Living amidst the fast-pace of Hong Kong, the build up of stress is inevitable, its not about eliminating it altogether because stress acts as a motivator and powers action but when we are on a constant overdrive the results are far from empowering. Hypertension, chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, constipation and fatigue are the most common effects of our high stress lifestyles.
Ever wonder why there are so many different styles of yoga? It’s because there are so many different ways we deal with stress. Running for half an hour can be highly stressful for some and yet highly therapeutic for others. Often we ‘zone out’ to unwind, get lost in a book or a movie or on Facebook. Yoga teaches us to consciously relax, to understand what we need and how we react to stress. Some of us feel a pent up of energy, in this case a power class will help vent all that stored energy. In other cases we feel so depleted of energy that a more soothing approach will help restore the energy. In both cases we go from feeling stressed to feeling relaxed, but take very different routes depending on how our body and mind react to stress.
Stress Relief Yoga can Help to Focus Our Mind
Yoga manages stress because it in that hour when we are on our mat we are encouraged to shut out from everything outside us. We are taught to let go of the hustle and bustle, to throw out our mental to-do lists, to quiet the whirlwind of thoughts in our mind and simply focus all our attention on our breath. Being with ourselves in silence is so nourishing for our mind, body and spirit.
We bring our attention to our body to release the physical tension we are holding, psychosomatically the neck, shoulders and upper back is where most stress, worries and anxiety is held. Chest openers such as cobra are great to release the stiffness and improve posture if the shoulders are stooped and the back rounds forward. A few simple stretches go a long way in preventing a build up of aches and pains.
Feel the connection of your body and mind, when you are mindful of your each step, of your each breath, of your each movement yoga becomes a moving meditation. When we are aware of what we are doing right now, rather than being caught up with the day’s events that have past or those that we are expecting we lose the biggest benefit of the yoga class- opening to the present moment.
As a long term objective all the physical postures and stretching in a yoga class are geared towards bringing us closer to our own sense of inner peace. This is embodied in meditation, when we sit still, surrender all our thoughts and turn our mind to the soothing sound of each breath. To simply be a witness of each inhalation and exhalation has a profound uplifting effect and brings us to mental clarity as we train ourselves to remove the mental clutter of stress and instead bask in a peaceful energy.
At Inspire Yoga, we understand everyone reacts differently to stress so we cater the class to the individual, not the masses. We specialize in private yoga classes, instruction that is one-on-one to allow exact adjustments and alignments, our team are highly experienced and qualified yoga teachers specializing in a variety of styles from soothing to challenging to suit your energy levels. What’s more, we bring yoga to you. All Inspire Yoga classes are held at the client’s home/office where the teacher comes to you for your convenience and comfort. All our programs are open to new beginners, some of our most popular programs include restorative yoga, breathing and meditation and yoga therapy for the neck, shoulders and back. Click here to view our programs.
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