What are the health benefits of relaxation?
Relaxation techniques are a great way to help with stress management. Relaxation isn’t just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby: it is also a process that decreases the effects of stress on your mind and body. Relaxation techniques can help you cope with daily stress and with stress related to various health problems.
How does yoga help in the body’s relaxation and comfort?
In yoga, relaxation refers to the loosening of bodily and mental tension. Keeping muscles in a constant state of alert expends a great amount of your energy, which then is unavailable when your muscles are called upon to really function. Conscious relaxation trains your muscles to release their grip when you don’t use them. This relaxation helps the muscles be responsive to the signals from your brain, telling them to contract so that you can perform all the countless tasks of a busy day.
What yoga techniques or poses would you suggest?
The simplest and yet the most difficult of all yoga postures is the corpse posture, also widely known as the dead pose. The corpse posture is an exercise in mind over matter. The only props you need are your body and mind.
To do the corpse pose, first lie flat on your back, with your arms stretched out and relaxed by your sides, palms up (or whatever feels most comfortable). Place a small pillow under your head if you need one and another large pillow under your knees for added comfort. Close your eyes and form a clear intention to relax: some people find it helpful to picture themselves lying on a stretch of white sand. Take a couple of deep breaths, lengthening exhalation. Contract the muscles in your feet for a couple of seconds and then consciously relax them.
Do the same with the muscles in your calves, upper legs, buttocks, abdomen, chest, back, hands, forearms, upper arms, shoulders, neck and face.
Keeping muscles in a constant state of alert expends a great amount of your energy
Periodically scan all your muscles from your feet to your face to check that they are relaxed. You can often detect subtle tension around the eyes and the scalp muscles. Also relax your mouth and tongue. Focus on the growing bodily sensation of no tension and let your breath be free.
At the end of the session, before opening your eyes, form the intention to keep the relaxed feeling for as long as possible. Open your eyes, stretch lazily, and get up slowly. Practise for 10 to 30 minutes: the longer the duration, the better.
Is breathing also important for relaxation?
Breathing is an automatic function of the body that is controlled by the respiratory centre of the brain. When we feel stressed, our breathing rate and pattern changes as part of the fight-or-flight response.
Fortunately, we also have the power to deliberately change our own breathing. Scientific studies have shown that controlling your breath can help to manage stress and stress-related conditions. Breath control is also used in practices such as yoga, tai chi and some forms of meditation.
Many people use their breathing to help promote relaxation and reduce stress. The types of conditions that controlled breathing might help include: anxiety, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, high blood pressure, insomnia, panic attacks, some skin conditions, such as eczema, and stress.
There are different breathing techniques to achieve relaxation. In essence, the general aim is to shift from upper chest breathing to abdominal breathing.
You will need a quiet, relaxed environment where you won’t be disturbed for 10 to 20 minutes. Set an alarm if you don’t want to lose track of time.
Sit comfortably and raise your rib cage to expand your chest. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Take notice of how your upper chest and abdomen are moving while you breathe. Concentrate on your breath and try to gently breathe in and out through the nose. Your upper chest and stomach should be still, allowing the diaphragm to work more efficiently with your abdomen rather than your chest.
With each breath, allow any tension in your body to slip away. Once you are breathing slowly and with your abdomen, sit quietly and enjoy the sensation of physical relaxation.
To get the most benefit, use relaxation techniques along with other positive coping methods, such as thinking positively, finding humour, problem-solving, managing time, exercising, getting enough sleep, and reaching out to supportive family and friends.
Stress buster
Practising relaxation techniques can reduce stress symptoms by:
• Slowing your heart rate
• Lowering blood pressure
• Slowing your breathing rate
• Reducing activity of stress hormones
• Increasing blood flow to major muscles
• Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
• Improving concentration and mood
• Lowering fatigue
• Reducing anger and frustration
• Boosting confidence to handle problems
• Sveta Abela is founder of Power-YogaWorld.
www.poweryogaworld.com