I recently took a trip home to be with my family. During that time I hardly did my yoga practice at all. It does not take long for me to start feeling the effects of stress creeping back into my body when I don’t practice: tense shoulders, a cranky spine, stiff neck, poor digestion and elimination, low energy and mood just to name a few! Yoga helps with all of these conditions and more.

Here in the 21st century we live in a stressful world. The stressors are all around, from sitting for long periods of time in chairs, driving in traffic, electromagnetic stress from cell phones and computers, taking in stressful images on television, and just observing the state of the world; what is happening economically, politically, socially and to the environment. All of this stress whether it is physical, mental or spiritual accumulates in our bodies. Yoga can very effectively help reduce the effects of stress on the body, mind and spirit.

The postures of hatha yoga are designed to open the body on several levels not only on a physical level. They also work to open the energy body and restore the freedom of movement throughout the energetic system. We are all made of energy. Quantum Physics understands that at the smallest level of matter is pure potential and all of life vibrates at this level.

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, whereby they have understood that energy moves through pathways in the body called meridians. Recent theory says that these meridians may be in the connective tissue of the body. Energy is invisible. Yet we all know very clearly whether we have it or not; when we feel it and when we don’t.

An eastern view of energy (in China it is called Chi; in India and in yogic philosophy it is called prana) is that when there is a free flow of energy throughout the body that is a state of health. When a blockage occurs that is when there is a disruption in vitality, energy and over time that area becomes a weak point prone to dis-ease.

Yoga works to open the body physically and energetically by restoring a free flow of energy thereby increasing vitality and well being. Physically the body is stretched and lengthened, toned and balanced, compressed and opened. Energy starts to move in places where is has become stuck due to physical and mental holding. Stress gets held in the body. It must be worked out on a regular basis.

The effects of stress on the body that I have seen are tightness, tension, a feeling of being constricted, pain, low energy, headaches, uneasiness, inability to sleep well, insomnia, poor or shallow breathing, anxiety, a feeling of suffocating, and digestive problems. The effects of stress on the mind can be depression, a feeling of being overwhelmed, confused, angry and frustrated.

I have taught yoga since 2001. During this time I taught at a community college for four years. I had my students write a reflection paper at the end of each quarter to tell me about their experience. Many were brand new students that had never had any exposure to anything like yoga ever before. They were in class with me for fifty minutes, two days a week, for ten weeks. I encouraged them to practice a little at home, yet many did not.

The feed back I got astounded me. I had people in there that had problems with insomnia for a long time were now starting to sleep. People who were on medication for depression were able to get off of it. Most people just felt more calm, centered and focused and ready for whatever the day brought them. The majority of people were getting great results with dealing with all kinds of stress in just two fifty minute sessions a week.

Now just think about what would be possible with a daily practice. With a daily practice when stress comes up you are better able to handle it and the next day you work it out, so it doesn’t have a chance to build up and accumulate. That is why it is said that yoga is a lifestyle; it changes you. You become a different person, more relaxed, focused and aware. It does take time to learn and practice and discipline to do regularly. Yet isn’t it worth the effort to learn and possibly to get up early or reschedule some things in your day to have the ability to set yourself free and be happy no matter what is going on outside of you? It may take years to reach this level of mastery yet isn’t it worth being proactive and taking steps that will help you get there eventually if you commit to it?

Yoga works to focus the mind and to create some space between the mind and the thoughts; the mind becomes like the blue sky observing the passing of clouds. When you strengthen this ability to be the observer, be aware, be present and hold the mind on your object of attention (in hatha yoga it is the breath or the sensation in the body) you free yourself from the stressful thoughts and limiting beliefs and this process washes your mind, it has a cleansing effect on the mind.

When the body is free from tightness and constriction and the mind is free from thoughts (especially limiting thoughts) the spirit is free to soar. You feel uplifted. You are giving space within your being for your spirit to be. Yoga is also said to be a state of bliss (samadhi) when you are happy for no reason at all you can not feel stressed.

The ultimate Goal of yoga is enlightenment (to be in knowledge of). This knowledge comes from the spirit in a place of quiet; the mind is quiet to receive the infinite wisdom of the spirit. It has been said that we can not fix our problems from the level of our problems; we must achieve a higher state of consciousness and approach the situation from that expanded place. When we reach the state of yoga we are able to see our problems (stresses of life) from a different perspective and quite possibly find a solution to the situation. Or at least observe the situation without causing ourselves pain in the process. It all starts with us.

Gandhi said we must be the change we want to see in the world. If we want to live in a world that is more peaceful we must create peace within ourselves. Yoga can be a great way to create that inner peace and reduce the effects of stress on the body, mind and spirit.