YOGA & STRESS MANAGEMENT

YOGA & STRESS MANAGEMENT
Concept of stress
Selye and Levi have defined stress as a nonspecific, conventional and phylogenetic basic response pattern, the primary function of which is to prepare the body for physical activity such as resistance or flight.
Stress give rise to distress which manifests in the form of psychosomatic symptoms or disorders.
Stress is the reaction to a demanding situation on the human physiology. Stresses can occur at the two levels.
1. Physical stresses like accidents, burns, major infection etc. which make demands on the entire physiology.
2. Psychological stresses which can occur independently or as a reaction to the physical stresses. Examples are – fear, anxiety, tension, worry, jealously, hatred, anger, emotional conflicts etc.
Irrespective of the cause of stresses physical psychological or emotional, there is something unique that result on our body physiology. This unique set of changes is called is called stress reaction which will study as follows –
Stress Reaction
What happens in body, due to stress reactions –
1. The breath rate shoots up, providing more oxygen.
2. Stored sugar and fats pour into the blood stream to provide fuel for quick energy.
3. The heart speeds up and blood pressure soars, ensuring sufficient blood supply to needed areas.
4. Digestion ceases, so that blood may be diverted to muscles and brain.
5. Perspiration and salivation increase.
6. The pupils dilate, allowing more light to enter.
7. Cortisone pours into the system as to the adrealine and nonadrealine.
8. Triggered by the pituitary gland, the endocrine system steps up hormone production.
Concept of stress in Yoga –
Stress according to Yoga is imbalance. Imbalance is misery. At the mental and the physical levels, it is excessive speed and thus a demanding situation causes pain and leads to ailments and disease. Imbalance at emotional level manifest as upsurges which are caused by strong likes and dislikes. At the psychological level the imbalance leads to the conflicts and often manifest as pitty and narrow ego-centric behaviour.
Lack of holistic knowledge and balanced outlook at the subtlest level are responsible for imbalances found at grosser levels.
Thus, while understanding stress a holistic concept of man is kept in view and not merely his bodily existence Taittireya Upanishad has presented this holistic concept of man systematically as having 5 major sheaths of existence.
1. Annamaya Kosha : Physical sheath (body)
2. Pranamaya Kosha : Vital Sheath
3. Manomaya Kosha : astral Sheath
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha : Wisdom sheath
5. Anandamaya Kosha : Bliss sheath
Stress is studied and understood at the physical body by modern medical system as an imbalances at the neuro-endocrine system and neurotransmitter level.
Emotional imbalances in the form of strong likes and dislikes bring about imbalances in Prana (the vital energy) in the Pranamaya kosha which percolate to the Annamaya Kosha causing stress symptems and hazards.
Origin of stress, basically lie in the Manomaya kosha. In Vijnanamaya, the Avidya goes on reducing until in Anandamaya Kosha it is all bless. This state is the totally stress free state. The great sage Patanjali uses the term klesha which aptly describes stress. In his texts 'Yoga Sutras' the Kleshas have been described thus.

In our original state we are total stress free. We are blissful. That state devoid of any tensions and pressure. We may call it perfection Patanjali calls it Swaroopa, self, when this state gets disturbed, when there is an imbalance even at the subtlest level, thanking starts.
Avidya – Ignorance has set in. This avidya leads to further thinking and we start limiting ourselves constriction or stress is build up. Avidya leads to Asmita the Illness ego and the associated attachments – my mind, my mind, my thoughts, my feelings, my body etc. Attachement and I'ness leads to strong likes and dislikes. It is then the emotional upsruges sturt. tossed up and down in these emotion imbalance, large amount of energy are spent.
Thus the concept of stress is presented in a most comprehensive way from the subtlest (ignorance) to its grassest manifestation by patanjali.
He purposes the technique of Yoga for reducing these stresses.

Resort to yoga for thinning of the Kleshes and achieving higher states of consciousness. Featured by lesser stresses and emergence of greater capacities.
In the Bhagavadgita, presents this whole process of stress origin, development aggravation and repercussions in a dramatic narrations.
Repeated thinking about objects leads to attachment, attachment to desire, desire to anger (greed, lust, fear) which leads to infatuation, lack of awareness and discrimination power and one gets lost.
This dramatic narration matches with the description of Patanjali's comprehensive concept of Kleshas. Thinking an imbalance from the perfect state is Avidya. Limitations start night there Ego or Asmita is a result of this crystallised imbalance.
Attachment to 'I'- thought is imminent. Egocentric personalities are characterized by strong obsessions, ambitions likes and dislikes. Emotional imbalances emerge out of them as upsurges often. Else if they percolate to physical level resulting in the heart attacks or nerve shattering disease. When the emotional outbursts like anger continue, we are infatuated and observed loosing all discrimination power and act from instinctive level. This Patanjali called as Abhinivesa, a state of helplessness, contraction, slavery or bondage. That is grossest manifestation of stress.
Yogic Management of Stresses – Principles
For the management of stress, the yoga way is more holistic, based on the understanding of the concept of stress.
It is not enough if we work at the physical level (annamaya kosa) alone to reduce stresses but is mandatory to bring balance at all the other levels – Pranayama, Manomaya, and Vijnanamaya Kosa. And that is the total approach used in Yoga.
By using the technique of Yoga, we can learn to expand our horizons, increase our capacities and manifest our dormant potentialities. As Bhagavadgita protrays –
He who is able to stand in this way of life, before casting off the body, the speed of last and anger is the accomplished and he alone is a happy man.
The stresses accumulated at the body level as stiffness of joints and spasms of muscles can be released by the use yogasanas which are congenial postures of the body to help in calming down the mind. Slow movements help in combating the rush from within. Rhythmic breathing and breath slowing process Pranayama bring the balance at Pranic level.
Retaining awareness and relaxation through out the practice help to gain great mastery over the mental processes and thus eliminate imbalances at the Manomaya kosha level. Keeping our goal to achieve a happy, peaceful healthy and efficient life and to promote harmony in the surroundings we prevent ourselves from getting into the rat race. We then learn to work the right way free of tensions. Thus a holistic approach of yoga will be the right answer to the challenge of stress. Such persons enjoy severe peace and bliss from deep within.
The process for achieving this target is to learn the cardinal principles of yoga.
Relax the body,
Slow down the breath,
Calm the mind.