Do you suffer from stress? Do you ever feel overworked, tired, exhausted or lack energy? Maybe you are going through a particularly stressful period at home and lack support from your partner or family.
Feelings of overwhelm can leave you feeling stretched, undervalued and struggling to meet all the demands placed on you. When you feel like this, what do you? Do you come home and slump on the sofa and snack on fast food? Or go for a drink with your colleagues and end up spending money you do not have and panic how you are going to make it through the next few days?
If you are a yoga beginner, you have probably heard that it is good to practice yoga as a way to cope with stress and stressful situations. There are numerous health benefits from practicing yoga as a form of stress relief, these include reduced feelings of anxiety and worry, slower respiratory and heart rates and it can also help soothe tension related headaches and eyestrain.
The following simple yoga sequence is ideal for you to practice in the evenings to help you unwind from the stresses of your day. As with all exercises, please consult your doctor if you have any medical conditions and show respect and patience with your body.
1. The Child Pose. A classic yoga pose which gently stretches the whole spine and calms and soothes your mind. Kneel on the floor with your knees together and sit back on your heels. Stretch your trunk forward over your thighs and rest your forehead on the floor. Place your arms back beside your body with your palms facing up so your hands are resting by your feet. If this feels uncomfortable, spread your knees apart and rest a small cushion between your thighs and then sit on your heels and stretch your trunk forward as before. Breathe slowly and deeply for at least 2 – 3 minutes.
2. Downward Facing Dog Pose. A beautiful pose which rejuvenates the whole spine. Bringing your head low increases the blood flow to your brain and helps to clear and calm your mind. Start on your hands and knees with your knees directly under your hips and your hands in line with your shoulders, fingers facing forward. Lift your hips and stretch the legs, heels down. Press the palms of your hands down. Relax and open and broaden your shoulders. Stay in this pose for 5 – 10 breaths.
3. Mountain Pose / Tadasana. The mountain pose helps to ground your energy and teaches you correct posture, balance and encourages you to be still, steady and strong – even when your mind is all over the place. The mountain pose helps to calm and steady your nerves. Stand with your feet together. If it is comfortable for you, have the big toes, inner ankles and inner heels touching. Spread the weight evenly over the feet. Tighten your kneecaps and pull up the thigh muscles and your lower abdomen. Breathe and feel your spine lengthening, let your tailbone sink and lift in front of the body. Feel your chest opening. Allow your arms to hang down the sides of the body with the palms facing the legs, fingers gently extending towards the floor. Relax your shoulders and allow your shoulder blades to slide down. Relax your face, lengthen the back of your neck and look straight ahead. Stay steady in this pose for 3 – 10 rounds of deep abdominal breathing.
4. Corpse Pose. Lie on the floor on your back, arms stretched out a few inches from the sides of your body with the palms facing up. Have your feet slightly wider apart than your hips and relax your ankles. Gently close your eyes and allow your whole body to relax. Stay still for at least 5 – 10 minutes. Slowly stretch your body, roll over to your side and come up to a comfortable sitting position.
Tai Chi Meditation to Reduce Stress
Can Tai Chi meditation work well as a means of alleviating stress? Not only can it work well, it is among the very best ways one could possibly use to reduce stress.
There are a number of myths about meditation. Probably the most prevalent myth is the notion that it can only be performed seated. This is not the case at all as moving meditation can be employed as well. Granted, you would not want a haphazard method of moving meditation since this would not aid in the process. Thankfully, there is a method that you can employ to meditate while moving. It involves using the traditional forms of Tai Chi Chuan as the basis for the moving meditation. In fact, most people attest that this art of meditation remains the best way to take part in meditating. This should not come as a surprise since the sets and forms in Tai Chi complement the relaxation process needed to achieve a meditative state.
It is important to know that is a martial art that has become known more for its ability to promote a more harmonious state of mind and well being. Controlled movements and breathing exercises are employed to improve one’s ability to gain the most from such health benefits. However, the potential to improve one’s mental state through this type of meditation can never be dismissed because its value is so enormous.
One reason that stress is so difficult to deal with centers on the fact that it crowds the mind. In general, it will make the mind literally run rampant with thoughts of anger, agitation, and other problems associated with the condition of stress. When you take part in Chi meditation, you are able to slowly quiet down the mind and allow some of the stress and internal noise to dissipate. This will certainly have a positive effect on your overall health and well being.
The key, however, is to perform your Tai Chi meditation exercises in an area that is quiet and serene. It can be a little difficult to calm down and relax when there is distracting environmental noise. This does not benefit someone trying to use Tai Chi to alleviate stress at all. As such, selecting the right environment for the process is recommended.
Moving slowly and in a controlled manner is also recommended if you want to get the most out of the process. It is hard to meditate or calm down a stressful mind when your movements lack a sense of calm purpose. Keep this in mind when trying to use Tai Chi for stress reduction purposes.
And, of course, consistency is a major component to successfully using any type of meditation to reduce stress. Even if you perform your exercises for only 10 minutes at a time for 3 days a week, be sure to be consistent with your workouts. This will increase the chances you get the most out of them. And you certainly will be able to effectively use Tai Chi meditation as a means of eliminating stress.
