From working a full-time job to maintaining a household and everything in between, life can be a lot sometimes. We get caught up in the go-go-go lifestyle and hardly take any time for ourselves to unwind and relieve stress. Yet, the build-up of stress can have serious consequences on the body.

Yoga has become very popular in recent years for reducing stress and calming the mind. Not only is it a great way to release tension that may be built up in your body, but it is a wonderful way to clear your mind and forget about the stressors of everyday life. So what are some ways you can use yoga to reduce your stress?

Because stress can have so many negative effects on the body, it is important not to bottle it all up. Taking the proper measures to reduce your stress can be extremely beneficial in the long run. This article will take a look at how you can use yoga to reduce your stress.

Using Physical Postures

Exercise is an excellent way to deal with stress and get it out of your body. Not only does your body release serotonin and norphenylephrine when you exercise, but physical movement can help push tension and stress out of the body, leaving you nice and relaxed after a good workout. There are several different types of yoga, and it may take some trial and error to find the right type of yoga for you, but any type of yoga exercise, whether you choose a slower yoga like a slow flow hatha or even a yin, or you go with a faster, more upbeat vinyasa flow, your body will thank you and your mind will be much less stressed after practice.

Incorporating Breathing Practices

Yoga is a great way to connect movement to the breath, and incorporating breathing exercises or practices into your yoga routine can help to reduce stress and leave you feeling relaxed and worry-free. Breathing techniques are often used to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety and stress, and yoga is a wonderful way to incorporate this practice into your daily or weekly routine. While it is possible to use breathing techniques on their own, connecting the breath with movement and exercise is one of the best antidotes to stress.

Practicing Meditation

While some people think of Savasana as a time to relax the body at the end of yoga practice, and some skip it altogether, this resting pose is a wonderful time to incorporate meditation into your yoga practice. According to Harvard Health, mindful meditation can reduce mental stress a lot. While many people find it difficult to turn the volume down in their minds, meditation during or after yoga can really help. By taking the time to truly clear your mind and let your body relax during Savasana, you can reduce stress and allow yourself to ease into the rest of your day or night. While meditation takes some practice, simply allowing yourself to tune into your body while tuning out the world around you is a great place to start.

Trying Yoga Nidra

In case you’ve never heard of it, yoga nidra is known as a night of yogic sleep. This can be practiced at the end of a physical practice, or in place of one. Yoga nidra is the state between wakefulness and sleep and you are guided through a process to increase relaxation and trigger a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This, in turn, will help you wind down and reduce stress. It has been proven to help tremendously. A yoga nidra practice can be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour and has several different goals and outcomes. Guided yoga nidra can be found by searching online, or you can find someone who offers yoga nidra as part of their yoga classes. It can really help reduce stress and leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Allowing Your Mind To Calm

While it is not always easy to turn off your mind and stop thinking about the day ahead (or behind), what is on your to-do list, or your stressful job, yoga is a great way to try it. By focusing on the act of doing yoga, you are giving yourself permission to release those stressors and simply focus on yourself – your breath, your practice, your movement, etc. Yoga is an excellent way to calm the mind and reduce stress by taking the focus away from the outside world and bringing it inward.

There will always be some sort of stress in your life, but it is very important to deal with that stress rather than allowing it to build up because that can have very serious consequences. Practicing yoga is an excellent and consistent way to become happier, healthier, and reduce your stress.