Proven Ayurveda Tips to manage your stress
Stress is actually a normal part of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate you to get that promotion at work, or run the last mile of a marathon. But if you don’t get a handle on your stress and it becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere with your job, family life, and health.
The fact that stress plays an important role in the aetiology of several diseases is well recognized in Ayurveda, where, stress is known as sahasa. Caraka advises to avoid sahasa(stress) as it adversely affects the body. Different types of stressors physical, psychological and environmental as they vitiate dosas are implicated in the etiology of several diseases. Sahasa as it causes ojahksaya– (loss of immunity), increase the susceptibility of the body to various infectious diseases. Therefore, sahasa(stress) should be avoided as far as possible and body should be well protected by talking adequate care of the three sub pillars of life-diet, sleep and celibacy.
Causes of Stress-
We all react differently to stressful situations. What is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. Almost anything can cause stress. For some people, just thinking about something or several small things can cause stress.
Issues about Job and The Workplace
Financial Problems
lack of time or money
Personal Relationships, marriage , Divorce
Illness, family problems
Children
Daily Hassles / Being Too Busy
Changes to the body
Stress slows normal bodily functions, such as the digestive and immune systems. All resources can then be concentrated on rapid breathing, blood flow, alertness, and muscle use.
The body changes in the following ways during stress:
blood pressure and pulse rate rise
breathing is faster
the digestive system slows down
immune activity decreases
the muscles become tense
a heightened state of alertness prevents sleep
Types of Stress- Acute stress
This type of stress is short-term and is the most common way that stress occurs. Acute stress is often caused by thinking about the pressures of events that have recently occurred, or upcoming demands in the near future. It does not cause the same amount of damage as long-term, chronic stress. Short-term effects include tension headaches and an upset stomach, as well as a moderate amount of distress. However, repeated instances of acute stress over a long period can become chronic and harmful.
Episodic acute stress
People who frequently experience acute stress, or whose lives present frequent triggers of stress, have episodic acute stress.
A person with too many commitments and poor organization can find themselves displaying episodic stress symptoms. These include a tendency to be irritable and tense, and this irritability can affect relationships. Individuals that worry too much on a constant basis can also find themselves facing this type of stress. This type of stress can also lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Chronic stress
This is the most harmful type of stress and grinds away over a long period. Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage can cause chronic stress. It occurs when a person never sees an escape from the cause of stress and stops seeking solutions. Sometimes, it can be caused by a traumatic experience early in life. Chronic stress can continue unnoticed, as people can become used to it, unlike acute stress that is new and often has an immediate solution. It can become part of an individual’s personality, making them constantly prone to the effects of stress regardless of the scenarios they come up against. People with chronic stress are likely to have a final breakdown that can lead to suicide, violent actions, heart attacks, and strokes.
Stress-Management by Ayurveda
The fact that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is well recognized in Ayurveda, as its foremost objective is maintenance and promotion of the health of the healthy.
1.Avoiding Stress :
Sahasam sada varjayate. Rationally the best approach is to hit at the root cause, and this is particularly ideal strategy in the stress management. However, in today’s world of bottle neck competition, stress is an inevitable companion of success. This stress is justified also because of the results it brings along; however, the stress induced diseases cannot be acceptable.
2. Ahara:
The coping capacity of the body can be increased by life style modifications, dietary interventions and / or drug treatment. Take nutritious & digestible diet at regular timings. Avoid Apathyakar diet.
3. Take a Bath:
For temporary stress taking a bath with hot water is helpful to relieve stress. Bath relaxes the nervous system, releases tension, and helps to quiet the mind. Use hot water for kapha and vata, warm water for pitta.
4. Do Abhyanga (Ayurvedic Oil Massage):
This ancient practice of self-massage with oil calms the nervous system, lubricates and rejuvenates the tissues, and promotes healthy circulation throughout the body. It is no coincidence that the Sanskrit word for oil, sneha, also means love.
Each morning, before a shower or bath, massage about ¼–½ cup warm organic oil into the skin.
5. Massage Your Feet Before Bed:
Before bed, apply some warm seasome Oil to your feet. Or if you prefer, use plain Brahmi Oil, or Bhringaraj Oil. This practice grounds the energy, soothes the nervous system, reduces stress, quiets the mind, and promotes sound sleep. Remember that sleep is one of the body’s most essential avenues of rejuvenation. Be sure to wear some old socks to bed to protect your sheets.
6. Rasayana Therapy:
Dietary interventions and drug treatment all these being well organized under the umbrella of rasayana therapy, rasayana tantra as the branch that improves longevity along with physical and mental strength and immunity.
Acara rasayana, constitutes the balanced use of sense organs, non-violence and self control is advised. This also suggests a regular routine free from stress.
Ajasrika rasayana is about observing a nutritious and balanced dietary routine. A balanced diet consisting of all the six rasas and modified as per desa, kala (climate, environment and season), age and prakrti (dosic constitution) of the individual. In disease states, the dietary substances opposite to vitiated dosas are advised.
Chyavanprash, BrahmaRasayana, Amalaki Rasayana theses are some of popular rasayana medicines.
7. Pranayama:
Prana, the vital breath, is the subtle essence of the life force that animates each of us. It infuses every cell and tissue throughout our bodies and is carried on and stimulated by the breath. Imbibing prana helps to restore fluidity and vitality to the subtle energy channels of the body while digesting and eliminating stagnation and ama (toxins). One of the best ways to bathe our tissues in fresh prana is to practice pranayama (yogic breathing exercises). The practice of Nadi Shodhana is especially effective at clearing accumulated tension, relieving stress, and supporting an improved mental disposition in the face of everyday stressors.
8.Yoga:
Yoga moves prana in the body, helps to dissipate tension, clears stagnation, and encourages fluidity, both in the tissues as well as in the mental and emotional spheres.
9.Supportive Herbs and Formulas:
Ayurveda also reveres a number of herbs for their ability to foster clarity and health in the mind-body organism. Ayurveda has plenty of anti stress medicines but these should be always used with proper guidance of ayurveda expert. These herbs specifically bolster the mind and the nervous system, and can help to encourage a sense of ease in the face of our daily challenges.