Asanas for calming the mind are already found in ancient texts. This suggests that practices aimed at calming and relaxing were relevant long before our turbulent times. When the mind becomes calm, the long-awaited harmony and peace comes.
If stress has become a constant companion in life, yoga will come to the rescue, calming the nerves.
However, one must understand that asanas alone will not solve the problem. The approach to stress should be comprehensive: a conscious attitude towards the world, working with your own obscurations, a tolerant and friendly attitude towards others.
“Change yourself, the world around you will change” - this is what yoga practitioners who have already experienced a positive transformation say. Positive changes in life will not happen on their own.
You need to make an effort, constantly work on yourself and follow the first two steps of yoga - Yama and Niyama. These principles will be a significant support on the path of yoga and calming the mind.
The so-called mental hygiene is of great importance in the fight against stress - identifying and sifting out information that can cause serious damage to psychological balance. How to recognize destructive information? The ability to perceive reality without illusions will help.
It will not be possible to completely get rid of illusory perception, because the world is structured as a big illusion - Maya. But the ability to navigate the information space and weed out the unnecessary and destructive is a feasible task. The practice of pratyahara, meditation and mantra will help with this.
Unfortunately, it is not so easy to change your life overnight. Long-term habits, the prevailing environment, and a self-centered life position can hold a person tightly and hinder development. In this case, hatha yoga asanas remain the simplest and most accessible way to change yourself, your life and fight eternal stress.
Causes of stress
Stress is usually a reaction to mental or emotional pressure. This often feels like a loss of control over the situation. What can trigger a stressful situation?
Work (conflicts, lack of work, retirement); family (difficulties in relationships, divorce, caring for a seriously ill relative); financial problems, health status (injuries, illnesses); existential problems (lack of meaning in life, loss of life guidelines).
Even such significant events as buying real estate, a wedding, or the birth of a child, which seem to carry a positive charge, can cause stress.
Reclining Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Deeply bending pigeon pose requires less effort and is more relaxing. Stay in it longer and breathe. The asana releases stress and tension in the hips and increases flexibility.
Technique: Start in the same position as pigeon pose and slowly lower yourself onto your palms or forearms onto the floor. If it becomes easy, fold your hands on top of each other and rest your forehead on your hands. Stay in this position for 5 to 10 breaths. Repeat on both sides.
What you need to know about stress?
- Everyone is subject to stress.
Everyone experiences stressful situations from time to time. Stress can be short-term or can last for a long time. Some people cope with stress more quickly, while others suffer from prolonged stress. - Long-term stress can be harmful to your health.
Coping with chronic stress is a difficult task because the body does not receive a clear signal to return to normal functioning. Thus, chronic stress can disrupt the immune, digestive, cardiovascular and reproductive systems. - Stress can be managed.
By practicing asanas to calm the nervous system, you can reduce the risk of negative health effects. Reading spiritual literature will help you more calmly and adequately perceive what is happening around you.
Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
This pose causes a rush of blood to the spine and head.
Technique: From a standing position, fold forward and reach your hands to your feet or ankles, or, if you find it difficult, to your hips or knees. Relax. Allow your lower back to lengthen and the crown of your head to hang towards the floor. The neck and shoulders are completely relaxed. Breathe deeply, and with each exhalation, pull your stomach towards your knees. Stay in the pose for 5 to 10 deep breaths.
Stress and the nervous system
It all starts with the brain. In a stressful situation, stress hormones are released, which enter the bloodstream and signal the “fight or flight” response. This causes the heart rate to increase, blood pressure to rise, and the body experiences all the intense physiological symptoms of stress.
The sympathetic nervous system helps in responding to the fight or flight signal. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “rest and digest” mechanism, which signals when necessary to calm down and slow down.
These two parts of the autonomic nervous system always work together and receive signals from the brain.
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
This pose is one of the simplest, but it is not immediately possible to perform it perfectly.
Technique: stand straight, feet firmly on the floor, spread your toes wider. Legs, feet, ankles are connected. Tighten your buttocks so that your pelvis is over your feet. Tuck your stomach in and roll your shoulders back and down. Hands are lowered down with palms facing out. Close your eyes and stay in the pose for 5 to 10 breaths.
How to cope with chronic stress?
- Asanas to calm your nerves will help increase the production of endorphins, which improve your mood and relieve stress. Yoga for stress can change energy, which will lead to a calmer outlook on life.
- Meditation for stress will help you become aware of your body and the surrounding space. This practice has a positive effect on disorders such as anxiety and depression.
- Improving the quality and duration of sleep will help restore the body and nervous system. Sleep should last at least 7 hours. You need to sleep at the same time, without disrupting your routine.
- Identification of stressful situations, their analysis, and a sound approach will help to form an adequate approach to life’s conflicts.
Yoga, which calms the nerves, remains today the most accessible, safe and effective form of working with stress. There is no need to take medications that have side effects.
Asanas to calm the mind
They work not only with stress, but also strengthen the physical body. Yoga for stress is easy to perform, has no serious contraindications and is accessible to beginners. And to practice you only need a mat, comfortable clothes and following the recommendations.
What is important to consider when preparing for evening yoga for beginners
There are certain nuances, if observed, that evening yoga will be many times more effective:
- It is advisable to study no later than 22.00. After this time, the body must rest and gain strength.
