““When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.” ”
Have you ever found yourself in a stressful situation that you can’t seem to keep calm in? Believe it or not, most people will have in their lifetime. There are ways to combat stress and that is through various yoga-related nervous system calming techniques. Here are a few to get you started.
1. drinking green or black tea
As the saying goes, “A hearty brew sets everything right” which is very true. Drinking Green with herbs or Black tea can be very soothing and will help calm your nervous system.
2. MEDITATE
One of the most popular things to do when you’re stressed is to mediate. There is a load of ways to do this. All you need is five minutes of peace in a quiet room or somewhere with very few people around. It is a known fact that if you meditate at least twice a day you, you will rid yourself of stress.
What is most interesting about meditating is that stress can be physical, mental or emotional. Meditation is used to support the mind as well as the body. Yes, meditation supports our autonomic nervous system. This system operates many of our body functions from a level below consciousness.
Broadly speaking, the nervous systems consists of two parts the sympathetic (the tense side) and the parasympathetic (the calm side). Meditation comes into place to restore balance, heal and conserve energy it supports the parasympathetic. It will help you to remove cortisol from your body and normalise your nervous system.
3. SOOTHING MUSIC AND SOUNDS
Have you ever walked into a lift and heard the gentle thrumming of music? Well, it is a fact that listening to music doesn’t just help with inspiration but it also helps with calming the nerves. Of course, it all depends on the genre of the music. The sounds of nature also help with reducing nerves and stress. The best types of music that can help relieve stress include:
- Easy Listening
- Orchestral
- Melody
- Harmony
Much like with music, calming sounds is a great way to soothe your nervous system. Such sounds can include:
- Ocean
- Water
- Wind through the trees
4. SWITCH OFF THE TECH
In today’s society, everybody practically has their phones or their tablets glued to their heads and hands. Believe it or not, having your eyes glued to your technological gadgets can lead to stress. Turning your devices off for even a short time is sure to bring down your stress levels for the better.
5. BREATHING
As mentioned earlier, meditating is a great way of relieving nerves and stress but there is, however, another part of it that can make the meditation even more fulfilling.
Breathing is sure-fire to bring down those nerves while you are in a meditative state. By taking deep, slow breaths, breathing will help bring down your heart rate and will even lower your blood pressure.
For anyone who is into unique breathing techniques, try this one. It is called pranayama breathing. This is a yogic technique which works by breathing through one nostril at a time. It works best for anxiety issues.
So, what did you think? Have you used any other therapeutic calming methods? Be sure to share this information and add it into conversation some we can get people talking about how to live a more peaceful life.
If you want to learn more about these techniques then be sure to come along to Exhale Yoga to learn and experience the Yoga and breathing techniques or have a chat with your Exhale Yoga teacher.
From strength to serenity....