Stress is what our bodies and minds feel when they are confronted with situations that they are not used to and it is a given in our modern existence. Rather than try to escape it, we need to find a way to exist with it and not let it harm us. The need is urgent because stress-related health issues are a major cause of illness and suffering for children and adults alike.
Yoga helps us to deal with stress at many levels. The physical postures, or asanas, strengthen and tone not only the muscles but the nerves too, making our bodies stronger, healthier and more under our control. The breathing exercises, or pranayama, connect our bodies to the cosmic energy, or prana, surrounding us by giving us a very intimate awareness of the one act that keeps us alive-breathing. Most of us breathe reflexively and therefore are not aware of how easy it is to relax by doing it consciously and as modern medical science knows, deep, rhythmic breathing relaxes the body like little else can. Finally, yogic meditation teaches us to harness our chaotic thought processes and mind and gain control over it rather than the other way around. For many, "mastering our thoughts" is a unique idea but once we learn how to do it correctly, we will find a universe in which we are in complete control of our emotions and therefore our reactions to the things that happen to us.
Yoga is a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary science of living in the most stress-free way possible. It will not make the stress in our lives disappear but it will teach us how to react emotionally, physically and spiritually to stressful events without letting them harm us or those around us.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
No comments:
Post a Comment