Many people have heard that yoga reduces stress, but there’s real science behind it.
Of course, any time you increase the heart rate (like with a few chaturangas), your body releases endorphins, which is the driving force behind that famed “runner’s high and a natural stress reducer. However, yoga taps into stress relief on a much deeper level. By incorporating techniques like pranayama (breath control) and meditation, yoga can help manage and reduce stress.
Pranayama
Pranayama is an umbrella term for breath control. There are a number of pranayama practices within yoga as outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Pranayama can decrease injury, cleanse the body, and relax/de-stress. The vast majority of people are shallow upper chest breathers. If you pull in a deep breath and fill your lungs to capacity, then fully release until there’s truly nothing left, it can feel like a workout—it is. The lungs aren’t used to being fully utilized, and the ribs/intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) aren’t used to being so fully worked. Be careful with pranayama, because it can be overwhelming for newcomers. The best way to practice early on is in a class setting with a teacher skilled in pranayama.
Pranayama is effective for stress reduction because it calms the body’s sympathetic nervous system. Otherwise known as the fight or flight instinct, this nervous symptom gushes adrenaline into the body when you’re excited or scared. Adrenaline raises the heartbeat and surges stress hormones into the body. It’s an critical defense tool when you’re really in trouble, but North Americans have a tendency to being adrenaline junkies. We’re constantly stimulating ourselves with technology, and this has led to a veritable breakdown of the sympathetic nervous system. In some ways, your body gets used to all that adrenaline and stress hormones, but at what cost? We’re in a constant state of fight or flight, and all those stress hormones build up over time. It’s part of the reason why heart disease is the number one killer of American women.
With certain types of pranayama (those designed for relaxation), you can reduce the stress response of the body and nestle into recuperation. When the parasympathetic nervous system, known as “rest and digest,” is given a time out, your body returns to its natural, restful state and can recover. That’s why it’s so important to practice pranayama and/or meditation daily, particularly first thing in the morning and before bed. Otherwise, you might be in stress mode 24/7 (especially if you suffer from insomnia).
As previously mentioned, there are many types of pranayama exercises, and it’s always best to have a trusted in-person instructor when beginning pranayama practice. However, one of the safest and most effective pranayama is the simple counted breath. Begin by inhaling for a count of five, exhaling for a count of five. If you can stay calm, hold the breath for five counts after the inhale. If you still feel calm, there’s the option to add retention after the exhale, too.
Another simple pranayama practice is two-part breath with legs up the wall. It’s popular before bedtime because the inversion (heart above head) is naturally relaxing. Two-part breath is the same as four-part breath but without the holds. You can choose any equal number to inhale and exhale with, as long as you completely fill and empty the lungs. If you can, putting weight (such as a bolster or heavy pillow) on the feet when they’re up the wall can provide an added sense of security. It’s normal for the legs to go numb or tingly in this position. For beginners, do not hold this pose longer than five minutes and practice caution when exiting the pose because dizziness can occur.
The counting of breaths and/or the ticking of the clock help to ensure you’re not focused on anything but breath. You might find that you tire easily, which is common for those just starting their practice. While in pranayama, your sympathetic nervous system is is pacified. Without having to focus on “fight or flight,” the amount of stress hormones released is reduced.
The Inner Voice
Stress comes at us in various ways. Triggers for stress come in many forms, both external and internal. Stress can also be a bit addictive. Even though we know technology usage often leads to higher stress levels—with social media usage linked to loneliness—we can’t get enough of it. Adrenaline can be a bit addictive in itself. Learning to balance our lives can start with literally balancing ourselves. It’s one of the core foundations of yoga and is prioritized in asanas and pranayama.
Hypnotherapists such as Marisa Peer have said that “rewriting the bad programs” we’ve downloaded can be corrected by hypnotic mantras. A popular option is “Hare Krishna, Hare Krisha. Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare.” Chanting in the alpha brainwave state, which can be achieved through meditative practices, helps us to get rid of the negative influences we hold within. The stress we carry with us isn’t permanently ingrained, but it does take some work to release it.
Our inner voice (or subconscious mind) operates like a kind of hard disk of our bodily computer. Stress causes the subconscious to download negative programs that can clog up normal function. This can lead to pain, chronic disease, and poor relationships. Our overly stimulated lives cause many of us to develop an inner voice that’s our worst critic. We’re encouraged to practice modesty, many times at a false level (i.e. always downplaying successes or brushing them aside instead of celebrating them) and self-deprecation. Overly done, this kind of denigrative thinking can have damaging effects. Cognitive reconditioning, or learning to speak nicely to ourselves, can be amplified with yoga for stress reduction.
Yoga and Self-Awareness
Yoga forces us to consider our breath and our movement, two things we rarely pay much attention to. It gives us the tools we need to slow down and to focus. The “white noise” of controlling our breath or fluid movements keeps the barrage of our inner voice at bay. We concentrate and we focus on safely stretching the body a touch beyond its limits with yoga. It’s not usually a high-intensity workout through the entire practice, but rather a means of returning to our center. That’s at the core of what stress reduction requires, and a first step in being kinder to ourselves.
