Yoga helps all of us discover self-awareness. Stop, ponder, and become aware of the situations, in life, which cause you the most stress. What kind of stress sends you “off the deep end?” When you become aware of what causes stressful situations, in your daily life, it is time to develop a pro-active plan to manage your health.
Yoga contains many Pranayama techniques for stressful situations. Natural breath, Dirgha Pranayama, Kapalabhati Pranayama, and Ujjayi are just a few of the many useful Pranayama techniques you can learn in a typical Hatha Yoga class.
Once you learn these Pranayama techniques, you can easily incorporate them into your daily life. Many Yoga instructors ask their students to practice Yoga techniques such as: Pranayama, asanas, meditation, and moderate eating habits at home, but unfortunately, the day is busy with many tasks. What is the solution?
If you intend to make a positive change in life, through Yoga practice, you must make some time for yourself. Set an appointment aside for you to practice Yoga at home. If this is not possible, you should set aside some time for formal Yoga instruction, with the guidance of a competent Yoga teacher or Guru.
Many students of Yoga feel more energized, and much less stressed, after Yoga instruction, than before. This is interesting when you consider that the most common reason people do not attend Yoga classes, more often, is that they feel too tired. These same people, who do not attend Yoga classes often, complain about insomnia and irregular sleep patterns.
This is a stress, fatigue, worry, and insomnia cycle, which will “shave years off” your life, while draining you of life energy. We know that the body contains energy; in Yoga, we call it Prana. You have the power to recharge your life energy through Pranayama, or you can get medical prescriptions.
Why would doctors of western medicine recommend prescriptions, in the above- mentioned case? Many doctors are burdened with patients who refuse to be pro-active about their health. Remember the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.”
Yoga practice is the “water,” which will break the stress, fatigue, worry, and insomnia cycle, but only a comparative small number of people, on this planet, are pro-active about health. Do you think this is cynical?
Consider this: If everyone was pro-active about health, the tobacco industry would have already diversified to selling health products. There would be more health clubs than liquor stores – if all of us took action.
Also, the fast food industry would be geared toward serving more quality products and would have more vegetarian choices on the menu. Industries “sprout up” to meet consumer demand. If we collectively demand more healthy products; we will receive them.
Yoga has many solutions for stress and complete health, but all of us have to take responsibility for our own health. The public cannot expect the pharmaceutical industry to produce “magic pills” to compensate for poor health habits.
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: “Yoga in Practice,” and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
