The Art of Relaxation

By Liese van Dam – Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga teacher
 
Each time when we have to adapt to a new situation we experience some kind of stress. Each time anything changes in our world, whether this is of an physical, mental, emotional, social or spiritual nature, we need to adapt and create a new balance in our system. Our body has its own, very intelligent and protective mechanism to deal with change and stress.

Stress is unavoidable in our lives, especially in a world which is rapidly speeding up, a world with encreasingly higher demands and a world in which we also demand more and more of ourselves. Stress-related complaints and burn-out are becoming common, and it is not only managers or business people who are susceptable. This can really affect anyone who has difficulty managing stress. So the question is not really whether we experience stress in our lifes but rather how we deal with it and to what extend we can strengthen our immunity so our bodies become more resilient. Yoga and Ayurveda offer great techniques to manage stress better in our lifes and to helps us build strong immunity. Both disciplines can really help to make you more skilled at dealing with stress and tension, so you become better at not overloading yourself, to be more able to stay more calm and centred in stressful situations and to take effective downtime.By living a lifestyle in tune with our unique constitution our immunity will become stronger and are we less likely to fall ill from the effects of change and stress.

 
Yoga:
 
  • teaches us to relax while exerting. And relaxation does not just mean doing nothing!
  • encourages deep breathing filling our bodies with oxygen, slowing down heartrate and increasing prana, the vital energy
  • gives us sound practices which nourish our nervous system to deepen the breath naturally
  • teaches yoga Nidra. Which helps to access deep relaxation. While in a final relaxation you enter a state between being waking and sleeping which is truly rejuvenating
 
Ayurveda:
 
  • helps us to choose those foods best suited for us, foods which build our immunity and which are most nourishing to our nervous system
  • helps us to live more in tune with our personal rhythm bringing balance and strong resilience
  • teaches us simple massage techniques which give instant relaxation and when done at night a deep night sleep
  • helps us to gain better sleep at night and being more alert and present during the day
 
Learn more about “The Art of Relaxation” in a workshop with Liese on December 12th from 14.00-17.00 at Yoga Moves.