- The practice room should be well ventilated so that there is a sufficient amount of oxygen. The same rule is true for good sleep.
- You should not start practicing yoga if you have just eaten. At a minimum, about 2.5 hours should pass for the food to be sufficiently digested.
- It is important to tune in to practice and create the right atmosphere. You can take a shower, light incense, turn on relaxing music (or be in silence), and dim the lights.
- Do your yoga practice without undue stress and take your time. Allow yourself to smoothly “flow” from one position to another. If you feel pain or discomfort in your body, stop, observe yourself, and breathe. Remember that all asanas in yoga are performed without violence to yourself, and before going to bed this is especially important so that the body does not strain too much.
It is important to correctly compose a complex of evening yoga, because the result largely depends on this. It is best to attend an evening yoga practice with a teacher to understand exactly how the sequence of asanas and exercises is built, but if you want to practice on your own at home, later in this article you will find a small yoga complex before bed for beginners for 15 minutes.
“Yoga” means “unity” - unity with one’s inner essence. Yoga is the most important, the main condition for human improvement,” - Swami Sivananda
Cobra pose (bhunjangasana)
This pose strengthens the back, opens the shoulders, chest, and strengthens the muscles along the spine.
Technique: from a prone position on your stomach, both palms under your shoulders, fingers spread wide, pelvis pressed against the mat, push off the floor with your hands and lift your chest up. Pull your shoulders away from your ears, lengthening your neck. Look up a little. Take a few breaths and slowly lower yourself to the starting position.
King of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
To completely relax and relieve stress before completing your session, include a seated twist in your practice. It stretches the muscles of the lower back, hips, buttocks and spine.
Technique: sit on the floor, place both legs in front of you, bend your left leg at the knee and cross it over your right, so that your foot is on the floor near your right thigh. Then turn your body to the left. Inhale and join your palms in namaste. Hold the pose for three to five breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Lying Twist Pose (Supta Matsyendrasana)
The purpose of this pose is to release tension in the spine.
Technique: lying on your back, with a deep breath, lift your knee to your chest and move it in the opposite direction. (if left, then to the right, if right, then to the left). Do not lift your shoulders off the floor, keep your hands free. Release any tension, feel your body open and free. Repeat on the other side.
Wide Leg Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Sometimes simply bending forward can be challenging for those with tight hips and hamstrings.
Technique: Spread your legs as wide as you can. Place your palms between your legs and slowly step them forward until your elbows touch the floor. Breathe deeply, consciously relaxing tense areas. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths and gradually increase the time you stay in the pose. The more you hold this pose, the faster you will see progress.
Cow Head Pose (Gomukhasana)
Crossing your hips is not as easy as it seems. For those who find this pose difficult, use a pillow or rolled up blanket and place it under your hips.
Technique: Place your left leg on top of your right, cross your knees, and sit between your legs. You need to sit with your back straight. Place your right hand back, behind your head, and your left hand back, below, and clasp your hands together. Hold the pose for up to 10 exhalations on each side.
Contraindications for yoga
If you have a number of diseases, it is not advisable to practice yoga: performing asanas can increase the manifestation of symptoms. In this case, you should first find and eliminate the root cause of poor health, and only then move on to strengthening asanas.
Such diseases include:
- high blood pressure;
- oncological diseases;
- cardiac ischemia;
- traumatic brain injury;
- colds.
Pregnant women should perform asanas with caution. They should avoid inverted poses and exercises that place increased pressure on the lower back and pelvis.
Lying Butterfly Pose
The asana stretches the inner thighs and groin. Increases blood flow into the pelvis.
Technique: Lie on your back with your legs and arms straight. Bend your knees and spread them apart. Feet together. Place your hands on your knees, palms up. Adjust your spine by lengthening it while maintaining the natural curve of your lower back. Close your eyes. Breathe naturally. Stay in the pose for 5 to 10 minutes. To exit the pose, bring your knees together and place your feet on the floor.
↑ Side effect of practice
In the early stages of training, side effects may appear. This is caused by the fact that when performing exercises, the nerve endings touch the soft tissues and the skin itself. This circumstance occurs due to the fact that internal channels receive a large
amount of energy. Therefore, irritation, rashes, bumps, and swelling of soft tissues may appear on the skin.
If you have such symptoms, you should consult a doctor to rule out serious consequences. However, in practice it is believed that negative energy comes out through these wounds and the body is cleansed. If you continue to practice yoga, the illness will quickly pass, and small wounds will heal.
If there are no results for a long time, then you need to undergo a full examination at a medical center. This may indicate that the person has a severe blockage of the chakras, which implies the presence of a serious illness that occurs without visible symptoms. This can be attributed to the advantages of the technique, since it is very important, for quick and effective treatment, to make a diagnosis in the early stages of the disease.
Contented Child's Pose (Ananda Balasana)
This pose completely relaxes the back and pelvis.
Technique: lie on your back, pull your knees to your chest, grab yourself by your big toes, while keeping your pelvis on the mat. Try to pull your knees towards your armpits. Feel the stretch in your groin area. This pose perfectly relaxes, relieves stress and tension. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
