Yoga: Energy Boosting and Stress Reducing

Stress is a natural part of life. It can be motivating or disabling. The good stress is the kind that comes along with planning a wedding or a vacation; the bad stress is the kind that keeps us up all night ruminating about work or personal issues leaving dark circles under our eyes and the weight of the world on our shoulders. With the demands of juggling careers, personal and family responsibilities, how do we find the balance between the good stress and the bad stress while harnessing the energy to embrace the day with gusto and confidence?

When life gets busy the first thing we usually let go of is our health. To perk up in the afternoons, we order take-out instead of preparing a well-balanced meal or grab that 3pm coffee instead of a glass of water or taking a brisk walk outside. We reach for a Red Bull to motivate a night out instead of opting for a good night's sleep. Sluggish and tired, we take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Sacrificing our health by not listening to our body's calling to eat well and get enough R & R our bodies become more susceptible to getting sick, poor digestion, exhaustion, and emotional stress. We all have experienced common bouts of stress and fatigue however, poor stress management drains even more energy out of the body leaving you tired and unmotivated.

In search of new ways to relieve stress and regain lost energy, head to a yoga class. While all regular exercise certainly makes us feel better, yoga has a unique ability to influence the body, mind, emotions and energy levels to enhance greater wellbeing. Whether you are stretching to reach your toes or to take a deeper breath, just a few minutes of yoga each day can support you to create a steady, stable vitality that you can depend on throughout the day.

Yoga is not just moving your body in and out of various contorted postures. In yoga, you work at your own pace so that you can moderate your level of activity to avoid further exhausting or depleting energy. Practicing yoga can help create a stable flow of energy by stretching muscles and breathing deeper to increase circulation through the body and improve oxygenation. The meditative side of yoga decreases mental and emotional stress leaving you feeling refreshed.

If you think you don't have time for yoga, think again. Yoga is not out of your reach. If you make the time to twist yoga into your schedule for even a few minutes you will feel more alive and centered in the morning, strong and creative during the day, and calm and relaxed in the evening.

Yoga Poses for Energy

Sun Salutations

Backbends

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog)

Inversions

Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)

Sirsasana (Headstand)

Standing poses

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2)

Nataranjasana (Dancer’s Pose)

Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle)

Breathe!