Yoga Archives - Motivational Speeches and books by Snowden McFall

Here’s an Instant Stress Reliever

Stress is occurring at an alarming rate, and with our 24/7 world. more and more people are experiencing stress, anxiety, overwhelm and depression. So what can you do, right now?

The Astonishing Power of Breath

Try this. Hold your breath for as long as you can- until it almost hurts to let it out. Unless you are a professional athlete or extreme yogi, you probably couldn’t hold it for long. Without breath, the body, mind and spirit cannot function.

And yet we all forget what an incredible resource this is. Breath literally keeps us alive, fuels our interactions and enables us to function. Without it, we are severally hampered. Having had pneumonia a few years ago, I learned quickly how very debilitating lack of breath can be. We all take it for granted.

The Instant Stress Reliever: Breath

• Breathe deeply at least 3 times. Put your hands on your lower belly, fill it up all the way and let it out…slowly. Do this several times to regain control and calm your system. Notice how you feel.

• Use breath to monitor emotions. We are not our feelings and when our emotions take over, we are not our best selves. When experiencing anger, upset, frustration, fear, stop and breathe deeply. Visualize a positive scene in nature, perhaps mountains or beaches. Focus on that. Let go.

• Learn how to meditate. Meditation is a powerful healing agent; it:
-lowers blood pressure; increases circulation
– improves immune function and memory
-shortens hospital stays
-decreases insomnia
– helps relieve stress, ADHD
-helps reverse heart disease

There are many different ways to meditate. Here’s one:

Start with the deep breathing above and focus on the breath. If thoughts come up, observe them, let them drift by like leaves in the wind. Picture a beautiful nature scene in a forest, visualize a waterfall. Imagine you are standing in the gentle waterfall and let all your worries and fears wash away. Practice this over and over until you can meditate for at least 10 minutes. It can make a huge difference in your well-being.

You can control your stress rather than having it control you. Try deep breathing as a solution. It’s fast, easy and free!

Kindly share this post if you liked it.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Yoga Keeps You Young

Just 12 minutes of daily yoga for two months improved cognition among people with memory disorders in a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Other stress relievers include aerobic exercise, listening to mellow music, meditating or praying, and writing in a journal.

Recent studies at the University of NC Hospitals and Duke University show yoga reduces stress and also provide significant improvements for those with illnesses such as arthritis, back pain, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, etc. It has even been shown to help breast cancer and menopausal patients find relief from symptoms.

Yoga:

• increases flexibility through stretching
• improves posture
• massages all internal organs of body
• increases lubrication of tendons, joints, ligaments
• flushes toxins out of the body
• tones muscles
• provides a deep sense of relaxation

Try yoga in a local class or video today. You won’t believe how much better you feel.

Here’s an infographic that shows what else you can do to prevent Alzheimers.

Please include attribution to Positive Health Wellness with this graphic.

Manage Your Stress Through Yoga

Practiced for over 5000 years, yoga is a profound and popular form of exercise, with nearly 11 million Americans practicing it. It’s taught around the world in many different forms. Recent studies at the University of NC Hospitals and Duke University show yoga reduces stress and also provide significant improvements for those with illnesses such as arthritis, back pain, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, etc. The Center for Integrative Medicine of Thomas Jefferson University found that a 1 hour session of yoga lowered cortisol in participants with no previous yoga experience, even seven days later.

The Benefits of Yoga

Whatever form of yoga you enjoy, there are enormous benefits to your body, mind and spirit. Yoga:

• increases flexibility through stretching

• improves posture

• promotes better breathing

• massages all internal organs of body

• increases lubrication of tendons, joints, ligaments

• flushes toxins out of the body

• tones muscles

• provides a deep sense of relaxation

I have been practicing yoga for over 20 years and I find it makes a tremendous difference to my energy, flexibility and strength. Try it as a new form of exercise and stress relief.