Learn How to Reduce Stress

Feb 22

Listen, most humans are stressed and tired.

Which means, your yoga students are probably also stressed and tired.

You can help them retain metabolic energy, enhance mental clarity and recover from physical injuries by teaching them Restorative Yoga Techniques.

Restorative Yoga is therapeutic because it induces a physiological state called "Non Sleep Deep Rest" (NSDR). This occurs when your body is in a relaxed state, but your mind is still awake.

NSDR involves slowing down your brain wave frequency through specific breathing patterns, guided meditation like yoga nidra and restful postures.

It reduces stress, fights telomere shortening, enhances mental clarity and even decreases pain.

Here’s One Example:

New studies from Stanford report that "Cyclic Sighing" may be the most effective type of breathwork to reduce stress throughout your day.

From the physiological framework, we know that audible sighing stimulates the Vagus Nerve (CN X), which has a close-knit relationship to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is like the gatekeeper your body’s Stress Response. When the Vagal Tone is in a “relaxed” state, your HPA axis mediates stressors and regulates metabolism, immune responses and autonomic nervous system responses well.

From the yogic breathwork framework, we know that extending the duration of your exhale (as compared to your inhale) calms your nervous system and calms mental fluctuations (vrittis). Adding a retention (kumbhaka) to the breath cycle is even more effective.

I love it when yoga and science interact!

Cyclic Sighing How To:

➡️Inhale Deeply through the nose

➡️ Pause at the top of breath for 2 counts

➡️Exhale Deeply through the mouth, making an audible “sigh” sound

➡️Repeat for up to 5 minutes

If you want to learn A MILLION wonderful techniques for inducing the Relaxation Response and teaching Restorative Yoga and/or meditation, then you need to enroll in my “Specialized Restore and Meditate Yoga Teacher Training.”