Try Yoga To Soothe The Stress In Your Mind And The Tension In Your Body!

Times are hard and they just seem to be getting harder! Everyday, we hear more dire news about the economy, sinking stock prices and mounting job losses. Everyone is worried that they will be the next victim. This stress can have damaging effects on your emotional and physical well being.

Stress and worry can lead to more severe anxiety problems, even panic attacks! It is important to keep your mind and body balanced and one great way to do that is to learn yoga.

- Yoga is practiced by more than 6 million Americans and this number is only on the rise. As more and more people are discovering the amazing health and stress reduction effects of this ancient art, it is becoming increasingly commonplace among both men and women. Yoga is not just exercise and it's not just relaxation, it is a combination of both and it can be practiced by anyone, regardless of their age, gender, flexibility or weight.

- Yoga does incorporate some gymnastics into its movements. There are twists and contortions that will increase your flexibility and help you trim your weight and improve your appearance. To the untrained observer, it might seem like you have to be a contortionist to practice yoga. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, yoga is all about accepting the limitations of your body in the moment and working towards expanding those limitations to their fullest extent.

- Yoga also includes some meditative practices, a great way to lessen anxiety and prevent panic attacks. Meditation is not just for hippies, it is a way to let go some of the accumulated stresses that build up in our lives and simply be at peace in the moment.

An important aspect of meditation and of the more physical components of yoga is the emphasis on the breath. It is so important to breathe properly and too many of us forget how to breath from our abdomen, Without this deep breathing, we are denying our body, valuable oxygen it needs to deal with the stress we encounter in our lives.

There are many different types of yoga and many different ways to engage in the practice. As a beginner, I suggest you go to a yoga studio. Studio teachers will be more likely to help you get into the position (something you might need) and help you integrate the emotional part of the yoga experience with the physical.

Yoga classes at gyms, tend to be more physical in nature and give short shrift to the meditative component. Do not underestimate the power of meditation or the way it can release muscle tension and provide you with some inner peace. However, once you've learned the basics of yoga, attending gym based classes or indulging on your own, will accomplish the same purpose.

If neither of these options are available to you, there are a number of videos and books available that can guide you through the yoga practice although nothing replaces just a few classes for the visual and educational perspective they offer. The key to lower levels of anxiety and even panic attack prevention lay in finding ways to achieve some inner peace and some physical relief.

Yoga and Meditation - How Can You Prevent Work Related Stress ?

Follow these simply stress reduction techniques to improve you work day. Plan Regular Breaks. Plan short breaks during the day. Take a moment to stretch out, take several deep breaths, get up and take a short walk. Finally make sure to take a moment in reflective thought, and to apply the principles of yoga and meditation to your workday.

Plan Regular Breaks. Plan short breaks during the day. Take a moment to stretch out, take several deep breaths, get up and take a short walk. Anything to clear your mind and change your environment for a few minutes will do. Especially at lunch, try to get away from the office for a while.

• Give Yourself Plenty of Time in The Morning. Don't rush. Give your self an extra 15 minutes to get to work each day. Don't add to your stress levels by having to worry about be late to work in the morning.
• Create Balance. Make sure that you have enough time planned for family, friends, social activities and personal pursuits. All work and no play is a recipe for increased stress.
• Prioritize. Make a spreadsheet, that lists three categories ranking from highest, most important (must do today type tasks) to lowest, least important (can do whenever I get around to it type tasks). Then tackle these tasks in order of priority with the most important getting your utmost attention first, and the lowest only getting your attention after all higher ranking tasks have been completed. Review your list periodically and clean it up. Discard those lowest ranking tasks that still haven't been completed. If they aren't important enough to complete after several weeks, let them go.
• Break large projects up into smaller ones. When a large project seems overwhelming, simply break it up into smaller bite sized components. Then prioritize the pieces and tackle each smaller task in order of importance until the entire project is done.
• Delegate. Let go of the need to control every aspect of the job. When others can handle a particular part of a task, why not let them? You will immediately release stress when you allow others to help.

On a more subtle level you can use the intelligence you gain from practicing yoga and meditation to help. Use your increased self awareness to attune to your emotions and their impact while, using insight and intuition to guide you in your decision making. Use your increased levels of self control to better adapt to your changing circumstances and job environment. Use your relationship skills to understand and react to others, while inspiring, and influencing those around you by becoming a strong positive role model.

Yoga and meditation provide amazing ways to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the workplace.