Velvet Magazine April 2017

Health
STRUGGLE WITH
STRESS?
Stress Awareness Month is an opportunity
to increase public awareness about both the
causes and cures for stress. Hear from some
local experts who can help you to de-stress...
STRESS
AWARENESS
MONTH
1ST - 30TH
APRIL
How Can Yoga Help?
Yoga teacher and health & wellness advisor, Carole Baker explains
The effect of yoga on physical and psychological stress continues
to be one of the most widely studied outcomes in the yoga
research world. This is likely due to the fact that stress,
particularly when chronic, has the potential to harm all of
the major systems in the body and that yoga practises that
emphasise deep breathing, release and relaxation appear
to be uniquely effective in mitigating the stress response. It
is said that stress literally strangles our body and will always
manifest itself somewhere, perhaps you can identify what
causes you to feel stressed and where your body displays
etc. from migraines, headaches, IBS, back pain to heart
conditions, asthma and recurrent coughs and colds?
If you want to learn how and where stress affects you then
you definitely need to start yoga! The postures (asanas) of
yoga are said to work individual muscles, joints, organs and
systems of the body e.g. lymphatic, circulatory, digestive
etc. and for a system of wellbeing that has been around
thousands of years its fantastic to me as a yoga teacher that
the wonders of modern science is finally proving it works.
TOP TIPS TO TREAT STRESS:
· Slow your breathing rate down to 5 breaths per minute (most
people breathe at 10 - 15 breaths a minute!) this is proven to
lower blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol and also improve your
immune system’s functioning.
· Practice the top 5 yoga poses for stress relief: upward facing dog
pose, child’s pose, shoulder stand, plough and bridge.
The Green House, Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 3RP
Tel: 07770766744
www.carolebaker.co.uk
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Velvet Magazine | April 2017