| re several medical conditions that can be improved | | | | are shut down. This state of increased awareness |
| by practicing yoga. It can be used to lessen the | | | | and readiness is beneficial on a short term, preparing |
| negative effects of infertility, lung disease, Parkinson's | | | | our body to react to the outside interventions and |
| disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, cancer, high blood | | | | stimuli. Both in a fight and in a flight |
| pressure, and joint pain. The beneficial effects of | | | | situation, the body is physically and mentally prepared |
| yoga practices are well recognized not only by the | | | | to act. The problem arises when long-term exposure |
| yoga community but also by medical doctors. | | | | to similar stress takes place. This fight or flight |
| One of the main elements that lead to an illness is | | | | response is only meant to help on short periods of |
| stress. Being responsible for a huge number of | | | | time — the longer it is activated the less |
| sicknesses, this item, which we develop in our minds, | | | | resources will the body have to function normally. |
| can be reduced through a good usage of yoga | | | | There is a natural countermeasure for the fight or |
| techniques. Here are just some of the problems that | | | | flight response. It is called the parasympathetic |
| are related to an over active stress response: | | | | nervous system or the relaxation response. It |
| depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, | | | | is automatically activated when the elements that |
| some types of diabetes mellitus, cardio-vascular | | | | caused the stress are gone but it is also possible to |
| disease, several autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel | | | | increase its effects by breathing deeply and relaxing |
| syndrome, colitis, reproductive problems, and an | | | | your muscles. By increasing the length of this process |
| aggravated suppression of the immune system. | | | | we allow our body to recover faster, enabling it to |
| The response of the sympathetic nervous system | | | | eliminate the harmful effects of stress in a prompt |
| can trigger stress in our metabolism. The reaction to | | | | and efficient manner. |
| various outside stimuli is also known as the fight | | | | Yoga highlights the idea that by using breathing and |
| or flight response — the mind and body, | | | | relaxation techniques you can reduce the harmful |
| faced with an endangering or disturbing element, | | | | effects of stress factors on your body. A lessened |
| prepare for one of the two options. Physically, this is | | | | fight or flight response can also be achieved |
| manifested through an instantaneous heart rate | | | | by looking at adverse factors as challenges rather |
| increase, together with a high ascent of blood | | | | than threats. This approach allows your mind to focus |
| pressure. Breathing gets shallow and the muscles | | | | on finding a solution, rather than creating an abrupt |
| tense in anticipation to the following action. Internally, | | | | response. Another concept employed by this |
| this response reduces the blood flow to internal | | | | technique is that of acting versus reacting, of taking |
| organs and processes that are not essential in that | | | | initiative versus responding to outside factors. |
| particular moment (such as digestion and elimination) | | | | |