Relieving stress
Although the weather is still quite hot, the summer is coming to an end, and with that comes the ending of fun summer activities, and also some beginnings, such as the start of another school year. No matter how I want some things (such as summer) to stay the same; change is inevitable.
I feel these changes lately, in my own breathing, as I suffer through another hay fever season. It certainly is better than in years past, but it is worse on the days that I allow stress to come in. That is when I really notice how much life’s daily stresses can affect my breathing if I allow it. So many changes have taken place in the past few weeks as the summer draws to a close. I realized that I need to do more yoga and restorative work to help get me through these transitions peacefully. I have felt great sadness at some losses and great joy at happy moments such as my parents’ 50th anniversary, and other exciting news. Staying calm and centered has been a challenge with all the ups and downs. At times, my breathing has felt a bit strained when I was upset, and at other times it even felt as though my heart hurt when I shed a tear, as if that tear could take my breath away. Other days I feel like I am being stretched in a thousand different directions…
“The diaphragm, according to yogic science, is the seat of the intelligence of the heart, and the window to the soul. During stressful situations, however, when you inhale and exhale, the diaphragm becomes too taut to alter its shape. Yogic exercises address this problem by developing elasticity in the diaphragm, so that, when stretched, it can handle any amount of stress, whether intellectual, emotional, or physical.
The practice of asanas and pranayama helps integrate the body, breath, mind, and intellect. Slow, effortless exhalation during the practice of asana brings serenity to the body cells, relaxes the facial muscles, and releases all tension from the organs of perception, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin…” B.K.S. Iyengar
After years of practice I begin to notice how yoga is helps me stretch myself with getting tighter and more stressed. I am only now just beginning to allow the exhalation to teach me about serenity. I still find myself succumbing to the stress at times, however, I have tools to let go of it again and as the muscles of my diaphragm soften, so does the stress begin to melt away.
It’s a good thing too, because I have two seniors in high school this year, my last year of being a home school mom. Here it is, the first day of September, and I am ready to face the challenges and rewards of my final home school year. Time to EXHALE….
