Stress management Cornwall

Stress management [ click here for personal help with stress]

This page looks at stress. Many people come to Yoga and meditation because they hope to relieve some of the stress in their lives. Before you can do that its is worth looking at what stress is.

Stress a Part of Life!

It's how an individual perceives a situation that (can) makes It Stressful

Stress is an integral part of everyday life and although there are specific triggers which can be stressful to all of us, an individuals response to stress can be very subjective.

In this way, one person’s negative stress can be another’s positive stress, for example the thought of public speaking will cause different responses in different people dependant on their view and experience.

Many factors influence how you interpret stressful events including:

Who you are

Your attitudes

Your skills

Your personality

The current situation

Other events in your life

Other people in your life

Stress - The good & the bad

A certain amount of stress can give us a zest for life and increase our creativity, it keeps us on our toes, but when it becomes unmanageable, it can greatly affect how we think, feel, and act.

Activities once enjoyed can become tasks we must complete in order to get to the next thing. Feelings such as being tense, sad, or angry can arise and relationships with friends, family, and work can be affected.

Stress the relaxation response

It does not matter what your lifestyle is, all of us develop tensions throughout our day. Many people align relaxation with sitting down in front of the TV with a cup of coffee or simply falling asleep. Tension accumulates in the muscular, emotional and mental systems. In Yoga, tension is dealt with across this wide spectrum. We know that if the mind is tense then so is the stomach, and if the stomach is tense then so will be the whole circulatory system. Therefore Yoga relaxation can play a major role in this area.

When the body is in a relaxed state it reflects an integrated response by the hypothalamus, resulting in decreased sympathetic (excitatory) nervous activity and increased parasympathetic (relaxatory) functions. (2)

The relaxation response is the inverse counterpart to the fight or fight response. The increase in the parasympathetic function slows down the heart rate and nervous activity, muscles relax, the body’s facility for self-regeneration and healing is stimulated, as is the overall sense of sensitivity and wellbeing. (3)

A body when in a state of relaxation will show a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, it will also have altered levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisal, which is also secreted by the adrenal glands.

(2) Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga 1998) page 215

(3) Meditation for inner Peace by Eddie & Debbie Shapiro (Piatkus 1998) page 24

Stress moving Into stillness

Exercising your smile

Breathe deeply, especially when you are a bit rushed, feel rattled or overwhelmed.

Stop time and breathe deeply, while you breathe, let your smile come to your lips. Begin to smile while you breathe. Then realise how much your face and mind have loosened – while you breathe and smile. Let this smile spread throughout your body. Breathe and smile with your entire body. The great magic of peace is generated by your lips as you begin to smile. Practice this smile and breathing daily. Notice how much this smile helps your well-being; and how much it helps others – when you are in a serene mood, after you have breathed and smiled.

There is a power in your smile – the power of peace and inner equilibrium. Activate this power daily, it costs nothing! This inner tranquility is part of building your confidence, and part of your self-empowerment.

60 Second Meditations

This is basically practicing what the Buddhists call 'mindfulness'. At various times of the day ,try to focus on your breathing. Notice how the air feels cool when you inhale, and then feels warm when you exhale.

You can do this while you are doing the washing up, making the beds, waiting at a red light, or even standing in a post office queue etc. The instant benefit from this is that it brings you immediately to the present moment. It is also very effective if done during or before an important meeting, an exam, or even while sitting in the dentist's chair. As you breathe out, you will start to feel your body relax, and your mind will become more focused. So each time you feel yourself getting stressed or find that you have unexpected time on your hands, you can do a quick 60 second meditation.

The following titles are all recommended for relaxation and meditation techniques

Meditation for Inner Peace by Eddie & Debbie Shapiro (Piatkus 1998) amazon.co.uk books

Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga 1998) amazon.co.uk books

The Meditators Handbook by Dr David Fontana (Element 1997) amazon.co.uk books

Moon Over Water by Jessica Macbeth (Gateway Books 1997) amazon.co.uk books

Breath by Breath by Larry Rosenberg (Shambala 1998) amazon.co.uk books

Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Suryadas (Bantam 1997) amazon.co.uk books

EcoYoga by Henryk Skolimowski (Gaia Books 1994) amazon.co.uk books

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