From Tension to Zero in 60 Minutes/60 Seconds

There are so many opportunities in our daily life where we encounter stressful situations which lead to physical and mental tension. Each of us has a personalized set of events that may adversely affect us, causing us stress, and nature has provided us with the physical ability to respond. However, our physiological response to stress is almost certainly much more than is needed for the majority of our trying encounters. In attending classes and practicing Yoga I’ve learned a skill that enables me to respond more appropriately in stressful situations. Being better equipped to deal with challenging interactions helps me to be more effective when it’s most important. The Yoga techniques taught in class help me slow down, relax, focus and become more capable in working through difficult and challenging problems.

Many years ago, I took a college class in Yoga. It seemed an unconventional class for me – an unconventional student – but was seemingly an easy way to satisfy one of four required physical education credits. I quickly realized that Yoga was not going to be an easy course. (Although Savasana, or the resting/relaxation pose, could have offered students a creative way to sleep through class.) The class turned out to be very challenging, and rewarding in ways I came to appreciate then and even more cognizant of now.

My personal trainer was responsible for renewing my interest in Yoga. Both my trainer and I are very driven, goal- and achievement-oriented people. Neither of us is of the mindset to stop climbing, even when we reach the top of the hill. She was routinely practicing Yoga and enjoying the benefits, and found that it offered a very nice change of pace from the day-to-day craziness. Her passion for Yoga was contagious and I was easily persuaded to attend a Saturday afternoon class early in 2004. The teacher was so effective that I was immediately drawn back into Yoga. I’ve regularly attended a variety of Yoga classes ever since.

During a busy day, we can generate a lot of momentum as we navigate through our complex agendas. With endless opportunities to pursue it’s easy to engage in so many things that we end up racing like hamsters on a wheel, hurriedly going nowhere and burning up a lot of energy. One of the benefits of a Yoga class is that we can learn how to slow down and we practice this in each class. The helpful life extension of Yoga is to remember how we slow down in class, and to train ourselves to slow down quickly when needed.

Many Yoga classes and practices begin by sitting quietly, providing focus on the breathing, and gradually releasing the thoughts that compete for our attention. The transition from chaos to calm, from distraction to deliberation is the path leading away from the accumulated stress and tension into a more relaxed and less harried state. One goal and benefit of Yoga is training to stop the wheels from turning quickly and smoothly. We start class taking long and even breaths, while sitting (or standing) still. In Yoga, we work to achieve a calm and relaxed state, and it is important to remember what this feels like and how to achieve this sensation so that we might return to this condition when needed.

After slowing down and focusing on our breathing we transition using gentle yet deliberate movements from one pose to another. There are many different poses, or asanas, that focus on strength, flexibility and balance – either individually or in combination. The instructor will take the class through a progression of asanas, or flow, and the progression is often influenced by the immediate needs of the class.

Starting with stillness, then working through postures, we transition from our daily pace into an introspective, relaxed, quiet state filled with self-awareness. The combination of deep breathing, gentle movements, and poses where we gain flexibility and strength take us to a quiet and peaceful condition. This physically and mentally relaxed state is a wonderful place to be and to return to, so it’s important to remember what this feels like and how we arrived. This a great place to return to quickly when we find ourselves in a chaotic or stressful situation.

Reflecting on my Yoga practice for guidance, here is what I do when I find the need to achieve calm quickly. The first step to return to quiet is with the breathing and I will take several long and deep breaths – just as I would at the beginning of a Yoga class. I will close my eyes (unless driving or in a heated discussion with co-workers). I allow the tension to leave the body by becoming aware of the points of tension in the body – neck, shoulders, back, etc. With the physical tension released, accompanied by long and controlled breaths, it’s good to then let the thoughts racing in the mind clear. With practice, I can routinely and quickly return to the relaxed and self-aware condition I learned how to achieve in Yoga. Then I can return to the stressful situation with a fresh perspective, renewed and vital, and well-equipped to resolve whatever dilemma is faced.

By routinely practicing the slowing down learned in Yoga class, we become familiar with this process. Learning how to slow down and being able to do so quickly gives us a new skill that allows us to quickly move toward a relaxed mind and body. Through control of our breath, we can gain control of our body. As we take over our body, we can ask our muscles to relax and release the tension that so often accompanies stressful or demanding situations. In this relaxed and controlled state, we can effectively deal with life events more effectively with an open mind and the fresh perspective that accompanies deep breathing and a relaxed body.

The Yoga class offers the opportunity to leave a stressful day and over the course of an hour or so, and for a vast majority of students renders them revitalized. The Yoga techniques when learned and practiced can take us from tension to relaxed much more quickly when we call on this in our daily lives. Sometimes people will go to a Yoga class and leave the class agitated, perhaps from the thundering quiet or the agitating stillness. These folks are most likely to benefit the most from Yoga. I confidently recommend exploration of Yoga to one and all as I have learned how to slow down quickly and gracefully.