How to identify and manage concentration issues and reduce stress with yoga
When I start a yoga class I ask people why they came. In 90% of the cases, people tell me they are too stressed and are looking for relaxation. Others seek to stretch or strengthen their body, but that's not the majority.
We live in a society, where the mind plays an important role - with a lot of external input and information. Our brain is stimulated all the time and we are often reinforced, to take our concentration outside of ourselves.
In the professional world, we are often asked to do multiple things at the same time, while the To-Do-Lists become longer and longer. And because of so much external input we can quickly experience difficulty concentrating, get scattered and even feel overwhelmed.
Stress became a daily status for too many people.
We rarely take the time to look inside of ourselves and listen to what our body is asking for.
Sometimes it is even simple primary needs that we ignore. Such as the need to hydrate, to go to the toilet, to warm up, to untie the legs etc.
Our body knows what is good for us, better than our head.
Through the relaxation that the practice of yoga brings us, we allow our brain to rest. This happens through the relaxation of the body.
A yoga session allows us to:
- Take a step back from your own situation.
- Take a break to see more clearly and release our tensions.
- Have space to listen to our needs, and feel our body.
- Let inspiring ideas come through the space created by relaxation and concentration on feelings.
During yoga sessions, the movements of the body are accompanied by the breath. The breath is a key element to install relaxation in ourselves. It allows us to connect to the life energy (Prana), that surrounds us.Yoga allows us to learn to breathe consciously. Joining your breath to the movement allows concentration and a slowing down of the flow of thoughts.Breathing practices and breathing techniques (Pranayamas) are valuable tools that yoga brings us, because we can use them in sessions and take them with us off the mat every day.
The postures (Asanas) make it possible to harmonize the body-mind-emotions trio. This becomes possible especially through the postures of balance, which are excellent for concentration, for calming the nervous system, and for reinforcing stability. Yoga postures also help strengthen the physical body and deep muscles, which in turn helps to feel more stable, more grounded and ready to live everyday life with more serenity.
The feeling of being overworked takes up less space when you take the time to breathe.
Going back to the basics of how our human body works and listening to it is a key for a peaceful life !