Stress Free Yoga Registered with the Yoga Teachers Association of Australia.
SERVICES
Welcome to Chakra Yoga
"If you would have the message of the Gods to direct your life, look for that which repeats, again and again: for this is the message given you by the Gods, the karmic lesson you must learn for this incarnation. It comes again and again until you have made it part of your soul and your enduring spirit."
Yoga for Stress
Women often find themselves in a dual role of being the nurturer and then being the one who craves to be nurtured. Women have a natural instinct for being able to heat up the hot soup on a winter’s day, smooth out the creases in the bed, reorganize a confused home or office, add beauty to a home or work environment, counsel a troubled soul, listen with empathy, sooth a weary mind, aid the healing of any complaint, or be ready to apply first aid.
Perhaps it is because women are nature’s healers, that there is such a flourishing industry in relaxation, massage, pampering, special lunches, beauty therapy, shopping sprees, and networking groups. Men work hard too, of course, but when the business day is over, or during the lunch break, who is it that keeps up her caring vigil? It is Woman.
In my experience as a nurse, midwife, mother, playgroup leader, kindy mum, school mum, yoga teacher, and now also a naturopath, I have been constantly amazed by the strength, staying power, and unselfish caring that women give out in our world. And yet if you were to ask them if they thought of themselves as extraordinary, they would shake their heads with self-depreciation and a little …..guilt (!), and say that they are not doing enough.
Women may nag and complain, but that is generally because they have a reason. Women may wilt towards midnight, but that is because they have just done two shifts. Women may appear to be inferior in physical strength and business logic. But that was in the years before the 1970s. Even before this women were only acting!
Men, I’ m told, see themselves in a multiple role too: money earners, disciplinarians, lover, friend, and domestic duties. But I will let them tell their story in another article.
As a health practitioner, I find myself treating women mostly for stress-related problems. Some have already been prescribed drugs from their GP. Most people are aware that such drugs are only a first aid measure because they do not cure the stress, and if used long term, they have nasty side effects. Stress is a normal part of our existence. It is an indicator that we are confronting the challenges sent to us for our spiritual growth. There are many ways to cope with the stress, such as through enjoyable exercise, yoga, competitive sports, walking on the beach, bush walking, tuning out at the movies, creative arts, gardening, massage, reiki, meditation, music, and being in enjoyable relationships.
However, if there is a long term problem that has not been dwelt with, it causes a chronic drain upon the stress coping mechanisms within the psyche. This drain takes the fun out of life. It clouds all perceptions. The body can cope well with sudden short burst of stress, no matter how extreme. It is the underlying subtle, unacknowledged stress that is never resolved that makes us ill. Prolonged stress is like a dripping tap, insidiously draining the adrenal glands of their adrenalin and cortisol. This slow leakage of stress hormones into the blood stream causes the heart rate to increase, blood pressure to rise, digestion to become inadequate, blood sugar levels to roller coaster, and elimination of toxins to be inhibited.
On a physical level, stress depletes the body’s stores of B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C. The B vitamins are needed for a healthy nervous system. Magnesium is needed for healthy blood pressure, production of digestion, and bone strength. Muscle cramps are a particular symptom of magnesium deficiency. Both zinc and vitamin C are needed for a strong immune system and for healthy skin. A zinc deficiency is often found in cases of low libido and infertility. Vitamin C is already lacking in most of the foods in our modern diet, and therefore it is already a common nutrient deficiency, being known to trigger susceptibility to colds, flues, easy bruising, and slow healing.….all exacerbated by chronic stress.
So what does a goddess need to do in order to nurture herself and de-stress? Four essential principles need to be followed:- Take time out of our everyday lives to unwind, as suggested earlier (exercise, massage, reiki, movies, yoga, etc).
- Acknowledge those inner voices in our soul crying out for self-realization. This may be through counseling, psychotherapy, or spiritual work.
- Taking care of our body temple by eating the best food, and also supplementing with extra vitamins and minerals, especially the ones used most during prolonged stress. When purchasing a mineral supplement, look for colloidal ones that are plant-sourced. Buy your vitamins from a reputable company recommended by professional health carers. Some contain many fillers and may be synthetic alternatives.
- See a naturopath for a personally prescribed herbal tonic containing restorative herbs such as withania or nettles (to strengthen the blood), Siberian ginseng (to tone the nervous system), valerian to aid sleep, and passiflora or zizyphus (to reduce anxiety).
Let’s start by looking at the first principle, i.e., taking time out to unwind, and see how a simple yoga pose can unwind and unravel stressed muscles and nerves.
Yoga classes are being held at
The Mudgeeraba Foundation Centre
7 School St
Mudgeeraba 4226
Fridays 6.30pm-8pm
(opposite the Mudgeeraba Special School)
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
Registered Naturopath (ANTA)
Registered Yoga teacher (YTAA)
Trained Nurse and Midwife.
Ashtanga Yoga, Corporate Yoga, Pregnancy Yoga, Yoga
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