Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be very busy, stressful, tiring and downright exhausting! So, why not help yourself cope with Christmas better with a yoga or meditation class in the relaxing setting of our AMG London studio.
Yoga for stress relief
Yoga is much more than just a way to stay on shape and maintain flexibility. Yoga can reduce stress by calming your mind, relieving tension and promoting better sleep. (Something we could all do with by the time Christmas arrives!) Overall, yoga gives us permission to slow down, focus on one thing at a time and be mindful of our breathing. For an hour, all you need to do is focus on you, very relaxing after days of battling crowded stores and busy roads.
Certain yoga poses (known as asanas) can help relief stress, such as the child’s pose. This restful yoga position allows you to turn inwards mentally and, since your forehead is facing the floor, tunes out the rest of the class too. The child’s pose eases anxiety and stress in the shoulders while giving your back a gentle stretch, and it is also beneficial to the lymphatic system. The bridge pose is also good for the back and can help relieve headaches.
Most yoga sessions end with a few minutes in the classic savasana pose, where the body is totally relaxed. The simple act of just lying down flat on your back will trigger a relaxation response that also lowers your blood pressure and slows your breathing, leaving you more relaxed and ready for the festivities ahead.
If you’d like to relax with a local yoga class at AMG London, just call us for details. Our London ON lifestyle medicine center offers yoga and meditation, ballet and tae-kwon-do classes, as well as other ways to improve your health, including experts in sleep, posture and gait, hearing, eyesight, dental health and more. For more details, or to book a yoga class, call us.
Meditation for relaxation
Meditation has been used for centuries to relax the body and mind, find inner peace and develop a positive attitude. It can help calm your mind, improve focus and decrease anxiety levels and depression. Sometimes combined with yoga poses, or just practiced sitting, meditation can have beneficial effects in as little as 10 minutes.
Scientific analysis of meditation has shown that those who meditate show increased alpha wave brain activity (associated with relaxation), and may increase the activity in the part of the brain responsible for self-awareness, the hippocampus.
Meditation and mindfulness
You may have heard about mindfulness for stress reduction. Mindfulness is a form of meditation in that the practice involves being acutely aware of the present and recognising feelings, thoughts and our bodies in a calm state. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a therapy that incorporates elements such as yoga, meditation and mind-body exercises.
Want to destress this Christmas?
For more details of our yoga and other health and fitness classes, call AMG London at 519.873.1700.