As a Complementary Alternative Medicine, yoga is arguably one of the best approaches in counteracting daily stress. It is a very unique mind-body ‘intervention’ that immediately reduces the negative effects of feeling stressed out. Even though our bodies are designed to adapt and then compensate for stress, the body can only do so up to a certain point and only for a short period of time before it causes imbalance.
Ongoing stress, which seems to be our new normal in today’s society, can very easily overwhelm us and compromise all of the bodies systems. Yoga's most profound effect on our wellbeing is in it’s ability to alter our long-standing dysfunctional thoughts, patterns and behaviours. All of those unhealthy thoughts and habits that arrive when we are feeling out of balance and stressed. Habits that we may or may not be aware of, that we have no idea how to change.
Patanjali was onto this about 2,000 years ago when he said that the key to success in life was a dedicated, uninterrupted practice in yoga. Yoga can change our old neural pathways and replace them with healthier thoughts, actions and behaviours. The more we practice, the stronger the impressions. New positive grooves are made and they help guide us out of those vast ruts of stress and negative patterns that keep us feeling stuck.
