Now, I know you don't need a dedicated month to be aware of your life's stress. Chances are you're acutely aware of it! However, most people soak up their stress and don't honestly deal with it. At least not in a healthy way. Headaches, muscle aches, short tempers, lack of sleep, drinking, stress eating; it's all just the price to pay to get through the day, right?

This article will provide an overview of each, their benefits, similarities, and differences so that you can make an informed decision about whether these styles are a good fit for you. Nobody likes signing up for a class and then finding out it's not at all what they expected! And as much as I hate to say it, many yoga teachers can inadvertently cause some of this confusion with their choice of words. This article should help you be able to decipher class descriptions better so you know what the class is really about and ask questions if needed.

Relieving stress and reducing anxiety is often what brings people to a breath practice. However, there are several other benefits worth enjoying as well.

Balanced breathing is an easy breathing technique that can help you whether you need a pick-me-up or need to find calm during anxious or stressful situations.

There are tons of great breathing exercises available that can help with anxiety and stress. One of my favorites is 5 Finger Breathing. In this mindful breathing exercise, you engage multiple senses as you focus on the breath (sound) while tracing the outline of your fingers in sync with your inhale and exhale (touch). At the same time, you are watching one finger as it moves along the outline of your other hand (sight).

There’s a myth; maybe misinterpretation is a better way of saying it, that meditating always leaves you feeling good or better when you’re done. You’ll feel lighter, calm, peaceful, and enlightened somehow. And if you don’t, then you’re doing something wrong.

My experience in recent years changed my life completely and set me on a new path. I’m sharing my story about how I came to my breaking point with stress and anxiety two years ago and how my life and career changed as a result. My sincere hope is that this will resonate with someone else feeling like I did, and give them hope that change is possible for them in the New Year.

Ah, late November is here and the holiday season is in full swing. This is one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year and we are all under the gun to get things done. Avoiding stress right now is highly unlikely, but that doesn’t mean it has to take center stage and steal your spotlight.

Recently, I began exploring the idea of daily intention setting and how it may help reduce stress. Setting intentions is a well-known practice, but I hadn’t heard it being talked about much in regards to how daily intention-setting may help reduce or relieve stress. So, I thought I’d share my thoughts and some basics around the practice so you can figure out if you’d like to try it too.

Do you jump out of bed every morning refreshed and ready to greet the day? If you do, congratulations! But, this article probably isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you’re like most of us and getting out of bed is a slightly slower process filled with low energy and a few aches and pains, then read on!