Living A Big And Stress-Free Life: Eight Ways To Manage Stress With Yoga

Wake up, work, eat, repeat—a routine lived by busy professionals around the globe. It comes as no surprise that living this way isn’t healthy—mentally, physically or emotionally. Yoga acts as a solution, relieving stress and promoting health and wellness in a community environment. So what’s next? How will yoga actually improve your life and make stress less of a factor in your day-to-day existence?

Big Yoga, a Baptiste Yoga Studio in Houston, Texas gave us eight ways that yoga aids with stress management:

Letting Go

Our lives are filled with competition and stress. When it comes to yoga, competition doesn’t exist. You get to leave your ego at the door, spend time in the now, and focus on yourself without deadlines or expectations.

Meditation

Meditation is a large part of the yoga practice and can be beneficial both inside and out of the studio. Getting grounded and focused is something that can be applied during a yoga class, with your family or at work. Taking a few minutes to yourself each day is energizing and revitalizing.

Physical Fitness

One of the biggest causes of stress for young professionals is weight gain. Sitting in an office all day doesn’t empower an active lifestyle. The physical practice of yoga is a great way to take care of your body, get moving and reach your ideal weight in a healthy way.

Pranayama (Breath)

Breath may sound like something you don’t need to learn, but proper breath control can increase energy, reduce illness and give you the ability to stay calm in challenging situations. Breathing is essential to yoga and the techniques taught can carry over to any aspect of life.

Drishti (Gaze)

The Sanskrit word meaning third-eye is a gazing technique that improves focus and concentration. In your yoga practice, this might mean focusing on one spot in the classroom instead of admiring your neighbouring yogi’s new Lululemon gear. In the office, it might mean staying focused on your current project instead of flipping to Facebook, making you more productive and in turn less stressed! What you practice in yoga manifests in your day-to-day life, it is amazing.

Reduce Injury and long-term pain: Nobody ever wants to be injured and sometimes medicine isn’t the answer. From back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome (both ailments typically associated with office work) yoga acts as a healing treatment. Even if you aren’t experiencing pain now, yoga takes preventative measures against injury and long-term pain.

FUN: Having fun is the opposite of stress. Yoga is supposed to be enjoyable! Big Yoga brings fun into every practice and their teachers believe that the best yoga is free of dogma. Why not add ease and mix in live DJs during class to take fun up a notch?

Community

Every yoga studio is a little community, complete with people of all ages from different walks of life. The best part? It should be a supportive, safe place where you can connect and find inspiration from others! Look for a community that supports your goals and your growth on the mat and off-you will know it when you find it!