Stress is a by-product of wrong living style and it is a slow and silent killer. Stress is more or less a mental state and hence was there even in old times, but has become much more common nowadays especially due to hectic lifestyles. Some simple Yogic techniques can help in relieving stress..
How do you know that you are under stress?
Well there are some common symptoms such as headaches, stomach upset, body ache etc. But more seriously its effects on our brain are more concerning. Our brain cells use chemicals called neurotransmitters in order to communicate. Under stress a hormone called Cortizol is released which hampers the functioning of neurotransmitters and hence this in turn obstructs our brain functions.
Under stress we lose our focus, concentration and ability to think clearly. Due to all this our relationships also suffer very severely as we do not like to communicate with others.
Here I give three most powerful yet easy techniques which will relieve you of this deadly stress. As stress is reduced or eliminated your efficiency and energy levels shoot up and brain functions become normal. The new zest and increased prana in the body by practising these techniques makes our lives stress free, happier and meaningful.
Three Techniques for Removing Stress and Increasing and Stabilizing the Prana Energy…
There are many techniques and ways of removing bodily and mental stress, but here only three very effective and easy to follow techniques are described and these are;
(1) Hand Mudras: Mudras are basically some hand gestures. These mudras are so simple that even children can do these. Nowadays even young children are under stress due to increased activities and other reasons. Here I describe only four very effective mudras as follows:
(a) Prana Mudra
Sit in lotus posture or in any comfortable posture keeping your spine erect and head up, looking forward. Gently touch the tip of the thumb with the tips of the ring finger and little finger, keeping the other two fingers straight. Do this on both hands. Thumb should touch the tips of fingers very gently without exerting any undue pressure. Sit in this mudra for at least fifteen minutes and focus attention with closed eyes at the middle point on the forehead. By so doing the Pranic energy in the body increases which will energize and relax the whole body. [Enhance Your Life Force by Prana Mudra]
(b) Apana Mudra
Sit in lotus posture or in any comfortable posture keeping your spine erect and head up. Gently touch the tip of the thumb with the tips of the middle finger and ring finger, keeping the rest of the fingers straight. Do this on both hands. Thumb should touch the tips of fingers very gently without exerting any undue pressure. Sit in this mudra for at least fifteen minutes and focus attention with closed eyes at the middle point on the forehead. This mudra cleanses the body from inside and removes stress and pain if any.
(c) Gyan Mudra
Sit in lotus posture or in any comfortable posture keeping your spine erect and head up. Gently touch the tip of the thumb with the tip of the index finger, keeping rest of the fingers straight. Do this on both hands. Thumb should touch the tip of finger very gently without exerting any undue pressure. Sit in this mudra for at least fifteen minutes and focus attention with closed eyes at the middle point on the forehead.
This mudra removes mental stress and also cures depression, bouts of anger and balances the mind.
(d) Sukshama Mudra
Sit in lotus posture or in any comfortable posture keeping your spine erect and head up. Gently touch the tip of the thumb with the tip of the index finger on your right hand and rest this on the middle of the palm of the left hand. Sit in this mudra for at least fifteen minutes and focus attention with closed eyes at the middle point on the forehead.
This mudra removes stress from whole body and relaxes body and mind.
(2) Slow and Deep Breathing
Correct breathing carries great benefits. Slow and smooth deep breathing stabilizes the Pranic energy which in turn relaxes the mind and all stress is removed.
Sit comfortably in lotus posture or sit on a chair with legs hanging and feet resting on a rug on floor.
Take a couple of deep breaths and exhale through nose. Now on a mental count of ‘Om one, Om two, Om three’ take a deep and smooth breath through your nostrils. Hold it for a second and then exhale slowly over a mental count of ‘Om one, Om two, Om three, Om four, Om five, Om six’ through your mouth. Repeat it ten times and then close your eyes at middle point of forehead and sit calmly. If you are not feeling tired and are enjoying it then do it again for ten times.
If you do it slowly and with ease you will find that you feel fully relaxed and free of stress in body and mind.
It is better to do this breathing exercise empty stomach in the morning as well as in the evening or at any time you feel stressed.
(3) Preserving Nervous Energy
Due to increased mental activity, anxiety or any other reason you may feel lack of nervous energy. This results in feeling restless and irritable.
Sit in Vajra asana and let the toes of both feet overlap on each other. Also clasp your hands so that fingers are intertwined or alternately touch the tips of all fingers and thumb of one hand with those of the other hands.
By sitting in this posture the nervous energy is prevented from leaking away from the body and it helps in removing stress and rejuvenating body and mind. Sit in this posture as long as as you desire.
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Article by: Jyotirvid Pawan Kumar
