Management of Tension thro Yoga

Management of Tension

A prevailing myth about emotions is that there is nothing we can do about them. Most people feel they are like tiny boats on a vast sea of emotions. However, Norman E Rosenthal, psychiatrist and researcher, writes, the more we learn about emotions the more we see how much we can do to treat troublesome emotions and develop healthy ones.

Researcher James Laird from Clark University has found that asking students assume facial expressions associated with subtle smiling or frowning made them happier or angrier. If such simple subtle difference as a facial expression can influence the state of one’s mind then how much more powerful yogic postures which work on the endocrine and limbic system can work on creating right mental balance in a person. For, one’s state of mind is like a simple equation with the right balance between body and mind being equal to a peaceful state of mind. Asanas are the body part of the equation and pranayama and pratyahara are the mind end of the equation.

It is a sad commentary on modern living that the unprecedented comforts and luxuries have sadly not contributed to the mental and emotional well being of individuals. In fact, tensions have increased in equal proportion. For example, one of the “programmed response” of modern living is fear of failure and that the only people worthwhile in this world are those who have “made it” in life”.

The above is just one example of the manifold pressures of life which is the cause of tension. Physical, muscular, mental and emotional tensions are the manifestation of modern day living. These tensions cause imbalances in the health, mental, emotional state and therefore personality of the person.

So how does yoga help in managing stress and tension in life. It was Sage Kapila who gave us the Samkhya system. Later on during Buddha’s time, Maharshi Patanjali modified Kapila’s philosophy and gave us the Yoga-Sutras. He defined yoga as the science of mental control which affects the various dimensions of a person’s personality and patterns of behaviour.

Asanas:

It has been established scientifically that asanas and yogic postures bring about complete harmony between body and mind. To understand this we must know how the mind and body complement each other. If you worry too much, get angry, think too much, are self-conscious, these lead to hyper activity of your glandular system. It is well known that the

endocrine system/ glands have great impact on the physical and mental behaviour of a person. These glands include, thyroid, pituitary, pineal, pancreas, etc.

The mind and the endocrine system are closely linked. With regular practice of asanas and yogic postures many tensions can be managed as they manage the endocrine system in a balanced way. The simple practice of two asanas, namely, Paschimottana asana and Dhanurasana can result in muscular and mental relaxation.

Paschimottana asana: In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika it is simply described as, “Stretching the legs (in front) on the ground, like a stick, bending forward, holding the toes with both hands and placing the forehead on the knees.”

This asana stretches the whole spinal column and the central nervous system thus enabling nervous and pranic impulses to pass directly up to the higher centres. When there is a lot of tension in the body and mind, paschimottan asana helps removing it by regulating the adrenal glands and the whole system.

Dhanurasana: It is an asana in which lying flat on the floor on the stomach, the ankles are clutched by both hands and then the whole body is drawn like a bow, hence its name. It is useful in overcoming lethargy and sluggishness in mind and body. It directly affects the solar plexus at the navel which is a large sympathetic nervous centre so important for healthy functioning of organs of the body. It is particularly good for relieving tension because various endocrinal glands are massaged and toned, notably the thyroid and the adrenals. It removes tiredness for cortisone is secreted to give the required lift or if you are overactive the secretion of cortisone is reduced so that the body attains balance.

But, it is most important to bear in mind that asanas should be learnt from a proficient yoga guru and should be performed with full mental awareness and correct breathing pattern. Awareness on every part of the body participating in the movements is of supreme importance in yoga.

These asanas remove the tension which gets accumulated in the muscle in the course of the day.

Emotional Tension:Emotional tension is the most difficult to manage. Especial if it is loss of a loved one in an accident, divorce a love affair gone bad, etc.

While tranquilisers and hypnotism are used for overcoming emotional problems of sever kinds and sometimes even lesser ones, they do not help in tackling it at its root. Yogic practices of pranayama and pratyahara help in managing emotional problems which are bound to occur in the ups and downs of life.

Pranayama: It is system of breathing exercises which help in expelling maximum amount of carbon dioxide from the body and ensures a good supply of oxygen to the brain and body.

But, as the yogis have said, that one should not mistake pranayama merely as breathing exercise. It does improve oxygen in the body and expels carbon dioxide which has its own benefits physiologically. But as Swami Satyananda has said,”Pranayama actually utilises the breathing process as a means to manipulate all forms of prana within the human framework whether gross or subtle. This in turn has repercussions on the mind and body. “Mind is the master of the senses and the breath is the master of the mind.”( Hatha-Yoga Pradipika 4:29). Therefore breath awareness stills the mind, helps your awareness to turn inwards as one watches with eyes closed and an inward gaze, the movement of breath within our body. It helps in warding off thoughts which relaxes the mind and therefore smoothens out tensions in the mind and body.

Pratyahara : The process of pratyahara is intended to disconnect one’s awareness from the sense organs, thereby instigating internalization of awareness. Pranayama followed by pratyahara is a potent combination for calming all tense nerves, muscles and knots of tension within oneself.

All this will remain a whole lot of words unless one actually practices and experiences the wonderful benefits of yoga.