Active Lifestyle and Stress Management Through Yoga

Medical science defines stress as a specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it. When a person faces problems in everyday life that exceed their resources for coping with them, they feel stressed. Stress is a demand on our adaptability that calls out a response — but it is important to remember that stress is not only caused by the external environment; it can also be generated from within ourselves, from our fears, hopes, expectations and beliefs.

It is accepted across the world that Yoga brings happiness, peace of mind and a positive state of health. Yoga achieves this by aligning the body, the mind and the intellect — through proper knowledge of their structure and function and through the self-realisation of inner awareness. When our resources are overworked, the exhausted body stops functioning smoothly, and this may show up as physical signs such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, digestive disorders and back pain.

How Yoga manages stress

• Yogic asanas stretch and tone every muscle and joint, as well as the spine, skeletal muscles, organs and nerves, keeping the whole system in radiant health; by releasing physical and mental tension they free a large amount of energy.
• Pranayamas (yogic breathing practices) revitalise the body and help control the mind, leaving the person calm and refreshed.
• Relaxation helps control anxiety, hypertension and other discomforts of the body and mind.

The five yogic approaches to a healthy lifestyle

The yogic concept treats health holistically and sees the person as a whole. The five approaches to managing a healthy lifestyle are:

• Ahara (food and wellness): what, when, how and how much to eat, and what to avoid. The yogic ideal is mithara — the stomach half filled with food, a quarter with water and a quarter left for air — along with good-quality food and a calm state of mind.
• Vihara (recreation and wellness): relaxation, recreation and relationships — expressing emotion in a healthy, creative way, together with sound sleep. …