Top 5 ways to deal with stress through Ayurveda

Stress is undeniable part of the hectic modern lifestyle. How well one is able to tackle stress depends upon his/her emotional and mental strength and stability. These are 5 ways to tackle them with the help of Ayurveda.

1. Breathe Deeply –As simple as it may sound, to breathe deeply is to slow the world down and take some time for yourself. To start with, take the much needed 5 minute break from your stressful routine. Sit up straight with your eyes closed and a hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start at your nose and work its way to the abdomen. Reverse this as you exhale through your mouth. Some basic breathing exercises like Praanayam can be practised for a better concentration.

 

2. Massage –A soothing relaxing massage is something which no one will say a no to. A short 5 minute head and neck massage will help ease out half your work worries. It will also help you get back to your work with added energy. Medicinal ayurvedic oils like Karpooradi Thailam and Dr. Sudha’s Massage oil are the best for massaging the head and neck to relieve the stiffness and stress of the muscles. If time permits, one can enjoy the stress busting Shirodhara, Abhyanga / Pizhichil, Nasyam treatments. These not only calm your mind down but also help in detoxifying your body.

3. Meditation – Since the mind is where stress begins, having the ability to calm it down helps a great deal. A daily investment in meditation for 10-15 minutes helps one clear the clutter and bear the storm. Concentrate and consciously remove each of the disturbing thoughts from your mind. There isthis postwhich helps you break into meditation even if you’re not spiritually inclined and there is this one if you are.

4. Exercises and yoga –Whether it’s yoga or any other relaxing form of exercise, it works much in the same way as meditation because it gives you the time to be alone with your thoughts (or an opportunity to let them go). It also helps prevent other health issues like obesity and improves your mood too. Yoga’s child’s pose or bala-asana and the corpse pose or shavasana are good places to start.

5. Eat healthy –Unhealthy food can not only upset the digestive system but can also cause depression. Include lots of seasonal fruits and green vegetables in your daily diet. This will clean up your system and improve your mental health. Choose foods which are high in fibre content and make you feel light. Nuts like almonds and walnuts are great health boosters. Medicinal combinations like Brahma Rasayanam,Bhrahmi capsules and Aswagandha capsules act as brain tonics, relax the mind, help you calm your thoughts down and induce good sleep. These Ayurvedic preparations also help strengthen the memory and can be used in several stress related conditions like depression.