Teaching Yoga for Stress Management - Why Does Yoga Work?

The reason why Yoga works for panic, stress, and anxiety control, is not complicated. Most people feel as if they are a victim of outside circumstances, which become triggers for excess stress, such as traffic jams, financial difficulties, raising children, and a variety of daily life situations.

In turn, many people become tense, and irritable, because the body reacts physically to stress. Blood pressure may rise, breathing correctly is difficult, and muscles may tense up due to excessive stress and anxiety.

Yoga works to create solutions for excessive stress, panic, and anxiety, from within. One class, or session, is the exact opposite mind and body experience, when compared to an anxiety attack. Yoga practice makes a tremendous difference in the quality of our student's lives because students feel empowerment.

You see - tension, anxiety, and worry, are a natural part of daily life, but Yoga allows us to decipher the real from the imaginary. This is in stark contrast to someone who is creating their own form of "Hell on earth." To be concerned over our children is logical, but creating negative images in our minds, without any sound reasoning, will cause us harm, and there is no real reason for it.

Students should understand that some forms of daily low level stress are unavoidable, and make them stronger because of the experience, but extreme stress can cause panic attacks, heart attacks, or premature death. The rewards of their practice can be felt during, and after, their first lesson. The first part of the solution is a matter of making them aware of it.

© Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. aurawellnesscenter.com aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html