You already know, that stress can cause diseases, if you suffer from stress over a longer period. So, what can you actually do to cope with stress? Sometimes you can’t influence the stressors, but you always can influence the way you react on these stressors with your body and your mind. One possible coping strategy is Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga, a form of Yoga, is a combination of physical exercises (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation. By training these exercises a balance between body and mind shall be reached. “Yoga is the answer to the infinite stresses modern day life brings us. Yoga brings balance to our lives, calms the restless mind, and brings us to a point of complete quiet.” (Iyengar 2014).This quote from a very popular Indian yoga teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, shows the quality of Hatha Yoga as a tool for stress management. Studies demonstrate, that Hatha Yoga strengthens the muscles and increases the flexibility. But did you already know, that Hatha Yoga decreases the cortisol level, which is a stress hormone and is increased produced during chronical stress!? Additionally, practicing Hatha Yoga can decrease heart rate and blood pressure and a lot of studies reported a recovery of anxiety states as well as a higher emotional well-being. You see, Hatha Yoga is effective.

Start now with your first session of Hatha Yoga. Be patient with yourself, it might be unusual in the beginning for you. Just take the plunge! It will help you to deal with stressors!