The Ultimate Stress Reliever

Your car has broken down again, your spouse is sick and you're wondering what you can quickly put together for dinner because you got home late. Stress -- it's everywhere. And while there are many strategies for managing stress, including changing your perspective on the situation, one of the best ways to create some calm in today's busy world is the ancient practice of yoga.

Yoga has moved from the Hindu temples of India into just about every YMCA and health club across the US. The great thing about yoga is that it is good for people of all ages and both genders and it provides a truly balanced mental, emotional and physical workout.

Benefits Beyond Relaxation

Of course, the benefits of yoga extend far beyond relaxation alone. According to Timothy McCall, MD, a former scholar in residence at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, stress is not just a nuisance. It is a significant contributing factor to health concerns, from cardiovascular disease to gastrointestinal problems to anxiety disorders.

Yoga lowers blood levels of cortisol, explains Dr. McCall. Chronically elevated levels of this stress hormone raise heart rate and blood pressure, and contribute to the accumulation of abdominal fat that eventually results in an apple shape (placing you at a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes). Yoga also enhances flexibility and balance, assets at every age and especially beneficial in preventing potentially debilitating falls in the elderly.

Postures, Breathing Exercises and Meditation

The most common type of yoga practiced in the US is hatha yoga. But there are also a number of more distinct yoga approaches, and classes at some venues (especially dedicated yoga centers) are more specialized.

At the root of all yoga is proper yogic breathing, or pranayama. According to Daily Health News contributing editor and hatha master, Andrew L. Rubman, ND, proper yogic breathing is essential to obtaining the deeper benefits of the practice. What to do: Allow the breath to descend to the base of the chest like sand beginning to fill a bag. Feel the base of the lungs fill while they uniformly press down on the abdomen. Feel the ribs move as if from the base of the chest to the shoulders. As the lungs near their capacity, the shoulders rise and swing slightly back at the peak of inhalation. Exhalation is simply the reverse process -- imagine watching a video of the breath inhalation, played backward but at about half speed. For every second counted during breathing in, aim toward twice the interval for breathing out.

Yogic breathing is vital to all types of hatha yoga, including..

1. Kundalini yoga, which focuses on breathing and meditation (and sometimes chanting) as you move through a series of poses.
2. 
   Iyengar yoga, which incorporates the use of belts, cushions, benches and blocks in postures.
3. 
   Ashtanga, or "power," yoga, a perennial favorite in gyms, which is more physically demanding. Prepare to work up a serious sweat when you practice ashtanga yoga, which requires rapid-fire movements and athletic jumps.
4. 
   Bikram, or "hot," yoga, comprising a series of 26 poses performed in 100-degree-plus-temperatures. The theory is that sweat flushes the toxins from your body while the heat warms and stretches muscles.

How to Choose the Right Yoga Class

Each hatha yoga class is as unique as the instructor who teaches it, observes Dr. McCall. He adds that classes taught in gyms tend to be more vigorous than those in yoga centers, because their goal is to appeal to people who want a good workout.

When choosing a particular yoga class or approach, keep the following in mind...

If you have a preexisting condition, such as high blood pressure, arthritis or osteoporosis, see your health-care provider before starting any yoga program.

Inform your instructor about all preexisting conditions. A good yoga teacher will take these into account when recommending poses or breathing exercises for you. If he or she fails to do so, choose another class.

Rigorous approaches, such as power and hot yoga, are not for everyone. You need to be in pretty good shape to safely enjoy these demanding practices. When in doubt, consult your physician for a medical clearance.

If you are enjoying a normal, healthy pregnancy, certain yoga classes are especially designed for you -- but check with your obstetrician or midwife before joining one.

Some senior centers offer gentle yoga classes tailored to the unique needs of older people. Again, check with your doctor first for medical clearance.

To help locate an appropriate class, visit the Yoga Journal Web site at www.yogajournal.com and click on "Class Search." You also can find detailed step-by-step information about poses, breathing and meditation on this Web site.

If classes are not an option, Dr. McCall says that a good introductory DVD is Patricia Walden's "Yoga for Beginners," which is available for $15 at www.yoga.com.

Whatever approach to yoga you choose, Dr. McCall believes that its postures and exercises will allow you to tap into a quiet place in your mind so that you will have more equanimity to deal with life's inevitable stresses. This is good for you all around, body and soul.

Be well, Carole Jackson, Bottom Line's Daily Health News, August 22, 2005

Sources:     The Ultimate Stress Reliever,   Timothy B. McCall, MD, former scholar in residence at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of Yoga as Medicine (Yoga Journal).