Yoga For Relaxation
In our stress - ridden modern world, devising techniques to combat the ill effects of stress has become an urgent need. Practicing yoga brings with it a lot of health benefits including easing psychological stress and tensions.
How does Yoga help to achieve relaxation?
Yoga helps one relax by achieving harmony between one's inner and outer personality and self. It brings about a condition of clarity of thoughts and harmony with the outside world. When one is practicing yoga, he/she must pay attention on breathing, posture, diet, exercises and meditation. Yoga exercises called asanas and pranayamas were developed many years back to produce a number of beneficial results. The prolonged, deep breathing techniques in yoga transports oxygen to the brain thus contributing to mental clarity.
Relaxation is an unavoidable part at every stage of a yoga routine - and there are a lot of benefits of yoga. Certain asanas or exercises call for certain tough positioning of the entire body. Under these conditions it becomes imperative to relax.
Yoga helps in bridging or connecting the two worlds - spiritual and material. As a rule, while performing relaxation exercises, you will be made to comfortably lie down and meditate. Your yoga instructor will guide you of ways to steadily move to position your arms and feet. The relaxation exercises may differ but these are bound by one common goal. They act as cushions or shock absorbers at the point of contact with the surroundings and reality. These techniques also help to achieve tranquility and peacefulness.
Yoga relaxation techniques to curb work related stress
To bring in the best possible work output, it is necessary to find avenues for stress release, albeit in a positive and restrained manner. Here are a few of the simple yoga relaxation techniques which will help to lessen the negative effects of stress on the body. These relaxation techniques can be performed conveniently at one's desk and with very less disruption of work.
Eye exercises:-
• You have to sit on your chair comfortably with your back straight, head erect, and eyes at the front.
• You have to think about an imaginary clock right in front of you. Move your eyes through the imaginary numbers 12, 6, 9, and 3. Repeat the process this time in a different order.
• Now rub your palms vigorously against each other until heat begins to emit.
• Resting the elbows on the desk, close your eyes. You must place your palms on your eyelids which are closed.
• Relax and feel the heat energy flowing from your palms into your eyes.
Facial exercises:
• Pretend chewing a gum for 30 seconds.
• Gently massage with your thumbs and fingers feeling your skin texture over your cheekbones, forehead and temples.
Feet exercises:
• While you are seated on your chair, stretching your legs, keep rotating your right ankle. Keep your toes separately. Go on rotating your foot 3 - 5 times at each direction. After relaxing for a while repeat the process with the left leg.
• Go on stretching your toes back and to the front at least 5 times.