The modern, industrialised & digital world has created a complex complication called stress. Very few are able to properly manage their stress levels & their corresponding symptoms. Stress is at the heart of our lives & affects a wide spectrum of ages. The symptoms of stress are both minor & serious. Stress is actually referred as a disease nowadays but this is an aberration. Stress can trigger a variety of diseases in a person & in itself, it is not a disease. Stress is both positive & negative. But it is mostly the negative stress which is emphasised. Positive stress is called EUSTRESS whereas negative stress is termed DISTRESS.

To better understand stress, it must be viewed from two distinct angles. And the essence is a change in the energy of a person, either a drop or an increase of the personal energy. The first angle is a lack of adaptation to new conditions such as the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, a new job, change of residence, a chronic disease, etc. New negative aspects of our personal lives trigger a lot of negative reactions in our system & the latter responds by giving us insomnia, acid reflux, migraine and many other symptoms. The next angle is to view stress via our emotions. Spiritually, we say that we must carefully control our emotions. Letting our emotions go wild is the beginning of both eustress & distress. Of course, we shall be more uncomfortable in distress. So, the more emotional a person is, the more the likelihood of being stressed. Spiritual practices like meditation, yoga & breathing exercises help a lot to manage emotions & hence, manage our daily stresses.

Breathing exercises are like a gem to calm down the bodily system which has been troubled by stress and they also serve to reinforce the energy states of a person who is not yet stressed. There is a huge variety of breathing techniques but I will not complicate your life with these. If you have a stressful life, it is very important to start the day with 8 minutes of deep breathing so that you prepare yourself for the hectic day. Then equally important is to have another 8 minutes of deep breathing before going to sleep so as to make a great preparation for a good night’s sleep. Conscious deep breaths are instantly beneficial to calm down a stressed person. This is because part of our real nature is breath itself.

The breathing exercise consists of sitting on a mat in the perfect yoga posture (called siddhasana) or the lotus posture (called padmasana) or simply in a chair with the spine straight. Then, with the eyes closed, start inhaling deeply without forcing & exhaling through the mouth. Try to extend as long as possible the duration of the exhalation. After some 10 inhalations, now when you inhale, start by taking the air from your navel region instead of the upper chest. And exhale through the mouth in the same way. You will see you will feel calm & relaxed. With regular practice, you will start to feel peaceful. After more regular practice, you will be able to retain that peaceful state with you or to get it back simply by becoming conscious of your breath. All breathing exercises are done 3 hours after a meal or on an empty stomach.