Use Your Yoga Practice to Help Pinpoint and Relieve Stress

Finally, after two weeks of complete and total stress and frustration, I was able to relax today.  After spending what seemed like an eternity worrying about work and the future, while simultaneously working about 70 hours a week, I was given a reprieve. 

What’s that you say?  My boss, a woman known for having literally dozens of new ideas each day that she shares and then delegates to others is going on vacation for a week.  Thank the universe. 

But now that the tension is easing, I am starting to creak and crack, and experience more precise physical pain in my shoulders, jaws and upper back.  Always the hardest hit areas for me.  Now that my muscles are starting to relax, the end result of clenching them for about 14 days is finally kicking in.  Pain, pain and more pain.

My yoga practice is really helping me pinpoint this pain, too.  As I move through my postures, I really get a sense of where the true pressure points have been.  So I am transitioning away from poses like Downward-Facing Dog for a few days until I begin to feel a little less tension in my shoulders, and doing a lot more stretching in my upper body and my legs.  I am especially noticing that working my legs is having a ripple effect–it feels as though focusing on my legs is helping to pull my back into a healthier alignment.  So much better.

My point?  Even though it can take a little time to determine the root of your tension, tuning into it and focusing on those areas can really help you know your body better. And knowing your body better and working those problem areas can really help you improve your practice and give you a little peace.

So if you’re in the middle of a tense life situation, use your practice.  Really pay attention to what anxiety and stress are doing to your body and try to get some relief from your routine.  Move away from the usual set of poses you are following each day, and explore moves that are going to offer you some true relief.  I know how hard it can be to release your mind and trust what your body is trying to tell you, but it’s the only way you are going to find that relaxation you crave. 

 Peace.

image: Newscom