sleep not only recharges your tense, achy muscles; it also refreshes your mind and allows you to process information from the day.  Getting more, higher quality sleep on a regular basis will help you cope with the stresses of everyday life.  Just remember to do aerobic activity well before bedtime.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Exercise gives you time to think.  A lot of the stress we face is from our own mind.  Instead of doing work and fixing problems, we’re worrying about doing work and fixing problems.  Exercise gives you time alone to focus on your thoughts and clear your head without a bunch of distractions.  That way, after your work out, you can get to work on fixing a problem instead of worrying about it. 

If you can’t do an aerobic workout, or just don’t think it’s enough; try yoga or stretching.  These exercises are great for soothing sore, tense muscles, clearing your mind, and relaxing you.  Plus, if you have no free time in the morning, these exercises can be done at night without keeping you from your sleep (they’ll probably even help).  Just find a book or DVD (we review and recommend many on this blog), or take a class.  You should be able to find poses and movements that relate specifically to stress reduction and relaxation. 

So make a plan and start a regular workout routine.  If you stick with it, you’ll start feeling less stressed, less anxious, and more relaxed - plus your body will be healthier and less prone to pain and injury.

For ideas on fun ways to exercise that can help relieve stress, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html.