Yoga and meditation are popular forms of reducing stress, and most of the benefit comes from the breathing techniques they use. But before we get into that, let's first take a look at what stress is and why it's such a problem.
Stress is not any of the following: running late for a big meeting, getting a belligerent child dressed and off to school, trying to figure out where the money will come from to pay the electric bill, bumper to bumper traffic, getting called into the boss's office. Those are all pressure-cooker situations, but none of them are stress. Stress is a reaction, not an action. It's the way your body reacts to situations and problems. When you feel like you are under stress, your body releases adrenaline and other chemicals. Back in the day, these were used in the fight-or-flight response to danger. The body is not meant to live under constant bombardment of these chemicals. While they're great for clearing the mind and charging the muscles in an emergency situation, they become toxic when not cleared out of the body efficiently. The result of chemical buildup can be depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, organ malfunction and cancer, just to name a few.
Clearing out toxins from daily stress not only keeps you healthier, it lifts your spirits and gives you more energy. Cells laden down with chemicals are sluggish, which means you are, too. Effective ways of helping your body eliminate toxins include drinking plenty of water, eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and breathing properly. This last one goes hand in hand with exercise. Exercise is great for keeping your muscles in good shape, but the biggest benefit is from breathing. Your blood circulates faster and you take in more oxygen. The more oxygen you take in, the healthier your cells become. The good news is, you can get healthy cells while sitting at your desk at work, just by being conscious of your breathing. The bad news is, no, you're not excused from exercising. You still need to work out your muscles, especially your heart, to stay in top health.
Most of us tend to breathe shallowly when concentrating on other things, which for most of us is most of the time. If you feel tired and yawn a lot, that's a big clue you need to pay attention to your breathing. Every half hour, stop what you're doing for a minute and just concentrate on your breath. Breathe deeply through your nose. Inhale to the count of five, then exhale to the count of five. Do this four or five times.
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