Music's Place

Yoga an excellent form of stress relief.

Have you noticed how insanely stressed society is becoming? Venting frustrations with minimal provocations whether screaming at their phones, themselves and we’ve all seen the road crazies.

Completely removing stress from our planet is unrealistic (particularly in our competitive western culture. I’ve seen people lose their mental when dropping a pen, while another remains calm after having their foot squashed under a cabs tyre) Obviously we all cope with stressors with varying levels of success and that revolves around our reactions and thought processes and outside the scope of this post.Anyway moving right along you know a great way to achieve a less-stressed state is by the practise of yoga. The word yoga means union and originates from ancient India. Yoga is intended to create a union of the body, mind and soul.When most people think of yoga they get imagery of a skinny Indian man in a nappy of someone in an ungodly contortionistic posture. However the postures, only relate to one aspect of yoga. Yoga stretching is about developing strength and flexibility while creating a more balanced body and mind. For many people yoga becomes a spiritual journey where they are aable to connect with their inner selves at a deeper level.

Other aspects of yoga include meditation and deep breathing. Deep abdominal breathing allows you to oxygenate your body while increasing focus and concentration. Abdominal breathing massages your internal organs . The better your breathing the more oxygenated and refreshed you will feel.

Try this exercise after finding a comfortable position. Breathe slowly, deeply and evenly through your nose. Your abdomen expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale. Start with a few minutes in your first session and increase it each evening until you reach 30 minutes.

1. Feel the breath

Close your eyes and quietly feel the breath go in and out. Listen to the sound the air makes as it passes through your nostrils. Feel your body moving with every breath. Relax your chest and shoulders. Feel your abdomen rise and fall with every breath. Make no effort to breathe and simply allow the breathing to happen as the air flows in and out naturally.

2. Slow the breath

Slow breathing down. Whisper in your mind the word ‘calm’ as you inhale and ‘relax’ as you exhale. Repeat the words’calm’ and ‘relax’ with every breath for the next five breaths. Let any tension just melt away.

3. Hold your breath

Inhale slowly and deeply as you count to five. Hold breath for the count of three. Exhale for the count of five. When comfortable with these numbers you can always increase the count to whatever is comfortable for you.

Hopefully the very short instructional video is working for a quick demonstration of a simple shoulder stretch. If uncertain of your health standard please consult with your local doctor prior to any new physical endeavours. Enjoy the long weekend!

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