Figure 1. Basavaraddi, Ishwar V. Ancient Indian seals depicting yoga poses.

The traditional practice of yoga is rooted in the belief of our minds and bodies being not just physically connected, but spiritually intertwined. Over yoga’s extensive history dating back to the dawn of humanity, its primary role has been to connect people with their bodies and free their minds in the process. Just like meditation, yoga is often used for modern-day stress management, but neither technique has lost its ancient roots. Thousand-year-old artifacts like the ones shown to the right have depicted specific yoga positions that are recognizable to this day.

While the meditations and mindfulness practices that I have previously discussed all contained physical components (like posture, breathing, and walking), yoga focuses specifically on full-body engagement. This can be very difficult and demanding, as it requires significant physical and mental strength. However, one of the main benefits of yoga is that its difficulty level requires a certain amount of focus that distracts from distracting thoughts. If you have a hard time focusing on your breath during meditation or focusing on your senses while mindfully walking, yoga might be able to help you to truly focus on a stress management technique.

Figure 2. Yogapedia. Sun Salutation A.

There many different types of yoga and each style caters to a specific strength or desired mental effect. In my practice, I focused on a certain common sequence called Surya Namaskar, commonly referred to as the “Sun Salutation.” There are Sun Salutations A, B, and C, but I practiced a version of Sun Salutation A. The idea behind this sequence is simple: it opens up the body (to the sun) and aligns it in order to strengthen the body and mind for a new day. Although they are often performed in the morning, Sun Salutations are good for any time when strength or energy is needed. The sequence is performed multiple times in a row, flowing at the fairly quick pace of natural breaths, so that the body does not tire and so that the body’s alignment improves more and more between each movement.

I have been practicing Sun Salutations in a yoga class, and I must say that some of the poses in this sequence are difficult and require significant practice until they actually help to stretch the body and improve alignment. It is very helpful to have an instructor to suggest small adjustments and continually encourage deep (diaphragmatic) breathing throughout the practice. However, Sun Salutations are one of the best ways to begin practicing yoga because they do not include difficult balance or strength poses.

The best way to manage stress through yoga is to focus on your breath and the release of physical tension. Some poses require deep stretches, while others engage the muscles and create tension while building strength. Focusing on the release of physical tension enables a calmness to spread across the body and into the mind. In the same way, focusing on tension and release can rejuvenate the body and mind, especially during the relatively fast-paced Sun Salutations—this quick succession of different feelings brings energy first into the mind, then into the body. Whether you desire relaxation or rejuvenation, yoga can create a beautiful link between your mind and body that feeds fulfillment in your soul.