| Are you working too hard? How many hours a week | | | | and gain more control and balance in your life. |
| do you spend at work - 30, 40, 50 maybe 60 hours? | | | | Here are five benefits you gain when you practice |
| Do you find yourself regularly taking work home or | | | | yoga as a way to reduce stress and tension in your |
| coming in to the office extra early to catch up? | | | | life. |
| If you are a working woman, you probably have to | | | | 1. Yoga offers you a holistic approach to dealing with |
| come home, cook dinner, sort out the laundry, help | | | | stress. Yoga exercises, breathing techniques and |
| your children with their homework or pick them up | | | | relaxation affects your mind, body and spirit. |
| from an after school activity. It is almost as if you have | | | | 2. Yogic breathing exercises help calm your nervous |
| a "second night shift" when you come home. Some | | | | system and increase oxygen levels and blood supply |
| men do assist with the household chores but generally, | | | | to the internal organs, all of which leads to a deeper |
| even in this day and age, women generally carry the | | | | sense of calm, inner peace and balance. Learning how |
| major burden of domestic and child care/parenting | | | | to breathe correctly is a wonderful skill you can use |
| roles. All of this adds to you feeling exhausted, tired | | | | anytime during the day when you feel overwhelmed, |
| and drained when you go to bed. | | | | confused and anxious. |
| You may desire to live a simpler life, to spend more | | | | 3. Yoga poses help to release blockages and stimulate |
| quality time with your family, to work fewer hours or | | | | and energise your body. Yoga poses work on the |
| even change jobs and retrain and follow your | | | | energy centres (chakras) and as energy is released, it |
| childhood dream job. However, with the increased cost | | | | flows easily and readily through your body; so you |
| of living, higher medical bills and the ever real threat of | | | | have more energy and vitality to cope with demanding |
| redundancy and unemployment it is difficult for you to | | | | tasks. |
| take time to rest, relax and reconnect with family and | | | | 4. Yoga exercises detox your body and can help to |
| friends. | | | | speed up the removal of toxins and bacteria in the |
| Constant overworking and lack of rest affects your | | | | body. Twisting poses in particular give a deep and |
| physical, emotional and spiritual health and well being. | | | | gentle massage to the internal organs of your body. |
| When was the last time you cooked an evening meal | | | | 5. Meditation techniques deepen your experience of |
| and ate it with your family, undisturbed by the television, | | | | relaxation and rest. During meditation your body |
| computers or even text messages? | | | | undergoes certain physiological effects which |
| This steady pressure and sense of rush pervades all | | | | counteract the negative effects of stress; your brain |
| life and if left unchecked leads to anxiety, depression, | | | | activity slows down as there is an increase in alpha |
| stress related disorders and even alcoholism and drug | | | | brain wave activity and your heartbeat and breathing |
| dependency. | | | | rate slow down and blood lactate levels drop. |
| What can you do to manage your time more | | | | As you can see, yoga helps to de-stress you on a |
| effectively? To protect your body from physically | | | | physical, emotional and spiritual level. Regular practice |
| breaking down and your mind from crashing in with all | | | | will empower you to release stress quicker and regain |
| the demands placed on you. | | | | a deeper sense of calm, balance and happiness in |
| Yoga, an ancient form of health care could well be the | | | | your life. Try a yoga class and see what difference it |
| modern panacea - a way for you to finally beat stress | | | | makes to your ability to cope with stressful situations. |