1. Why is the Yoga considered a practical way to reduce stress?
Before answering this question, I need to say what is stress. Accumulative tension results stress. Stress is an exaggerated response to internal or external stimulus. This tension can be physical and also can be mental. Specially in the fast pace of city life, people become restless machine. They have no time to rest. Even they have no time to sit As they never sit, their mind also never sit. Mind always wonders around , gets tired and tensed. Never settle down. That creates tension. Mind even cannot released when one goes to sleep. Actually apparently the body goes to the bed to sleep, but the muscles never relax, nerves never relax, mind never relax and it happens day after day, year after year. As a result the layers of tension become thicker and thicker and covers the mind. And mind cannot breathe. The being of the mind changes slowly and turns into stressed mind.
Actually Yoga is a life style. Yoga teaches us to be in present moment. Yoga teaches us to be conscious about every action. Yoga teaches us how to be far from attachments, which is the cause of all unfulfilled desire and anger. When a person is in present moment and conscious about his all actions, he or she cannot be affected by tension. And if there is no tension, how stress can come to knock the door of our mind. It is a matter of practice and that practice can minimize our tension and stress.
2. Can you explain how specific Yoga techniques reduces stress?
Often we misunderstand Yoga as an exercise. But in fact it is something more than that. It is a philosophy. In Yoga, action without realization results nothing. So, when people come to Yoga to get relief from stress is different from using Yoga to prevent stress. Those who want to prevent tension and stress in life and want to use Yoga as a shield, need to know the basic principles and discipline of Yoga, before they start practicing it. And those who are already stressed and suffering and want to use it as an weapon in life to fight against stress, they should go under Yoga counseling first to know the stage of the stress, like psychic phase, psychosomatic phase, somatic phase, organic phase. Yoga therapist will handle the patient accordingly. As I said before - Yoga doesn't mean the postures only, it's a collective systematic postures to invigorate all the systems in our body, along with external muscles even skin and even it can change the habit. Other than asana posture, breathing has a very important role. Just as the physical body ( gross body ) is ruled by the brain, the subtle body is ruled by the mind and both the bodies are sustained by Prana or Chi. Prana thus controls both the bodies. Pranic manipulation is effected mainly by breath manipulation, which is called Pranayama, the science of breathing in Yoga. Now let's come to the relaxing part of Yoga, which is called Sabasana or Yoga Nidra in Yogic language. It's really difficult to relax or even sleep for a stressed person. In the beginning some passive relaxation will help. Gradually commanding relaxation technique, alternate stimulation and relaxation combination, stretch and relaxing technique will be applicable according to the progress of the patient. One needs to remember - once you are out of stress , doesn't mean that it will never come back. So, take Yoga as a style of your life to keep tension and stress away from yourself.
3. Is there some moves that employees can do during their lunch break or at work to relax?
Some easy stretches like Tadasana ( Standing stretching all joints , muscles and even skin), Uttanasana ( Standing forward bend ), Ardha Chandrasana (Standing back bend ), Ardha Chandrasana ( Standing side bend ), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half twist pose ) etc. help to relax the body and mind. Along with these poses, a couple of deep breathe with short meditation and relaxation will help a lot.
4. What type of yoga do you recommend for busy people in Hong Kong, who wants to be less stressed and why?
For busy people in Hong Kong, I would specially recommend some Yoga classes like Hatha, Yoga stretch and relaxing class, Pranayama (Yoga breathing), Dhyana ( Meditation ), Yoga nidra ( Yogic relaxation ), Yoga therapy, Yin Yoga, Laughter Yoga, So Ham meditation, etc . Because these classes will help your muscles and tissues to get gentle stretch and after that proper relaxation , which will help to shuffle the joints, supply fresh blood to all parts of the body and also will help to flow the prana energy. Concentration on every breathe will help you to forget the outer world and bring you to the present moment and as a result, mind will slowly enter into the state of meditation, which is the tranquil world, free of all stresses.
Published in Hong Kong Human Resource Official Journal, September, 2012.
