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Any situation the body perceives as dangerous or threatening triggers stress.

Also the “fight or flight” response…

This threat may be real or perceived as a physical danger or something more subtle.

For example:

Daily situations in dealing with food cravings, interpersonal conflicts, disagreement with a co-worker or financial pressures.

The body’s efforts to deal with a threatening situation cause a series of reactions.

Heart accelerates to provide maximum oxygen levels to organs and cells.

Muscles tighten and shorten to prepare for action.

You’re ready to maneuver through the situation (fight or flee from danger)…

Adrenaline flows into body heightening awareness for a quick burst of energy.

The automatic stress response serves a purpose, right?

It is there to protect you, but chronic stress can become a real problem.

Chronic stress means remaining in a stressful response state for a prolonged period of time and it takes a negative toll on the body.

It causes physical and psychological distress, which affects overall health and well-being.

Negative Effects of Stress:

• 43% of all adults suffer from health problems because of stress.
• 75% to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress is a key contributor to heart disease, headaches, body aches, high blood pressure, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, anxiety and depression.
• The 50% prevalence of any emotional disorder is typically due to untreated stress.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports stress is significant hazard in the workplace and costs over $300 billion annually…

Symptoms of chronic stress related to continuous release of stress hormones (cortisol) and elevated metabolism:

• The digestive system may experience stress as stomach aches, nausea and intestinal irritability.

• Mentally, a woman under chronic stress may experience racing thoughts, unreasonable worrying, lack of focus and disorganization and pessimism.

• A woman under chronic stress displays emotional and behavioral markers and may become irritable, experience feelings of overwhelm, depression and low self-esteem.

• Stress associated behaviors, overeating or undereating, avoidance and displaying nervous behaviors like nail biting and pacing can be symptoms of chronic stress.

• Stress related aches and pains could occur in different parts of the body. When muscles shorten or tighten to prepare for action within stress response and remain frozen that way!

This constant tension causes aches and pains in different parts of the body.

Muscular tension while under stress varies from one person to another…

Some women clench or tighten their jaw causing pain and discomfort in this area and possibly across forehead and scalp.

Other women hold tension in shoulders and neck.

Some women may find themselves experiencing chronic backaches…

Yoga and Stress Related Aches and Pain

Essentially, yoga acts as a therapeutic antidote to stress; provides physical, mental and emotional relief to women experiencing chronic stress.

Relief can happen during the actual yoga practice and the benefits often continue to present beyond sessions via yoga consistently…

Yoga poses ease stress related aches and pains due to muscular tension.

The yoga poses stretch, lengthen, strengthen, and relax tense muscles.

The meditation and breathing exercises calm the mind and nervous system.

The exercises allow relaxation, mental focus and clarity during and following practice.

The breathing and poses practised during yoga draw out a relaxation response in the body, which helps to decrease and regulate stress hormones.

It is also important to note that yoga has a profound effect on various aspects of health, including ability to lower blood pressure.

Yoga can support normal heart functions, help to regulate blood sugars in diabetes and decrease anxiety, all of which are commonly seen with chronic stress.

How To Utilize Yoga To Manage Stress

Daily yoga practice can be part of a stress management plan, consistency is key to health and well being.

Yoga provides a simple approach with progressive therapy.

Yoga poses are designed to reshape and improve health and functionality of muscle.

Support normal healthy joints and organs over a long period of time; it’s a form of fitness training where regular practice sets the stage for progression.

Fitness training which can support meditative and relaxation exercises associated with the practice of yoga.

According to Dr. Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD, recent studies show results in 3 months of weekly yoga practice helps to relieve stress.

Stress can be related to headaches and backaches…

So its good to reduce stress, which lowers cortisol (stress hormone) secretions.

And also good to lower blood pressure which improves emotional stability and mood.

Practising yoga has been shown to relieve immediate symptoms of stress related aches, pains, mental distress and negative emotional states.

Also appears to effectively counter the fight or flight stress response by lowering cortisol levels by teaching the mind to observe (through meditation) rather than react to situations.

Women experiencing chronic stress can benefit greatly from doing yoga.

Have you thought about yoga as part of your health regimen?

You can begin with yoga by joining a class that is led by a qualified instructor.

There are also instructional programs available on DVD…

It is very important to learn proper techniques for poses and breath work to reap all the benefits yoga has to offer…

Yoga