Can Yoga Help Manage Stress?
Yoga can be a very therapeutic way to balance the stresses of today’sbusy lifestyles. There are so many competing aspects to juggle such as work, children, your partner and other family members, it can be hard to schedule in any ‘you’ time at all. As anxiety and depression continue to rise at unprecedented levels, it is more important than ever to make sure you take the time to decompress and check in with yourself. Committing to regular yoga classes can be a great way to ensure that you get your weekly personal dose of self-care. The class can act like a reset, bringing you back to a quiet centre before you go back out in to daily life once again.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Yoga has been around for thousands of years. The ancient yogi’s (‘yogi’ is the name for those who practice regularly) established a pathway back to self through various spiritual activities including meditation, working with the breath and living a life that followed a peaceful mindset. Many millennia later, when these teachings left their source in India and reached a wider Western audience, our science is still uncovering just how effective these practices are.
It would seem that the ancient teachers knew so much about body, mind and spirit, without the analytics that today’s scientific analysis brings. This appears to have been experiential based knowledge, carefully explored in great depth by intelligent and spiritually aware teachers and carefully passed down, largely orally, to students through the generations. The intent to share and deepen how the discipline of yoga can benefit all humanity is its driving force. In the search to reconnect with oneself, each other, and the greater energy of creation, there is nothing else quite like it.
Do I have to aim for enlightenment?
Of course, you don’t have to take it this far! You can simply turn up to your weekly session and enjoy how it makes you feel. If you have never done yoga before it can feel a little awkward, like all things new, until you have a few sessions and get the hang of the basics. Don’t worry though, yoga is accessible to absolutely everybody and can be adjusted to suit the student, it doesn’t matter if you are 4 or 84, a good teacher will tailor the class to meet you exactly where you are.
If you feel a little out of your depth, and lots of us do when trying to grapple with the basics of something unfamiliar, starting with private yoga classes can be a great way to start. Building up your confidence and being able to ask questions as you go along is just not possible in a group class, where a teacher has a variety of skill levels and knowledge to accommodate, so stopping to explain in any great detail just isn’t possible.
How will yoga make me feel?
If you are looking for yoga in Mornington peninsula, a search online will turn up studios that are local to you. Be sure to read the Google reviews left by clients to get a good understanding of the type of experience to expect. Many people report that they feel more relaxed, calm and focused after a yoga session. There will usually be a combination of some breathing practices, movement and a mediation or relaxation at the end. This combination of moving, focusing on the breath and stillness is very effective at alleviating stiffness in the body, focusing the mind and creating a space in which to simply ‘be’. It’s the perfect antidote to modern stress.
Once you have attended a few sessions, you may find that this hour becomes a really special time in your week. A period that you set aside for yourself and a chance to check in with how you are feeling in body and mind. You will leave feeling refreshed and relaxed, ready to face whatever life has in store for you. With regular attendance, many people report feeling calmer, sleeping better, have increased levels of concentration and improved mobility.
Yoga for wellness
If these seem like benefits that you would like to experience, check out Mount Martha Yoga. Studio owner Emily is a fully qualified teacher who listens to why her students have decided to start, resume or continue a yoga practice. She ensures that her classes cater to these requirements and regularly checks in with students to see how they are finding the sessions. Working with a teacher in this way maximises the benefits of the practice, so you get to feel all the benefits in every session. Let us be part of your wellness toolkit, a powerful way to de-stress and create some welcome down time in your busy life every week.
