De-stress and Rejuvenate with Yoga

During your Wedding Preparations

and Live Happily Ever After

Wedding planning and the actual wedding day can be very stressful, bringing some yoga routines to your daily regime can help to focus, relax and enjoy this special occasion.

Together as a couple or individually – the perfect way to prepare for your special event and move forward into a healthy & balanced future.

‘Yoga’ generally is used to refer to a series of poses and breathing exercises designed to increase strength and flexibility, bring balance, free flow of movement and relaxation to your body and mind.

The ancient art of Yoga originated in India.  Yoga means union, as in the union of the body, mind and spirit, the union between the individual and the collective consciousness or the union between two individuals. The ancient yogis understood that a worshipful attitude towards your partner created a neuro-chemical change in the brain that allowed for the experience of ecstasy and bliss.

The various schools of yoga (Iyengar Birkham, Ashtanga etc) that teach physical exercises (asanas) regardless of the particular orientation are Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga like ancient Greek ideals attaches a lot of importance to the perfect physical form –postural alignment flexibility agility and strength.

The Sanskrit term – ‘Hatha’ is derived from the two root terms, 'ha' meaning 'the sun' and 'tha' meaning 'the moon'. Taken together, (and since yoga means union) the term stands for 'union of force'.  Central to Hatha Yoga is harmonizing the positive (sun) and negative (moon) currents, the feminine and masculine, the finite self with the infinite self. The focus is how to bring about harmony of the inner and outer realms (body, mind and spirit).

Practising Yoga with your partner can elevate your relationship to a higher level.

and since the marrying of two individuals is about bringing two into one (...and the two shall become one...) there is no better way to enhance this journey than to practice yoga with your partner.

Yoga can harmonize the mind with the body and this can result in real benefits….

The benefits of Hatha Yoga are too numerous to mention all in one article, but allow me to provide a summary of the most obvious and immediate ones that will benefit all couples in the lead up to their wedding celebration, during the stressful organization stages and   subsequently in promoting a healthy life together into the future.

Physical benefits:

Improvement of flexibility and muscle joint mobility; strengthens, tones, and builds muscles; corrects posture; strengthens the spine; eases back pain; improves muscular-skeletal conditions such as bad knees, tight shoulders and neck; increases stamina; creates balance and grace; increases circulation; improves heart conditions; creates breath awareness; boosts immune response; decreases cholesterol and blood sugar levels and encourages weight loss.

Flexibility:Stretching tight muscles helps them to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints.

Strength:Many yoga poses require the body to support its weight in new ways, including balancing on one leg or supporting the body with the arms. Other routines are performed by moving slowly in and out of poses, all of which increase core body strength.

Muscle tone:Yoga routines also assist to develop muscle tone as muscles are required to tense and hold body weight.

Pain Prevention:Modern life requires people to unnaturally stand or sit for extended periods of time. This can cause tightness, spinal compression, or tired and swollen legs, poses can be used to counteract those effects as in inverted poses.

Breathing (pranayamas): Stress, common to contemporary life “styles” effect also how we breathe. Generally the breath becomes very shallow and individuals do not give much thought to the breath (the mind is else where). Yogic breathing exercises, focus the attention on the breath and teach you how to better use your lungs, which benefits the entire body.  Tantric breathing practices have been used for centuries to enhance and expand intimacy for couples.

Mental and Psychological benefits;

Mental relaxation/calmness,  Reduction of stress responses; increased introspection, focused attention (mindfulness); sharper concentration and body awareness.

Yoga works remarkably to achieve this harmony and helps the mind work in sync with the body…..

Mental Calmness:Yoga asana practice is intensely physical.  Concentrating so intently on what the body is doing has the effect of bringing calmness to the mind. Using meditation techniques and pranayamas assist and aim at quieting the “inner dialogue”, which help rest and calm the mind from the endless stream of uncontrolled thought patterns.

It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubt the mind and body connection.

Stress Reduction:Any physical activity is good for relieving stress, and yoga through its physical routines or meditative approaches certainly is an aid. Yoga requires concentration and focus which in it self draws one in the here and now. This provides a much-needed break from daily stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective.

Body Awareness:Doing yoga develops an increased awareness of our own body. I often like to describe the Asanas as a means to achieve body awareness through movement. In yoga often it’s required to make small, subtle movements to improve postural alignment and correct application of the asana. Over time, this will increase awareness, improve posture and assists in developing greater self-confidence and comfort in and with the body.

Self Esteem: Yoga practices include meditation and relaxation techniques that assist you to develop self-awareness that can lead to a heart-centered opening in the love relationship with your self and your partner. Meditation also connects one to one’s soul and balances the female and male energies in the body. Yoga and  meditations the development of self awareness and the ability to listen without ‘filters’ has been known to end arguments, get rid of grudges and clear the clouds between couples. All of which improve self-esteem.

To Conclude

Yoga practiced correctly is a tool to blend the polarity energies for spiritual and personal growth. The focus stays at the heart, which projects love and caring, with the attainment of our highest potential.

Within each of us is the germ, or seed, of the opposite polarity, which attracts us to each other. Practicing yoga as a couple allows you to experience wholeness of being through the unique promise of Unity that only yoga brings.

Plan as an alternative to traditional wedding events a yoga-themed group class with your bridal group to create a sense of unity and calmness.

On the Big Day - Relax, Rejuvenate and Renew with a morning yoga class. Look and feel radiant as you walk down the aisle. Let your true beauty shine!

Have fun and practice with patience.

 Gregory Damaskos is a naturopath, psychotherapist, public speaker, health educator and a writer for several national and international publications.

He has appeared on TV and Radio programs on health matters and is the director of Authenticity Spa Resort.  Call +61 (0) 8 85542088 www.Authenticity.com.au