STRESS AND HOW TO COPE WITH IT

We all live under some stress (stress from work, family, relationships, stress from environment, stress from toxins in our food, water and air) which is part of normal life, when we have too much stress for long period of time problems can start. Your body reacts on stress by increasing blood pressure, heart rate and respiration, decreasing production of sex hormones and some digestive enzymes, increasing production of stress associated hormone cortisol. This leads to increased production of insulin, insulin resistance and increase in appetite and weight gain which starts vicious cycle of developing type II -adult onset diabetes., cardiovascular disease.

What can be done to alleviate stress response?

1. Have a good night sleep. For majority of people it is 8 hours, but some will feel good if they sleep 6 hours. During night sleep your body does important work of detoxification and restoring hormonal balance., that is why it is so important to have good night sleep.
2. Find time to do regular exercises, 20-30 minutes /day will be enough to stimulate metabolism. Swimming, jogging, walking -the best and really doable activities.
3. Eat properly: decrease amount of processed food, say no to junk food and increase amount of organic produce, organic dairy and meat. Just remember: all toxins, chemicals, pesticides in your food -source of oxidative stress for your body, which makes your immune system less efficient.
4. Take specific supplements which will help your body to coop with everyday stress by returning to homeostasis-condition of balance needed for optimum body function. If you want to talk about it, please, call me for an appointment, first consultation is free.
5. Start to do any type of stress reduction techniques, it may be yoga, qi-gong, tay-chi, prayer or meditation.

There is a lot of medical research confirming benefits of meditation in such areas as:

controlling high blood pressure, decreasing the level of cortisol, helping with anxiety, depression and obsessive- compulsive disorder.

During the meditation your mind is centered, focused and not disturbed by different thoughts. You can concentrate on your breathing, any word that is important for you, or if you work with a teacher, on mantra that was given by him. Even 15-20 minutes /day will be enough to make a shift—you will feel difference. Combining meditation with mudras-specific fingers positions will make your meditation even more effective. You can find list of some mudras in an attachment.

We all shallow breathers unfortunately. We do not breathe deeply enough, as a result of this body does not get an adequate amount of oxygen which effects function of any organ and cell.

Practice of yoga makes you to breath deep, concentrate and be present, be right here and right now! Deep breathing not only gives more oxygen, it eliminates more toxins and waste materials from the cells. During deep breathing relaxation effects not only muscles, it effects brain, vagus nerve innervating your heart, so blood pressure and heart rate are down.

Deep breathing will bring to the surface your emotions, sometimes negative (which is important to release them), sometimes -positive.

There is slogan in yoga: breath, relax, feel, watch and allow. It means go with your emotions, feel them and release them, let them go! Practice of yoga teaches you to listen and respect your body, appreciate life more and accept yourself even if you thought before that “you are not enough”