Letting Go
We all have stress in our lives – and it is here stay! But “managing” stress is the key to good health, balance and serenity.
I must admit that I need to read this article and heed my own advice as much as I am asking you to! Managing stress is such an important and effective tool for keeping our bodies healthy and strong but most importantly, for preventing illness from creeping into our systems. Although I am in the fitness business and try to include in my life, as many healthy remedies as possible such as strength training, cardiovascular exercise, stretching and of course – sound nutrition, I am not “stress free”. In fact, no one is. Stress is always around us. We all deal with daily stresses. Let’s face it, we at one time or another find ourselves driving behind the world’s most inconsiderate and obnoxious driver, or the person who is looking to re-finance their home at the ATM machine. Oh, and let us not forget the person who has twenty-five items in the checkout line that clearly states, “five items or less”. Yes, we all have these experiences weekly or even daily and it sends our nervous system into a stress response mode of, “fight or flight.” This means that our bodies are releasing large amounts of adrenaline and cortisol, a harmful combination that breaks down our immune system.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, ninety percent of all doctor visits are stress related. This means that a psychological response and physical breakdown have occurred causing the absence of health or to say it more clearly, making you physically ill! Charles Swindoll, one of my life mentors whose writings inspire me daily says, “Life is 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how we handle it!” This statement is very profound. Stress also can lead to heightened levels of anxiety and even cause depression.
Understanding how to deal with such a breakdown and loss of “homeostasis” (balance) is to simply learn how to bring back that balance and serenity by finding methods that work for you. Balance in our lives comes and goes and this is why we need to find a “tool,” which helps us return to homeostasis. For some, these “tools” include lifting weights, running five miles, hitting a punching bag, or attending therapy. However, another option that millions of people around the world are discovering is the practice of yoga and/or meditation, proven methods of managing stress, anxiety, and depression.
During my research for Radius magazine, I found an article that featured five highly successful individuals, all with very demanding careers and lives, who turned to meditation and yoga for their inner strength, renewed energy, and sense of control. The article featured a politician, a songwriter, a surgeon, a lingerie designer, and a stock advisor.
The politician who often faced hostile crowds and audiences, found his strength in the practice of meditation and in so doing, found that he was more compassionate towards even those who were out to get him. The song writer, who was dropped from her record label, went through a divorce, and cared for her mother who was ill with cancer (situations which can easily put someone into deep depression), said her yoga practice helped her to manage all that was on her plate. The surgeon was too busy for daily yoga practice so he does a handful of poses throughout the day whenever he can. On the weekend he, his wife and four children do a power yoga class in their backyard. (Family fitness, I’m all for it!) Both the clothing designer and the stock advisor whose industries are equally as stressful, rely on meditation and breathing techniques to maintain calm in their lives and handle the overwhelming challenges of their careers and personal lives.
As I mentioned to you earlier, I am a novice at practicing yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques, but I am expanding my daily routine to include these. During my strength training sessions I perform yoga poses between sets to stretch the muscles that I have just worked. Then, either in the morning before I start my day or the last thing at night, I will practice some relaxation and breathing techniques. I have found all to be beneficial because weight lifting tightens, yoga lengthens and breathing de-stresses. Performing these exercises daily helps our bodies stay healthy and ward off illness. Our immune systems are of key importance and all forms of exercise and relaxation methods can and will strengthen this system. I encourage all of you – regardless of your age to take up an activity so you can realize how the release of endorphins, (the good hormones) can repair unhealthy bodies and provide a sense of mental strength and stability.
Here are some beginner (Hatha) techniques that I practice which have helped me and many others find balance, good health, and serenity. Alex Angeles, my personal yoga instructor, demonstrates the poses.
Always seek the advice of an educated and certified yoga practioner for the correct techniques and habits when practicing yoga postures and breathing.
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"Letting Go"
authored by:
Michael Sena has been motivating, educating, and inspiring individuals in the field of health and fitness for the past 25 years. He is a nationally recognized fitness expert and maintains an academic certification as a Fitness Specialist. Recently, M...
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