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How to Use Hatha Yoga for Stress Relief
How Hatha Yoga Aids in Stress Relief?
Tips for practicing Hatha Yoga for Stress Relief
Find Hatha Yoga Poses for Stress Relief
What would you do if you are stressed or anxious? You may go for a small walk or do some small stretching or take a deep breath. Walking or any movement even if it is as short as ten minutes eases your stress, relaxes your mind, and improves your mood. It says any kind of workout will aid in relieving the tension and stress stored in the body, Hatha Yoga creates significant positive effects in many emotional benefits such as stress reduction and anxiety. This article discusses how Hatha Yoga can be used as a powerful tool for stress reduction.
How to Use Hatha Yoga for Stress Relief
Research shows that there are good stress and bad stress and positive stress is healthy for life as it increases alertness and learning. Think of a student who finishes a task before the deadline. He is inspired by good stress which helps him to complete the task on time. This kind of stress is manageable and produces good results. But chronic stress, long term in nature leads to anxiety and it hampers your daily routine. This kind of stress can put a strain on your mental and physical health overall well-being. However, nowadays, stress has become an uninvited guest and is truly a part and parcel of our normal life, especially at times like this, stress is inevitable. Practicing yoga can be very effective in battling stress and related issues. By focusing on the three factors which are directly connected to stress and stress reduction, body, mind, and breathing, yoga builds our ability to relax and balance.
Hatha Yoga is one of the traditional forms of yoga which helps in the holistic development of the person who is practicing it. Practicing Hatha Yoga regularly is endowed with multiple benefits both mentally and physically like toning your muscle, more mental clarity, and stress reduction.
How Hatha Yoga aids in Stress Relief
Numerous Hatha Yoga poses are there which are especially effective for managing stress and can provide relief during stressful situations.
- Loosen up accumulated stress
- Relaxes body muscles by practicing easy to complicated asana
- Activates parasympathetic nervous system
- Releases happy hormones like endorphins
- Cleanse the body and mind, while building muscle
- Breathing to relax and focus the mind
- Being present in the moment during practice enables for a better focus and concentration
- Regulates body temperature
- Purifies and balance the Nadis
- Quality sleep
Tips for practicing Hatha Yoga for Stress Reduction
- Well begun is half done. So find a quiet place mostly a natural outdoor setting with light and air
- Concentrate on your breathing while you inhale and exhale and throughout your practice
- Don’t be stiff. Relax and ease, it is all about letting the stress go. So be mindful and allow the stress and tension to go of your body
- It is natural for your mind keeps wandering and unpleasant or negative thoughts rush into your mind but make an effort to bring back your concentration and awareness to your breath and body
- Wear comfortable clothing (cotton, breathable dress) for you to move easily and let the fresh air embrace you
- Play light, calm music in the background for more concentration the idea is to have a barrier-free environment
- Practice with an empty stomach, do not practice immediately after your meal. The ideal time is to perform yoga, two to three hours after a large meal and take food thirty minutes after doing yoga
- The preferable time for practice is morning or evening. But it is not mandatory.
Find Hatha Yoga Poses for Stress Relief
The three main components of a Hatha Yoga practice for stress relief include asanas, breathing techniques, and meditation. Physical postures are a series of body movements like stretching and various breathing techniques that helps to control your body as well as mind. Meditation helps to be in the present.
Let’s see some of the Hatha Yoga poses you can practice at home without any pieces of equipment or tools for a stress-free life.
Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing:
- Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana with your back and neck straight and eyes closed
- Place your left hand on your left knee
- Block your right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril
- After some time, close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale slowly through the right nostril
- Be fully concentrated on your breath
- Repeat this process for 10 rounds
Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation
Before going to the main stretching it is good to warm up the body, a few rounds of Sun Salutation helps you to do that.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose or Viparita Karani
- Lie down facing the wall, place your back as close as possible
- Keep your legs all the way on the wall with straight knees.
- Place your arms near your body
- Hold this pose for 10 minutes
Child’s Pose or Balasana
- Have the knees together or slightly apart and sit on your knees
- Slowly move on to Table Pose
- Exhale lower the hips to the heels
- Place your forehead on the floor
- Stretch your arm overheard with your palms on the floor
- Breathe deeply and hold the pose for five minutes
Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana
- Lie down on floor, bent the knees, hip width apart
- Hands resting on the floor
- Inhale deeply and raise the hip as high as you can
- Ensure your back doesn’t feel more strain
- Hold your breath for at least three minutes
- While releasing the posture, exhale and put your back down to the floor
Corpse Pose or Shavasana
The Hatha Yoga practice should end with proper relaxation. A minimum of 10 minutes in Corpse Pose or Shavasana is a must for the actualization of the purpose. Shavasana completely relaxes your body and mind.
- Lie flat on your back with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
- Position your arms next to your body
- Loosen up your head, neck, and shoulders
- Take deep breaths and allow your body to fully relax.
- Continue in this pose for 10–20 minutes.
Conclusion
Stress or being stressed is constant in life, performing yoga once in a while will not confer you permanent relief, but making yoga a natural part of your daily routine will. Enjoy the entire sequence of Hatha Yoga for stress relief practice and understand which practice brings you more benefit and improves your mood.