YOGA AND STRESS

While there are many approaches to handling stress, one method that has withstood the test of time is yoga. Julia Kalish, owner of Double Dog Yoga in Herndon, VA says, "Yoga has long been used as a treatment for stress relief, and recent scientific studies now support this claim."

Yoga has long been used as a treatment for stress relief, and recent scientific studies now support this claim.

The frequency of intrusive thoughts and the severity of jangled nerves, for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent. The evidence is growing that yoga practice is a relatively low risk, high yield approach to improving overall health.

Anyone can practice yoga. You just need to be able to breathe.So yoga is a natural approach to stress relief.

While there are many resources available in bookstores and online for learning how to practice yoga, Kalish recommends practicing with a certified registered yoga teacher.

I've seen it over and over again, how yoga completely transforms people's ability relax and handle stress.

And it's not just while they are in the yoga class. The techniques that students learn on their yoga mats can be used off the mat as well. As a result yoga practitioners are well prepared to handle the stresses that come up in their everyday lives.

A study in Germany published in 2005 determined that women who took two 90 minute yoga classes a week for three months reported improvements in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue, and well being. Their headaches, back pain, and poor sleep quality also improved when compared the control group.

The Department of Defense has added yoga to its system of care for soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A recent study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences revealed that subjects with PTSD exhibited a substantial improvement in symptoms such as "the frequency of intrusive thoughts and the severity of jangled nerves" when compared to the control'

By Double Dog Yoga

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