If relaxing is one of the last things you seem to have time for, you’re not alone. ‘Business’ is rampant and the more you do, the less time you have to spend investing in mindfulness and healthy habits. Yoga is proven to boost energy levels, help you focus, sleep well, and strengthen your body – all of which goes a long way towards alleviating these ten signs of a stress-filled lifestyle.
- 1. You wake up anxious
Anxiety stems from work, personal problems, home life and even social situations. If you wake up with a whirlwind of thoughts about yesterday, or the day ahead, anxiety is often the first feeling to greet the day. A regular yoga practice has been scientifically proven to release feel-good chemicals in your brain, which help to reduce stress and improve your mood.
- 2. You experience aches and pains
Many of us spend long hours on computers or remaining seated throughout the day. This can result in feeling physically unfit and experiencing irritating aches and pains. When you incorporate yoga into your lifestyle, you’ll increase muscle strength and improve flexibility for a greater range of motion and less risk of injury and fatigue.
- 3. You’re always lethargic
If you’re always lethargic, chances are you’re struggling to sleep. It’s essential to switch off at the end of the day so your body can revive. Yoga postures help by increasing blood supply, improving digestion and relaxing a busy mind.
- 4. You feel uninspired
Creative inspiration leads to wellbeing on many levels, whether it be to paint a masterpiece or happily wash the dishes. By practising yoga, you build awareness about your creative potential and learn how to slip into the flow of life with mindfulness.
- 5. You have unhealthy habits
Unhealthy habits prevent us from living life to the fullest, but we often keep pursuing them due to lack of mindfulness. By calming the mind through yoga asana, pranayama and meditation, you become more intentional about your choices, which makes kicking unhealthy habits much easier.
- 6. You can’t control your emotions
When you find yourself overreacting to situations, cultivating inner peace helps to bring calm into your life. A yoga practice works to release tension, soothe your nerves, regulate your breathing and remind you that nothing is permanent.
- 7. You feel like you can’t breathe
Are you taking shallow breaths or experiencing irregular breathing? Anxiety and stress are common factors. A yoga practice helps to increase lung capacity to allow energy to move freely throughout the body, which encourages deeper breathing that, in turn, leads to a calmer mind.
- 8. You have bad posture
If you’re slumping over a keyboard or slouching when you walk, ailments such as headaches, stiff neck, and aches and pains are common. Yoga asanas help to build upper body strength, alleviate stiffness around your neck and shoulders, and support lower back muscles to encourage healthy posture.
- 9. You can’t concentrate
Having trouble concentrating makes even the smallest issues unnecessarily hard. If you get distracted a lot, a yoga practice helps realign you to a state of ease and flow. With attention on your breath and awareness of the present moment, you’re able to engage in activities with intentional focus.
- 10. You have trouble relaxing
Relaxation is an important key to a happy and fulfilled life. If you can’t remember the last time you felt truly at peace, practising yoga allows you to nurture a calm state and positive thinking. When you do, your symptoms will gradually dissipate with the inner peace lying just beneath the ‘busyness.’