Before answering this question, I need to say what is stress. Accumulative tension results stress. Stress is an exaggerated response to internal or external stimulus. This tension can be physical and also can be mental. Specially in the fast pace of city life, people become restless machine. They have no time to rest. Even they have no time to sit As they never sit, their mind also never sit. Mind always wonders around , gets tired and tensed. Never settle down. That creates tension. Mind even cannot released when one goes to sleep. Actually apparently the body goes to the bed to sleep, but the muscles never relax, nerves never relax, mind never relax and it happens day after day, year after year. As a result the layers of tension become thicker and thicker and covers the mind. And mind cannot breathe. The being of the mind changes slowly and turns into stressed mind.
Actually Yoga is a life style. Yoga teaches us to be in present moment. Yoga teaches us to be conscious about every action. Yoga teaches us how to be far from attachments, which is the cause of all unfulfilled desire and anger. When a person is in present moment and conscious about his all actions, he or she cannot be affected by tension. And if there is no tension, how stress can come to knock the door of our mind. It is a matter of practice and that practice can minimize our tension and stress.
2. Can you explain how specific Yoga techniques reduces stress?
Often we misunderstand Yoga as an exercise. But in fact it is something more than that. It is a philosophy. In Yoga, action without realization results nothing. So, when people come to Yoga to get relief from stress is different from using Yoga to prevent stress. Those who want to prevent tension and stress in life and want to use Yoga as a shield, need to know the basic principles and discipline of Yoga, before they start practicing it. And those who are already stressed and suffering and want to use it as an weapon in life to fight against stress, they should go under Yoga counseling first to know the stage of the stress, like psychic phase, psychosomatic phase, somatic phase, organic phase. Yoga therapist will handle the patient accordingly. As I said before - Yoga doesn't mean the postures only, it's a collective systematic postures to invigorate all the systems in our body, along with external muscles even skin and even it can change the habit. Other than asana posture, breathing has a very important role. Just as the physical body ( gross body ) is ruled by the brain, the subtle body is ruled by the mind and both the bodies are sustained by Prana or Chi. Prana thus controls both the bodies. Pranic manipulation is effected mainly by breath manipulation, which is called Pranayama, the science of breathing in Yoga. Now let's come to the relaxing part of Yoga, which is called Sabasana or Yoga Nidra in Yogic language. It's really difficult to relax or even sleep for a stressed person. In the beginning some passive relaxation will help. Gradually commanding relaxation technique, alternate stimulation and relaxation combination, stretch and relaxing technique will be applicable according to the progress of the patient. One needs to remember - once you are out of stress , doesn't mean that it will never come back. So, take Yoga as a style of your life to keep tension and stress away from yourself.
3. Is there some moves that employees can do during their lunch break or at work to relax?
Some easy stretches like Tadasana ( Standing stretching all joints , muscles and even skin), Uttanasana ( Standing forward bend ), Ardha Chandrasana (Standing back bend ), Ardha Chandrasana ( Standing side bend ), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half twist pose ) etc. help to relax the body and mind. Along with these poses, a couple of deep breathe with short meditation and relaxation will help a lot.
4. What type of yoga do you recommend for busy people in Hong Kong, who wants to be less stressed and why?
For busy people in Hong Kong, I would specially recommend some Yoga classes like Hatha, Yoga stretch and relaxing class, Pranayama (Yoga breathing), Dhyana ( Meditation ), Yoga nidra ( Yogic relaxation ), Yoga therapy, Yin Yoga, Laughter Yoga, So Ham meditation, etc . Because these classes will help your muscles and tissues to get gentle stretch and after that proper relaxation , which will help to shuffle the joints, supply fresh blood to all parts of the body and also will help to flow the prana energy. Concentration on every breathe will help you to forget the outer world and bring you to the present moment and as a result, mind will slowly enter into the state of meditation, which is the tranquil world, free of all stresses.
Published in Hong Kong Human Resource Official Journal, September, 2012.
