Yoga De-Stress

De-Stress With Yoga

by the PN Coaching Team

“The yoga mat is a good place to turn when talk therapy and antidepressants aren’t enough.”
-Amy Weintraub

Today we’ve got a fun task for you. Today, you’re going to find a yoga studio and take a yoga class.

Now, some of you may already take yoga. That’s cool. Schedule a class for today.

Others may have sworn never to walk into a yoga studio. Well too bad. Today’s the day to discover the benefits that come along with this type of activity.

Research published in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that people who practiced yoga regularly for four years or more actually gained less weight as they get older. Moreover, overweight individuals who practiced yoga for four or more years managed to lose weight over a 10-year period.

“Losing weight isn’t just about physical activity and it isn’t just about cognitive skills like counting calories, weighing portions or not stocking junk in your pantry,” says Alan Kristal, Ph.D., researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and co-author of the above-mentioned yoga study. “If you’re going to lose weight and keep it up, you need to be mindful in addition to these things.”

Since yoga practitioners feel more in tune with their bodies, they are responsive to their body’s sensations - including hunger and satiety. When you’re more aware of why you’re eating or not eating, you could lose weight almost by accident.

Want to slim down mindfully? Here’s how yoga can help:

Yoga helps you bear discomfort without reacting to it.
Sometimes we encounter awkward or almost painful postures - for some of us it’s Tree pose and for others it’s Pigeon. Rather than grit your teeth and hold your breath, yoga trains you to observe the tension and breathe deeply into it to coax your muscles or joints open - or to deal with it as is. You can apply this same technique to other uncomfortable situations, such as an intense craving for ice cream or cookies.

“I suggested to one of my program participants to try sitting with her feelings instead of eating junk food when she was unhappy,” says Altman. “The next time she had a craving, she drove into a fast-food restaurant’s parking lot and sat in her car for 40 minutes. She realized that she had never given her unhappiness a name. That day she realized she was lonely and that a burger and fries wouldn’t make that feeling go away.”

Yoga teaches you to de-stress - on the spot.

Deep breathing from your belly has an immediate calming effect on your mind, which is why pranayama is useful when we start freaking out in the middle of Half Moon pose. We normally take spills when we’re worrying about losing balance. Concentrating on your breath clears your head so you can align yourself deliberately.

Similarly, if you don’t manage stress, it can drive you to making poor choices, says Altman. That’s why, when high anxiety induces a fight-or-flight response in your brain, you zoom to the vending machines to divert yourself from mental anguish. Taking a pause with a deep breath during challenging parts of your day help you take a detour from the Doritos. Try this breathing exercise the next time you need to center yourself.

Yoga coaches us to change.

Think about your very first, second or third Downward Dog and how far and fluid it has become in your practice. Yoga can cultivate the confidence needed to take a step toward change in general, such as making healthier food choices. “We create new neural networks in our brain every time we do something unfamiliar,” says Altman. “It gives us hope that we can eat a meal and approach it in an entirely new way - and that helps us keep at it.”

That’s all good, but can yoga really help with eating habits? One program explored the efficacy of a yoga program for treating binge-eating disorder (along with mindful eating strategies). 1 hour of yoga per week, for 12 weeks, resulted in a significant decrease in binge eating. Other things like body image, self-esteem, depression and anxiety were also improved.

Not just any yoga will do for today. There are many types of yoga, as you’ll see below.

Ayurveda

Ayurvedic yoga combines Asanas (physical exercises and postures), Pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. Asanas strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and lead to a wonderful feeling of rejuvenation. The aim of Ayurvedic Yoga is to bring natural order and balance to our neuro-hormones and metabolism. Adherents see this as a natural way to treat stress and stress-related disorders.

Ashtanga

This particular discipline involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures. The result is intense internal heat and profuse sweating, which detoxifies both the muscles and the organs. Adherents of Ashtanga yoga, which is the most vigorous form practiced, claim that the results include improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.

Meditation

Meditation yoga (also known as Sahaja Yoga) was developed by Sri Mataji Nirmala Devi, and aims to awaken a dormant energy, known as the Kundalini, located at the base of the spine. Meditation yoga very much emphasizes the spiritual aspects of the practice.

Hatha

Hatha yoga is the most commonly practised form in the west, its combination of Asanas, Pranayama and meditation providing a balanced approach to physical and mental health.

Iyengar

Iyengar yoga is characterized by specific techniques, including:

• Very precise alignment in the execution of the postures (Asanas)
• Sequencing Asanas towards a desired result
• Holding the Asanas for a precise length of time
• Using props to help a student gain the maximum benefit from each asana
Kundalini
Kundalini Yoga incorporates a number of elements, including;
• Breathing techniques (Pranayama)
• Postures (Asanas)
• Sounds
• Chanting (mantra)
• Meditation

This is a potent and effective system of self-transformation and personal development. Regular practice will help you to develop a healthy body, a balanced mind, and open the door to your full potential.

Bikram

Bikram Yoga is a unique series of 26 traditional Hatha Yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises, all performed in a heated room. The entire workout takes approximately 90 minutes, and will leave you with a feeling of vibrant good health and well being.

Prenatal

For pregnant women, prenatal yoga is an excellent way to stay in shape and prepare for the rigors of both pregnancy and childbirth. The stretching and strengthening work is of great preparation for labour, with exercises which can be safely practices in all three trimesters of pregnancy.
We know, there are a lot of types. For this week, we want you to choose a more relaxation-based yoga such as Hatha. After all, it is a recovery week.

WHERE TO GO

You can find a yoga class at your gym or a specialized yoga facility. You can even find a private yoga instructor to help you out.

If you have trouble locating a class or you have a tight schedule, hit up the local library and check-out a yoga DVD/video that you can do at home.

Obviously this was bound to happen.  We all saw it coming, the emergence of kettlebells as an underground sport to the bright rays of the mainstream sunlight as a recognized and reputable form of fitness and with it all the bandwagon jumping “expert” trainers looking to increase their book with little to no regard for the art of kettlebell training and as such, with little to no regard for the safety of their clients.  At Punch we see the unfortunate aftermath of these overzealous trainers, who in the end are barely kettlebell enthusiasts never mind qualified kettlebell instructors - their former clients seeking us out to fix their form, body and most of all mindset over the benefits of kettlebell training. so here it is, take a look at our level 1 test (as performed by Regan Arreola one of our Punch Kettlebell Gym Wisconsin trainers), it’s the minimum requirement at becoming kettlebell certified and comes at the end of a process that involves your commitment and fidelity to the integrity of kettlebell training.

Take a look and give it a shot…if you think you have it in you send it to us on video, if it looks good we’ll send it out in the next minute of strength.

Breakdown:

treat this like a flow drill - at no time are you allowed to put the kettlebell down.
perform each exercise for 30 seconds
a 5 second break is allowed per exercise (resting at the beginning or end of the exercise)

The routine:

starting on the right side:
half get-up
high pull to a snatch (30 seconds)
presses (30 seconds)
long cycle cleans (30 seconds)
swings (30 seconds)
fig 8 to a hold (30 seconds - ending in your left hand)
swings (30 seconds)
long cycle cleans (30 seconds)
presses (30 seconds)
high pull to a snatch (30 seconds)
reverse half get-up (ending on the floor)