YOGA: Restoring Inner Balance
Stress has woven itself into the fabric of modern life. Yoga offers a way to release tension, calm the nerves and restore balance.
Meet life anew: Yoga does not promise that outer pressures will disappear. What it offers is a change in the way the body and mind respond. Stress relief begins with simple things: a conscious breath, one period of stillness, a yoga session practiced with awareness. As practice deepens, the heartbeat steadies, the breath calms, the muscles relax and the mind becomes less reactive. You may still face challenges, but you are no longer meeting them with the same level of inner contraction.
Awaken the body's internal calm: Yoga works with the body’s natural mechanisms of recovery. The stress response is linked to the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body for emergencies. Yoga helps to trigger the opposite response: the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes rest and repair. The stress response is often activated automatically, while the relaxation response usually needs to be activated consciously. This is why people in stressful situations cannot ‘simply relax’.
Stretch the stress away: In a yoga session, muscles are stretched and then relaxed. This rhythmical alternation is one reason yoga is effective for stress relief. When a tense muscle is stretched and released, it begins to let go. Little by little, this alternation helps the muscles relax and triggers the nervous system’s calming response.
Exercise the stress away: Sun Salutation is a gentle way to work out the urge to be active. The movements become more dynamic, but the breathing remains deep and rhythmical. Activity is expressed without imposing further strain on the nervous system. When Sun Salutations are followed by deep relaxation, the stress response begins to subside.
Relax the stress away: Some yoga postures use stronger muscular effort, allowing hidden tensions to be discharged. Mindful effort in the postures paves the way to release and deep relaxation afterwards.
Dissolve into a state of oneness: At the end of the yoga session, the process of rest and repair is felt in every cell. The body and mind are brought to stillness, and the practitioner dissolves into a state of oneness, experiencing profound rest and inner peace. While external challenges and stress remain unavoidable, a nervous system regularly conditioned through yoga can counterbalance these pressures with far greater efficacy. Support this internal equilibrium with a balanced lifestyle. A healthy diet, positive thinking and meditation work together to dissolve the very conditions that fuel stress.
By Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Putney, London (sivanandalondon.org)
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