Stretching Away Stress - November 2006
By Sabrina Yoong

“Is ‘fallen pretzel’ a yoga position?” I ask my friend dryly as we step into the Rama Lotus Yoga Centre in downtown Ottawa. The last time I went to yoga, I fell over every time I was instructed to stand on one leg, elbows and knees flailing and contorted. I can run city blocks wearing stiletto heels when I’m late for work without a problem, but flamingo I am not. I keep coming back though, in an effort to improve my balance and ease stress.

Yoga is a very popular low-impact exercise that combines breathing, stretching and alternating postures that unites the mind and body. Yoga is great because it doesn’t require incredible physical fitness and stamina. An absolute beginner only needs to be able to breathe and stretch, and classes are available for novices to more experienced yogis (men who practice yoga) and yoginis (women who practice yoga).

Most bigger cities have a number of yoga studios, and smaller communities often offer yoga classes at community centres or gyms. Entering the studio room where our class is to take place, a dozen or so other people are silently stretching on yoga mats, thin rectangles of dense foam. My friend and I join them, preparing for our beginner Hatha Yoga class. Hatha yoga is the most popular mode of yoga that is used for exercise in the Western world. It focuses on relaxation, specific postures and pranayama. Pranayama literally means “breath control,” and is the specific rhythmic regulation of breathing to release and build energy. Focusing on breathing somehow melts away stress, and I always feel calm concentrating on the postures.

Yoga is practiced barefoot, and I watch my toes wiggle as I stretch. I cannot stress the importance of stretching before practicing yoga. Even though it feels weird to be stretching before doing exercise that is, essentially, stretching, I reassure you that it is worth it. In my experience, if I haven’t stretched enough before yoga, my body aches for days afterwards, and warming up lessens the likelihood that you’ll accidentally injure yourself.

The class begins with breathing exercises, and I try not to feel self-conscious as the instructor tells us to make popping noises with our breath. I slowly remember the things I dislike about yoga as the instructor walks around the class: feeling silly making noises and stumbling over myself to make sure I’m in the right postures. As she comes to me and gently corrects the angle of my knees, I recall all the things I really like about yoga: moving at my own pace, working out, but not feeling totally disgusting and sweaty, focusing on my breathing and muscles and concentrating so hard on the exercise that I forget anything that was stressing me out.

Every posture layers upon other postures and breathing that have been done before, which makes it really easy to move through. The class, which lasts 90 minutes, flies by and I get a real sense of achievement from being able to complete the routines and exercises. My body has stretched and twisted, my muscles have burned from the unfamiliar stretches of the postures and my mind is alert and peaceful. The instructor once again has us return to focused breathing and guides us through a visual exercise to help us meditate and cool down. I start to feel very relaxed and realize that I’m not alone in that sensation as I hear a classmate snoring (for the record, it is not recommended to fall asleep during meditation). The class is dismissed and my friend and I gather our things, feeling energized and focused.

There are a number of different kinds of yoga, based on different meditations and philosophies. Ashtanga yoga focuses on very precise postures and intentional breathing. Bikram yoga is practiced in a heated room with a temperature between 38 and 41 degrees that stimulates detoxification because you sweat, sweat, sweat and allows more flexibility and endurance. Bikram yoga focuses on 26 postures and two different breathing techniques and is recommended for individuals of all skill levels. Kundalini yoga is an ancient holistic practice that blends meditation and yogic philosophies with stretching and breathing and can be a bit more challenging.

Yoga does incredible things to release tension and ease stress, and concentrating on postures and breathing allows you to feel more in tune with your body. With the variety of yoga practices that are available, you are almost certain to find something you like, whether it is a video you do at home, a class in a hot room or a combination of yoga with another form of exercise. So get out there and stretch the stress away.

Links:

Yoga in Canada: Canadian Yoga Directory

Wikipedia.org: Hatha Yoga

The Rama Lotus Yoga Centre