First, let’s define what stress does to the body. Holistic medical doctor Susan Lord says: “ the nervous system and endocrine system (hormones) sound the alarm to prepare you for battle. This is a life-saving response for immediate danger, but becomes maladaptive if the danger can’t be resolved. Chronic stress increases the risk for chronic disease: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, autoimmune disease. Because your body is attempting to save you from an immediate danger, it doesn’t have the energy for everyday housekeeping: digesting and absorbing your food; healing wounds; looking for bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells to destroy.” It is impossible for a body to perform when it is feeling in danger or in the reptilian or primal brain function. This leads to fight and flight response and the sympathetic nervous systems fires so the higher functions of the brain cannot perform their normal functions. This can lead to chronic stress responses. The mind isn’t able to focus or control thought when it feels in danger and can lead to behavior that is out of control or abnormal.
The mind needs to be controlled or at least harnessed “like a puppy tied to a post” says Stephen Cope, MSW, psychotherapist and senior Kripalu Yoga teacher, is author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self and The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living. Breath control or Pranayama is the restriction or control of energy through breath and can help to help to properly reconnect the mind and body. Yoga breathing is about focusing on the inhalation and exhalation in a slow and controlled manner. This alone can help with stress and bodily functioning. It gives the mind and body one function, not many. We move from human doings to human beings. When one is able to control the breath, the mind slows down and the body can then figure out what to do.
On a physiological level, John Douillard, the author of Body, Mind, and Sport and a former professional triathlete who practices Ayurvedic and chiropractic sports medicine in Boulder, Colorado. says, “diaphragmatic nasal breathing makes us breathe more efficiently by pulling more air into the lower lobes of the lungs. Chest breathing through the mouth fills the middle and upper lungs but tends not to engage the lower lobes, which host many of the parasympathetic nerve receptors. Getting air into the lower lungs isn't just important for delivering oxygen to the blood; the parasympathetic receptors are crucial to calming the mind and recharging the body. When we're in parasympathetic dominance, our heart rate slows down and our adrenal glands slow the production of stress hormones.”
During the physical postures of Yoga the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. The breath creates a relaxation response even when the physical postures are difficult and challenging. This is caused by nose breathing-as mouth breathing fires off the fight and flight response and allows the body and mind to become calm.
With “one-third of Americans feel they are living with extreme stress and about half of Americans (48%) feel that their stress has increased over the past five years. (Source: American Psychological Association study, 2007) it’s easy to see why we need to create preventive measures against stress. Stress wreaks havoc on the body and mind. When faced with a situation our highly functioning brains perceive information in one of two ways. “ Either a situation can create cortisol-the stress hormone- or oxytocin- the pleasure hormone” says Erik Dunlap, PhD Peak Performance Specialist/Certified Sport Psychology Consultant, AASP (http://www.sourceenergyconcepts.com). Cortisol acts like a fight and flight response and has been show to cause belly fat, so stress can make you fat!
One of the more mysterious aspects of Yoga is meditation. Most people think meditation is about sitting still in the same spot and breathing without movement or thought. Although that is true it takes most of us a long time to get to a state where that is even possible. Meditation is one of the final limbs of Yoga and takes breath control and physical postures to truly master. Meditation is nothing more than focused concentration. How many of us can get caught up in the moment during our favorite song, TV show, movie or a great conversation? This is meditation! Meditation is like doing your favorite thing and getting caught in the moment and holding yourself there. Simple meditation techniques include gazing at a candle and focusing on the light, sitting and concentrating on the breath and counting the time it takes to inhale and exhale and creating a repetitive statement that your mind can focus on for a few minutes.
Yoga has a lot to offer in the stress relief department. The breath control, physical postures and meditative aspect can help the body to feel more relaxed calm and focused. Yoga can be a life long practice and enhance your life in many ways. Meditation can become a way of life once the body is able to perceive pleasure from the focus and concentration. 
Meditation is Nothing More than Focussed Concentration.
Comments