3 Yoga Practices That Help Manage Stress

Certain yoga practices can help us deal with stress and focus on the present moment. This will prevent anxiety from taking over our life. 

Yoga is a sport practiced by many people today. Rising stress levels and anxiety-related issues lead many of us to practice yoga in order to feel better and regain a state of well-being.

The stress undermines our health. Not only does its presence manifest itself in different ways, such as excessive hair loss or lack of emotional control, but the body also begins to somatize. Migraines, cramps, stomach aches… All of these problems can go away with yoga.

Discover here 3 yoga practices that will help you relax and reduce your stress level.

1. Breathing exercises

Among the different yoga practices are breathing exercises. Although at first you may feel that these exercises are having the opposite effect, in fact, they are very effective stress relieving tools .

Many breathing exercises that are done in yoga classes should also be done at home, especially before going to bed or after getting up. These exercises bring considerable benefits. You will quickly realize this after putting them into practice.

• Abdominal breathing. With one hand resting on your abdomen, fill the abdomen with air, hold your breath for a few seconds, then breathe out. Do it slowly. Take your time.
• Breathing 4-7-8. Breathe deeply while counting to 4 in your head. Once at 4, hold your breath and count to 7. Then exhale slowly at 8. Repeat.

These are two simple exercises that are practiced quite often in yoga class. But there are many more, as well as variations of these two exercises. Practice them to benefit both your body and your mind.

2. Meditation

Many yoga practices begin with time spent in meditation, either at the start of class or at the end. Meditation allows us to focus on the present moment by observing our thoughts. Thanks to this technique, we are able to relax and develop a better emotional awareness.

When we meditate, our breathing is slow. The idea is to dispel thoughts bursting in and causing our mind to wander: by being focused on the present moment as much as possible , we control the thoughts related to the past or the future that cause so much stress.

You can meditate while sitting in the lotus position, sitting normally against a wall, or lying down. It is best to choose the position in which you are most comfortable.

3. The progressive relaxation of the muscles

In a yoga class, this last practice usually takes place before the moment of final relaxation. The goal is to completely relax the body and release all tension.

Gradual muscle relaxation involves focusing on each part of the body, one after the other from top to bottom, tending the muscles on an inhale and then releasing them as you exhale.

Usually, we start with the legs, then the focus is on the buttocks, arms, hands, eyes and even the mouth (sticking out the tongue). You will feel like new after these exercises.

Also read:
7 Foods That Help You Build Muscles

A final conclusion

These three different yoga practices are very effective in managing stress. Even though yoga poses are very useful and constitute the essence of yoga, these practices are also important and help to provide a feeling of physical and mental well-being.

So practicing these exercises when we wake up or when we are tense, even during an active break from work, will teach us to enjoy the moment and to control our stress. Even if sometimes stress is impossible to avoid, we can, on the other hand, reduce it and limit its consequences.

Stress harms our health and well-being. This is why we must avoid developing chronic stress that is so part of us that it follows us wherever we go. With patience and yoga practices, you will be able to manage your stress and it will no longer rule your life.