Adore Yoga Blog

I’m a yoga teacher, so I know a fair bit about yoga techniques for stress management. I’ve taught stress reduction techniques to executives in large corporations. I’ve helped people with stress related diseases reduce their symptoms. I’ve devised and taught full day workshops devoted to yogic relaxation. So, I was completely astounded when my hair started falling out and my GP suggested it was due to stress. “But I’m a yoga teacher, “ I protested.  However, even as I said it, I knew she was right and that somewhere along the line, I’d stopped taking my own advice. Sure, I’ve been practicing yoga several times a week, but have I really been adhering to the key principles of Swadhyaya (self observation) and Ishwarapranidana (surrender)? No.

I’ve had a busy year. Apart from running two yoga studios, parenting a 2yr old and a 5yr old and managing the usual ups and downs of family life, I thought it would be a great idea to move house and start a whole new business, too. I met each new challenge in the same way – battle on. Whether it was a sick child, a partner’s redundancy, tradesmen in the kitchen or a blow out in the budget for my new business, I just soldiered on.  I felt that if I dropped one of the many balls I’d been juggling, the whole show would screech to a halt, so I kept going and used my yoga practise as a kind of band-aid. 

The thing with band aids is that they’re not a permanent solution so eventually something had to give and in my case, it was my hair. Great handfuls of it.  After the reality check from the GP, I realized I had to get serious about reducing my stress levels. I tell my students every day to bring their attention back to the breath, but it seems I’d stopped listening to my own. I created a program of pranayama for myself, 15 minutes morning and evening, plus regular times to check in with my breath during the day. On desk-bound days, I set my computer to alert me once an hour when I’d stop work, close my eyes and listen to my breath.

The difference this made was palpable. I felt better the moment I focused on my breath.  Slowly I became aware of the stress ‘flash-points’ in my day and used breath awareness to help me navigate these challenges.  I’m doing it now. As soon as I feel my shoulders tense up when I’m typing (or driving), I check in with my breath, relax my jaw and take a few breaths into my belly. It’s not a magic ‘fix’, but it helps me recognize tension when it first creeps up and gives me a tool to prevent it from overwhelming me.

Practising simple breath awareness techniques is an easy way to recognize and reduce tension and an effective step towards a regulating the stress response. Here are two very simple techniques that can be used any time to check in with the breath and start to dissolve stress:

Belly breathing

Lie down on your back and place the palms of your hands on your lower belly. As you inhale, breathe into your palms and feel them rise. When you exhale, just let go of the breath and allow the belly to passively fall back to the starting position. As you continue to breathe into your palms, consciously relax your face, jaw and shoulders. Continue 12-24 breaths.

Breath awareness practise

Now place your hands down by your sides and bring your attention to the tips of the nostrils, where the air passes in and out of the body. As you inhale, become aware of the feeling of the cool air passing over your nostrils as it enters your body. As you exhale, be aware of the warmer, moister air that passes over your nostrils as it leaves your body. Repeat for 12-24 breaths.

With either of these techniques, you may find your mind wanders off. That’s fine, it’s what your brain is programmed to do. The trick is to catch it when it does that and bring it back to observing the breath. These simple techniques only takes a few minutes, but, practised regularly, can make the world of difference. They can, quite literally, help you keep your hair on!

I'm writing this straight after putting my small children to bed and it's no exaggeration to say that they're fast asleep as soon as their heads touch the pillow. What's their secret?!

One of the most common symptoms that students present with at my Yoga Therapy practice is insomnia. Often, yoga is the last resort after days, weeks and even years of interrupted sleep which leaves people feeling exhausted, grouchy and exasperated. So, can yoga help? The answer is an emphatic YES.

Firstly, I recommend the usual lifestyle changes - exercise for 30 minutes every day, no caffeine (not even in the morning), no TV, computers or other electronic media after 7pm, a light meal before 7.30pm and lights out by 10pm. But most people have heard all this before and they still can't seem to fall, or stay, asleep.

A simple 15 minute yoga routine before bed can and does make a huge difference to the quality of your sleep. It's important to practice consistently, doing the routine every night for at least 2 weeks. However, once you're into the rhythm of the practice, it becomes second nature and you'll start to notice real changes.

1. Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall pose)

Sit sideways on the floor against a wall, right hip touching the wall. Slowly swing the legs up against the wall, bringing your head and shoulders gently down on to the floor. The torso is perpendicular to the wall with the sitting bones close to the wall. Extend the legs straight up the wall and gently press the lower back into the floor. Bring the arms by the sides, palms facing towards the ceiling. You can also do this pose with a bolster under your hips (see illustration). Close your eyes and rest here for 5 minutes. To come out of the pose, bend your knees into your chest and roll over onto your right side.

2. Abdominal Breathing

Lie on your back (on the floor, not the bed) with a carefully folded blanket under your head and a bolster under your knees. Place your palms on your lower abdomen. As you inhale, breath into your palms and feel your hands rise as the belly rises with the incoming breath. On the exhale, simply relax and allow the hands to gently fall as the belly drops with the exhale. Repeat 12 times.

3. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

If you feel uncomfortable chanting (or might disturb someone close by!) you can always chant mentally. Chanting is a particularly soothing practise and can be very helpful in managing sleeping problems. The word 'Shanti' means Peace and is a lovely, calming and relaxing (as well as very simple) chant that you can use as part of your bedtime routine. Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair and repeat "Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti". Do this 12 times. Listen here.

After practising these three simple techniques, quietly get ready for bed and turn the light out straight away without reading or doing any last-minute chores. There are a number of yoga techniques that can help you get a good night's sleep, so please let us know if you'd like some further tips or if you would like a practise tailor made for your requirements. Meanwhile, sweet dreams!

Nikola Ellis