by Nina
But the nature of human existence is such that we all go through times when stress levels are high, whether that is due to family problems, illness, employment conflicts, uncertainty about the future, or even more serious problems. Today’s post provides recommendations for periods when you’re going through chronic stress. (For information about improving your sleep, see 5 Tips for Better Sleep. And for information about changing the way you react to stressors, see Re-Patterning Your Nervous System: Practice for the Real World.)
Confession: It was very easy for me to write this post because it was born out of my own experience. Practicing yoga on a regular basis to keep my stress levels in check in general and to give myself special attention when stress levels go up due to life circumstances has been a godsend to me. But I did have Baxter read through what I wrote and add a few recommendations of his own. So it’s all medical doctor approved!
How Often to Practice. Although we don’t recommend practicing a full-length active asana sequence seven days a week (your body needs time to rest and recover), if you are going through a stressful period, we do recommend practicing at least a short stress management session for about 20 minutes every day. What you practice for your short stress management sessions could be any of the relaxation practices you prefer or that work in your particular circumstances: seated or reclined meditation, calming breath practices, one or two restorative and/or supported inverted poses, or a guided relaxation program. And because exercise is important for reducing stress, you should aim for doing an active asana practice (or another type of exercise, such as walking) around three to four days a week.
How Long to Practice. For a balanced asana session, practice, such as one of our strength or flexibility sequences, we recommend practicing for 30-45 minutes. For a short stress management session, we recommend practicing 20 minutes per day. For both these sessions, you can actually divide them up, and practice part of your session in the morning and part later in the day. For example, you could practice active asanas in the morning and restorative poses at the end of the day, or you could meditate for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.
What to Practice. For days when you want to do a full-length active practice, practice any sequence that includes a combination of poses for cultivating the four essential skills (strength, flexibility, balance, and agility) or a sequence that focuses on one of the skills. Generally, it makes sense to include the active poses at the beginning of your sequence, although if you’re fatigued you can start with a resting pose and ease into the more active poses. But always quiet down after the active poses with a stress management practice. For days when you just need a short stress management session, choose any single or combination of stress management practices that work for you in your particular circumstances.
Static Poses. These poses are good for grounding you when you’re feeling anxious or flighty and for tiring yourself out a bit when you’re feeling hyper. Standing poses, such as Warrior 2 and Triangle pose, are particularly effect for this. But a balanced practice that includes poses from every category will engage your body and mind, and release physical tension from your body. Practice mindfully for best results (see Practicing Yoga Mindfully).
Dynamic Poses. These poses are good for releasing held tension in your body, engaging your body and mind, and mildly energizing yourself when stress makes you feel fatigued. Be careful, however, not to practice (or breathe) too quickly, as this can over-stimulate you. Practice mindfully for best results (see Practicing Yoga Mindfully).
Supported Inverted Poses. For many people, supported inverted poses are so effective for calming the nervous system and quieting the mind that even just one 15-minute session of Legs Up the Wall pose can turn the day around. And if these poses work well for you, during your active practice days, always include one or more near the end of your practice (before Savasana or meditation). Choose poses that you can hold for extended periods of time and use appropriate propping to ensure you’ll be comfortable. Warming up for these poses with active or reclining poses that stretch your legs and open your shoulders may help you be less fidgety.
Restorative Poses. If stress is making you feel exhausted and depleted, you can put together an entire asana practice from restorative poses or even practice a single pose on its own. And if you are doing a more active practice and you enjoy restorative poses, include one or two at the end of your practice. Choose poses that you can hold for extended periods of time so you can relax, completely and use appropriate propping to ensure you’ll be entirely comfortable.
Focused Relaxation. Guided relaxation, meditation, calming breath practices, and Savasana with a mental focus are practices that you can do on their own or include in an active practice. Although these are good practices to end your practice with, you can also use them to start a practice as a way to center yourself. Choose the techniques that work best for you and your particular circumstances (maybe you’re on an airplane, for example). And make sure to use seated or reclined positions that you can hold for extended periods of time so you can relax completely, and use appropriate propping to ensure you’ll be entirely comfortable.
If you've tried any of these techniques when you're feeling stressed out, please let us know which are your favorites!
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