Yoga Poses for Your Mind

I've had some readers ask for more yoga posts, so I found this infographic displaying yoga poses that are beneficial for your body and your mind. Some of these look really difficult, especially for newbies like me, but I want to work up to these poses. I encourage you to do some research on yoga sequences, or if you're like me, look on Pinterest for videos and infographics. There is so much out there!

Infographic from this link 

How have you been incorporating yoga into your life? Have you seen results in your overall stress level?

Get Your Yoga On

Believe it or not, you don't have to be the skinny mom at the gym or the dirty hippie guy on the Union Lawn to do yoga. There are many types of yoga, but they all consist of stretching, strengthening, and breathing. According to Tessa Graf from my Apeiron post, the people who best benefit from yoga are those who live in a fast-paced society. Ahem, all of us. It can also help people with mobility problems. Graf gave the example of people in assisted living completing chair yoga. It can be modified for every person and has incredible benefits for stress relief.

I haven't ever consistently done yoga but I would like to start doing short combinations of poses to help strengthen my body and reduce my stress levels. This video from Youtuber erinmotz gives several great stress relief tips and shows you some moves even the newest beginner can try. The best part is, all of this can be done in a dorm room! Let me know what you think, and tell me if you've found other poses that help you! 

Why You Can Make Art and Get Massages for Stress Relief

This weekend was the Apeiron research presentation day at my university. At this event, students present research or practicums they have completed over the year for other students, faculty, and community members. Tessa Graf, a psychology student, completed research over Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (CAM) for stress reduction and I was so intrigued by what she discovered.

Did you know 43% of adults feel like they aren't managing their stress, and 54% of college students report feeling overwhelming anxiety? You could use pills and medicines to reduce these ailments, but for those of us who are hesitant to try or who have tried and not been successful with pills, there are alternative therapies that could prove to be more successful than the pharmaceutical route.

In the next few blog posts, I will be outlining the therapies Graf researched. I think it is so important to look seriously at alternative therapies because many of them are free! Below is a list of alternative therapies to research for yourself...it might be worth it!

• Stress and relaxation techniques
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Acupuncture
• Kava
• Homeopathic or naturopathic medicine
• Dietary supplements or herbal products
• Massage therapy
• Art, music, or dance therapy
• Meditation, prayer, or pastoral counseling, including mindfulness
• Bioelectromagnetic therapies

*This list was adapted from a post by the American Anxiety and Depression Association of America