Stress affects 41% of adults worldwide daily, contributing to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. While stress can fuel growth, chronic stress leads to burnout and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Yoga offers proven tools to break the cycle and find balance.
What Is Stress?
Stress is “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change,” as defined by endocrinologist Hans Selye. While short-term stress can be motivating, chronic stress wears down patience, relationships, and health.
Why Chronic Stress Is Dangerous
From societal pressures to consumerist culture, modern stress feels inescapable. Over time, it increases cortisol levels, impacts mood, and pushes people toward unhealthy habits.
That said, stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact it is a rise in cortisol (commonly called the stress hormone) that causes us to wake up every morning and drives us forward. Stress can be a super power that fuels change, growth and increases adaptability.
So How Can Yoga Help?
A core component of a well-rounded Yoga practise is breathwork or Pranayama. When we breathe well our heart rate slows, heart rate variability improves, and our blood pressure lowers. One study shows that Bhramari breath or humming-bee breath is more impactful than physical activity and sleep at lowering levels of stress. This is incredible as it is something that is free and almost anyone can practise at any time. You simply sit and hum for the full length of your exhale for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to sound pretty or tuneful either. You just hum a level note and that’s it.
Yoga fosters mindfulness and self-compassion, which are critical in stress management. The teachings of Abhyasa (consistency) and Vairagya (non-attachment) reinforce the acts of showing up to your Yoga practise consistently irrespective of mood and let go of any sense of doing this for a specific outcome. Rather to be fully submerged in the process. This is quite a unique approach in a results driven, bottom-line obsessed society. Yoga encourages present moment awareness and helps reframe negative thoughts by simply observing the thoughts as something the mind is doing rather than something you are defined by. This psychological shift often correlates with lower stress and anxiety levels. This method has even been implemented in elite sports where Steve Peters, author of The Chimp Paradox, encouraged the UK cycling team who had previously been unsuccessful to focus on their method rather than the goal. He told them to keep focussing on each pedal rather than how far they had to go. Or in the words of Dori from Finding Nemo…just keep swimming.
Yoga improves our posture and when we carry ourselves with our shoulders back, our gaze to eye level (not to the floor) and unapologetically own the space our body takes up, we feel more confident and like we are supposed to be wherever we are. Here is a short clip from a great TED talk explaining the science.
There are a plethora of other ways Yoga helps to reduce stress, improve sleep and pave the way for a more loving and joyful existence. These are just a few but the best strategy is to see for yourself. Try introducing 2 minutes of Bhramari breath into your day or taking 1 minute to stand in mountain pose or warrior 1 each day. Be your own study and see how these small efforts make you feel. I hope this helps you on your journey to living a happier and healthier life.