Yoga for stress

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I’ve had health issues for close to 10 years and I’ve started Yoga recently and it’s been helping a lot.
I don’t know how to accurately describe my condition because it’s a little complicated and no doctor has been able to help me. One of the main issues I have is severe tension around my abdomen, I think it’s caused by stress and adds to my stress as well since it restricts my breathing.

I’ve tried Yoga in the past but it didn’t help much but I think I was doing the wrong poses. Recently, I looked up Yoga for stress relief and and a few of the poses have been very helpful. The one that’s helped me the most is child’s pose and I think it’s because it does something to the tension around my abdomen. I was hoping a Yoga expert could help me understand why that pose is helping so much and based on the information I’ve given, if they could recommend and other poses that could help me as well.

Thanks for reading!

#2

Hello Stretch,

Since this is a therapeutics question I find it helpful to have quite a bit more intake information. Some of the things that are helpful to know are your age, fitness background, yoga practice and something about your life and your work.

Also I want to mention that some of what I do as a yoga therapist requires seeing how the client’s body responds to this thing or that thing. The contact hours between therapist and client are very important ones.

Tension in the Rectus Abdominis (belly muscles) is released by Child’s Pose because the muscle is shortening but not contracting. This would be an answer to issues with the musculature (rather than what is anatomically deeper in that portion of the body). Other poses you might try are supported Janu Sirsasana, supported Upavishta Konasana, Pawanmuktasana, Viparita Karani, and perhaps Paschimotanasana with a bolster under the back of the knees. I list this one last as it’s less safe to do, less appropriate for beginners, and requires open hamstrings.

If you are choosing to pursue Yoga as a remedy for “health issues” then I’d invite you to expand beyond an asana practice (when appropriate, of course) and to find a qualified yoga therapist to assist you in doing so.

Gordon