Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our personal balance in some way. When faced with a threat, whether to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response. We all know what this stress response feels like: heart pounding in the chest, muscles tensing up, breath coming faster, every sense on red alert. Stress is useful in our lives. However, in the times we are living in, this stress has become destructive in our lives as we live with it all the time. It is a major cause of ill health and death. We are doing too many things at a time 24/7.Stress rhymes with the word rest. Actually they compliment each other. Without some sort of rest stress is not monitored. According to B.K.S. Iyengar, from 'Yoga The Path To Holistic Health', "Yoga minimizes the impact of stress on the individual.Yogic science believes that the regular practice of asanas and pranayama strengthens the nervous system and helps people face stressful situations positively."
Becoming conscious of how we breathe helps us to relieve stress. (See the link in next sentence for short video explaining the process.) It is found that slow diaphragmatic breathing (similar to the pranayama technique Deergha Swasam, or Three-Part Breathing, from the Integral Yoga tradition) is very helpful.
Iyengar points out that slow effortless exhalation during the practice of the postures brings serenity to body and the mind becomes still. This brings to mind the Yoga Sutras I-2 which defines yoga as stilling the mind modifications. So try it for yourself! BREATHE consciously and bring on that restful state of being.
