Yoga for Stress Relief: How to Escape the Stress Loop

Ever been caught in a stress loop? We know that what happens in the mind affects the body, and what happens in the body affects the mind.

The stress loop is a manifestation of that. It can happen when stress takes us out of our comfort zone and exacerbates Stressful Thoughts and Negative Emotions, which in turn causes a buildup of Stress Hormines, which in trigger a whole cascade of changes in the body – which then again, feeds back into the negative loop of Stressful Thoughts.

But have you ever noticed that regardless of which specific emotional state we experience, the physiological manifestations of the two ends of the spectrum are always the same. When we feel fearful and hopeless, our breathing becomes shallow, our heart rate increases and our back may feel tight.

In contrast, when we feel hopeful and optimistic, our breathing becomes deep and relaxed, our ribcage expands without restriction and the heart rate becomes steady.

The good news?

You can get yourself out of the stress loop by changing your mental state or by changing how your body feels.

The yoga practice below is meant to affect your physiological and mental state by releasing muscular contraction around your ribcage and increasing your breathing capacity. When you are able to breathe deeper and without restriction, you are more likely to have an optimistic and confident outlook on your life. Give it a try and let me know how it feels!

Try These Yoga Poses to Help You Escape the Stress Loop