Yoga and stress relief

transientcanuck
transientcanuck Posts: 82 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
I am in need of stress relieving techniques as I'm experiencing a lot of anxiety throughout the day.

I know fueling my body with nutritious food and drinking less caffeine can help, but I want to start incorporating some exercises to help relax my mind. Yoga seems to be the right activity for this, but I would like to hear some "testimonials" on how it has improved your mental and physical health.

Is there also an ideal time to do it? I heard morning yoga can help calm your mind before a busy day, but what about yoga at night? Does it help you sleep better?

Also, are there more intense exercises that can raise your heart beat? Have you found practicing yoga to improve your fitness?

In addition, are there any other stress-relieving exercises that you could recommend? Thanks!

Replies

  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    I am *miserable* at yoga. It makes me more anxious instead of slowing me down.

    However, when I find my chest getting tight, my thoughts starting to race, etc, just STOPPING and forcing myself to close my eyes and breathe deeply helps immensely. It's so funny to me that when I get in that mode, part of my brain doesn't want me to do that even though I know it helps--in fact, *because* I know it helps.

    But if I can start, and get in a few, the next ones get easier and it goes a long way towards calming me down.

    I guess that doesn't solve the overall problem, but it gets me through the days. I mean, this is the technique I used to calm myself down when learning to fling myself out of airplanes at 13000 feet, so...pretty powerful.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,788 Member
    Yoga, meditation, tai chi - any mind-body practice can help with stress - but the key is to find something that you will stick to frequently, if not daily. Also, if you are over concerned with how you are "performing" - comparing yourself to others in class, forcing your body, etc. - these practices won't help as much.

    I've practiced yoga for 15 years. I'm so much more mellow that I used to be, as well as a lot happier. I noticed a big change when I started practicing more - I went from 1-2x a week to almost daily.

    Best of luck to you.
  • misgreen
    misgreen Posts: 6 Member
    Yoga is amazing. If you're anxious or busy though, I wouldn't go to a class. Grab a towel, turn on YouTube, and search for yoga. My personal favorite channel is Yoga With Andriene. She's all about just doing whats best for you. It's not about perfect shapes or perfect movements, it's about trying it and feeling good. She's got a ton of beginner videos as well as yoga for specific situations, like stress.

    My best friend is an incredibly stressed out/type a person. She came home one day ready to throw something through a window because her day had been so awful. We did a 30 min yoga sesh and she was calm and relaxed and curse words were no longer flying out of her mouth.

    I also think there's no correct time to do yoga. If I'm up early enough for a 15 minute morning session then ill do one. But more often then not I do it at 8 pm.

    The reason yoga is so effective is because it matches movements with the breath. If you really focus on breathing with the moments, you'll feel better. Also, allow yourself to commit to the exercise, don't think about what you need to do after it.
  • 77Ben42
    77Ben42 Posts: 23 Member
    I've been practicing mindfulness for about a year now and it's really helped with my mental health. It's based on old Buddhist 'meditation' techniques but the book/course I read separates the technique from the Buddhist aspects. I'd advise you to look for a course locally or if you want the name of the book it's on Amazon with an audio course too.
    Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world
    http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B004TTHD9O

    I started yoga a month ago and find it very helpful. Tough going, but very beneficial. It incorporates/complements the mindfulness meditation wonderfully.
  • PurpleYFronts
    PurpleYFronts Posts: 344 Member
    I love doing Yoga, my wife and I go together weekly and its great. I use it primarily for improving flexibility for Karate but can certainly see the benefit as a method of de-stressing. I would recommend it for just about anyone, there is something genuinely liberating about it.
  • transientcanuck
    transientcanuck Posts: 82 Member
    Thanks everyone! :)
  • Deedee1111111
    Deedee1111111 Posts: 66 Member
    Definitely works for stress relief! While you're in the class, the instructors make you focus on just being there, and eventually you figure out how to actually block everything else out. It feels great to just be there, and to be doing something for YOU. You don't have to be great at it either...everyone is different. No competition. It's great.

    As for timing - I agree with the others above, no perfect time for it. I usually go in the evening after work, and it helps me have a reaaaally good sleep. I go to hot flow or hot power classes, so I'm sure the heat helps with the sleep as well.

    Good luck!
  • PurpleYFronts
    PurpleYFronts Posts: 344 Member
    Yoga tonight was great, all about shoulders, core and and forearms stands:) It worked brilliantly for me as a stress reliever even though it was particularly difficult and I struggled with some of the poses. I'd done a 6 mile run at lunchtime today so was feeling stiff and tight but this really unravelled me:)
    The time given to meditation at the end helps just empty the mind as the body falls into the floor. I can say with absolute confidence I will sleep like a log tonight:)
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