By Marita Mittag

The first part of this essay will discuss what stress is and how it affects body, mind and life. The second part will explain how yoga can help and suggest some yogic techniques for stress relief.

Scientific evidence is showing that some of the biggest health problems in our time are stress related, including diabetes, depression, heart problems and multiple sclerosis, to name a few. Generally it can be noted that stress is the number one key player for diseases in the Western world today. The stress response system in its essence is necessary for the human being and its survival. However, if it remains activated continuously, it can create damage and cause disease. When a threat is received, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated almost immediately, blood pressure rises and the heart beats faster, bringing more blood to the muscles of the legs and arms.

Energy sources, like sugar or fats, are mobilized to provide plenty of fuel. This is necessary for the human being in order to defend itself or be able to leave from the threat (fight or flight). If the stress response system works healthy, once the threat is gone, the body shifts into a restorative mode, where the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) dominates over the SNS. Blood pressure and heart rate return to normal, blood sugar levels and stress hormone levels drop again. Typical contemporary “threats” are worries and problems in relationships and work, concerns about money, security, happiness and fulfillment in life. The danger with these “threats” is, that they keep the stress response system repeatedly reactivated, which in turn creates a “threat” to health and well-being.

The result of stress is an elevation of Cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which has been linked to increased fasting blood sugar, high blood pressure and insulin resistance and therefore to an increased risk of heart problems. Cortisol is also involved with stress-related eating, it lowers bone density, it has been linked to depression and it affects immune function. Cortisol is the main factor in immune suppression. Chronically high Cortisol levels can undermine memory and lead to permanent changes in the brain. Chronic stress may accelerate the decrease in mental function. Other ways of stress affecting health are poorer sleep, higher sensations of pain, fatigue, and moodiness.

How can yoga help? Yoga can help to overcome some of the main factors that undermine the health and well-being of many people in our modern world. One of these main factors is an out-of-balance stress response system. Since stress is a factor hosting a few medical conditions from heart attacks to infertility, the important role of yoga in stress reduction is easily explained. Stress reduction is beneficial to anybody, not only the sick. Yoga provides some suggestions that deal with the cause rather than the symptoms only. Yoga is seeking the root where the stress is created. Yoga asks to take a step back inwards and to critically review unhealthy habits and lifestyle. Yoga has been found to lower the levels of the stress hormone Cortisol.

Yoga has been found to calm the mind and to use thoughts in order to change the body and the mind. Yoga emphasizes healthy eating habits. Yoga holds the possibility of transformation. Despite the external causes, stress is often fuelled by thoughts. The mind produces stress by worrying about problems, by thinking the worst and by creating negative images. But thoughts are also capable of healing and creating well-being through positive and affirmative images. Yoga can turn the mind from an enemy into a friend.

Yoga helps to realize that many things which are stressed about are not that important in the end, hence stress may be reduced. The mind today is hyperactive, jumping from thought to thought, not being able to concentrate on something for very long. This creates repetitive, automatic thoughts about fears, desires and worries. The “jumpy” mind cannot be present in the moment as it is stuck in the glorious past, in the worries about the future and in the fantasies of how life could be. Like this, important things cannot be heard, food cannot be tasted fully and literally, the roses cannot be smelt.

The change of dysfunctional habits is mostly a matter of the mind. Yoga can make a difference in health and well-being by giving greater control of the mind which can lead to life transformation. Meditation is a useful yogic tool to see that in trying to be quiet, one realizes how busy the mind really is. The “jumpy” mind tends to keep the SNS activated which is the opposite of what people in today’s world actually need. Relaxation, calmness and the connection to the present moment shift the balance towards the PNS, the restorative state of the response system in the body.

The most important tool in yoga practice besides meditation is working with the breath. If the breath is controlled it can have profound effects on the nervous system. The focus in yoga is on slowing and deepening the breath to relax the nervous system, which in turn calms the mind. When the mind is still, creativity and healing can be accessed. Through correct breathing the feeling of stress can be lessened almost immediately.

A simple exercise to assess correct breathing is to sit on a chair or to lie on the back with one hand placed on the abdomen and the other placed on the lower ribs. Gently breathing, one should take note of how the hands are moving. In correct breathing, the abdomen comes out a little on the inhalation and moves back in on the exhalation due to the natural movement of the diaphragm. The ribcage expands only very gently with the inhalation.

One of the reasons for increased stress is an overload too many outside stimuli. Through meditation on the breath, the focus turns inward and one can rejuvenate. To bring the attention inwards is to build a bridge to the healing power of yoga. To meditate on the breath, this exercise may be tried: sitting up straight with the eyes closed, one starts to follow the breath without intention to change it and bringing attentiveness to the sound of the breath flowing in and out of the body.

If the mind begins to wander, gently bring the focus back to the breath, paying attention to the in and out breath being equally smooth and long and breathing deeply and rhythmically. The regular practice of yogic postures can help to lower stress and may also be practiced to prevent stress in the first place. Tight muscles can raise stress levels and asana reduces muscle tension. The following yoga postures balance the nervous system and bring relaxation. They may also be used as preparatory stage for deep relaxation. They can be practiced as individual poses or as the restorative sequence they are given in.

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the Wall pose) can be done with the hips on the floor or by elevating the pelvis with a bolster or a stack of folded blankets. Either, place a mat or a bolster a few inches away from a wall. Sit on one side of the mat or the bolster and place the hands on the floor for support as the legs are swung up against the wall. The natural curve of the lower spine should be kept to make the pose more relaxing. On the bolster, the pelvis is elevated and the lower spine naturally arched. On the mat, the pelvis is in a neutral position with the lower spine relaxing on the floor. The arms are kept by the sides in “cactus” position or palms upwards alongside the body. Soften the knees, if the hamstrings are very tight. Remain in this pose up to 15 minutes and rest. To come out of the pose, use the feet to push away from the wall and use the hands to help to sit up again.

Supta Baddha Konasana (Supine Bound Angle pose) is also a restful pose that relieves fatigue with the added benefit of opening and loosening the hips. Lie back on the mat or with a bolster supporting the head, the upper and the lower spine. The soles of the feet are together and placed as close as possible to the body. The knees are spread apart and the hips are softened. The hands are resting alongside the body with the palms facing upwards. Blankets may be placed under the knees to release tension in the hips and to make the pose even more relaxing. Stay in this pose up to 15 minutes and breathe deeply. From this pose, gently extend the legs straight out, relax the feet and let them roll to the side to come into Savasana (Relaxation pose).

Imagine the body getting heavier and sinking deeper into the floor, relax the face and follow the breath. Stay in this pose for 10-15 minutes and come out very slowly and gently in order to remain in a relaxed state. The support of a bolster underneath the upper body helps the ribcage to expand naturally, so the breath can be deeper. Generally, a progressive calmness should be felt after a few minutes in each pose, Restlessness or irritation may be a sign that something is not set the right way. If this is the case, make corrective adjustments until it feels right.

Stage-by-stage relaxation is a tool of guided relaxation, usually in Savasana position, that brings attention to different areas of the body and keeps the mind occupied. It is a practice suitable for people with serious illness and for those who may not have the strength or energy to do seated meditation. This technique relaxes not only the body and the mind, but also the nervous system.

In order to solve problems with stress and stress-related disease, it is important to consciously make time for relaxation and to get away some time from our modern stress-provoking way of life. Making time to go inward can mean exchanging bad habits with good ones. Instead of an hour in front of the TV, try 15 minutes in Savasana. Relaxation reminds us of the quiet place within. Our life depends on it!

NAMASTE!

Marita Mittag is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Korinthias, Greece area.