Relaxation technique 6: Yoga and tai chi for stress relief

Yoga involves a series of both moving and stationary poses, combined with deep breathing. As well as reducing anxiety and stress, yoga can also improve flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. Practiced regularly, it can also strengthen the relaxation response in your daily life. Since injuries can happen when yoga is practiced incorrectly, it’s best to learn by attending group classes, hiring a private teacher, or at least following video instructions.

What type of yoga is best for stress?

Although almost all yoga classes end in a relaxation pose, classes that emphasize slow, steady movement, deep breathing, and gentle stretching are best for stress relief.

• Satyananda is a traditional form of yoga. It features gentle poses, deep relaxation, and meditation, making it suitable for beginners as well as anyone primarily looking for stress reduction.
• Hatha yoga is also reasonably gentle way to relieve stress and is suitable for beginners. Alternately, look for labels like gentle, for stress relief, or for beginners when selecting a yoga class.
• Power yoga, with its intense poses and focus on fitness, is better suited to those looking for stimulation as well as relaxation.

If you’re unsure whether a specific yoga class is appropriate for stress relief, call the studio or ask the teacher.

Tai chi

If you’ve ever seen a group of people in the park slowly moving in synch, you’ve probably witnessed tai chi. Tai chi is a self-paced, non-competitive series of slow, flowing body movements. These movements emphasize concentration, relaxation, and the conscious circulation of vital energy throughout the body. Though tai chi has its roots in martial arts, today it is primarily practiced as a way of calming the mind, conditioning the body, and reducing stress. As in meditation, tai chi practitioners focus on their breathing and keeping their attention in the present moment.

Tai chi is a safe, low-impact option for people of all ages and levels of fitness, including older adults and those recovering from injuries. Like yoga, once you’ve learned the basics of tai chi or qi gong, you can practice alone or with others, tailoring your sessions as you see fit. 

Link: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

Benefits Of Jazz

Benefits of Jazz

Jazz and other forms of instrumental music highly enjoyable and are listened by people all over the world. Observations and some studies display that music is very beneficial to listeners, other than only being enjoyable. Further down are major benefits of jazz.

1. Healing effects

Jazz normally involves music that is composed with the assistance of several instruments like piano, violin, harmonica, guitar and flute among many other instruments. It ought to be noted that music therapy is quite beneficial to patients, particularly those in recovery. In fact, even in the past, music was utilized for enhancing healing.

2. Benefits heart patients

Among the many jazz benefits on our general health is that it assists people with heart problems as well. A study performed on heart patients found that the participants had reduced blood pressure following listening to jazz music. It also assists in normalizing the heartbeat in such patients.

3. Reduces migraines

Individuals suffering from headaches and migraines have been treated with certain kinds of jazz. Aside from preventing migraines, jazz music also lessens the period of a migraine attack. Jazz music is very calming and soothing to the brain.

4. Flexibility

Dancing to some jazz music increases flexibility considerably. Most jazz dancing classes usually start with a short warm-up exercise that comprises of various stretching workouts. The jazz dances usually require dancers to perform moves that require stretching and bending. Dancers therefore enhance their flexibility naturally through simply dancing.

5. Endurance

Engaging in jazz dances regularly enhances endurance significantly. Endurance refers to the capability of muscles to place more effort for long hours without fatigue. In addition, jazz dancing increases stamina and it is also more enjoyable.

Even though jazz music and dance offers various benefits, it is also regarded as boring by many people. Most of these people opt for other kinds of music like techno, which has a faster tempo.

Source:  http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-jazz/