One word I hear a lot of these days is stress. From new Moms, to entrepreneurs to elite athletes, everyone has stress in one form of another in their lives. Did you know our bodies cannot physically differentiate between mental, emotional and physical stress? The emotions we attach to “stress” trigger the limbic system’s flight or fight response whether the body is under physical stress (extreme exercise) or mental stress (project deadlines). The hypothalamus, one of the busiest parts of the brain regulating the autonomic nervous system, is set off with the absence of homeostasis. Signals are then sent out releasing stress hormones like cortisol, increasing heart rate and raising blood pressure. Over time, this type of stress response leads to dis-ease in the body and even damage to the hippocampus and other vital parts of the brain. How we each deal with the stress in our lives is vastly different. I wondered, “What if we handled our stress more like an animal than a human?” So, I began to observe how my doggie Yogi handles stress.
Stress Busters Doggie-style:
1) Shake It Out!
You see dogs doing this all the time. Whether they just got hit on the head with a ball or encountered a not so friendly dog, they immediately shake from head to tail. When you are feeling stress in your body, shake it out! Dance, shimmy or bounce it out on a trampoline. Actually shake out the parts of your body that you feel stress reside. You are literally shaking off the stress reaction and preventing the full-on stress response in the body. You can even shout out while shaking it out to open up the throat chakra!
2) Hang it Out!
When our dog Yogi gets physically drained, emotionally concerned about suitcases around the house or heat over-load in his system, he hangs his tongue out and begins to pant. He is calming and cooling his nervous system. Try sticking your tongue out with Lion’s Breath. This breathing practice relieves tension in the face, neck and jaw. It can be done in almost every yoga pose and in the privacy of your own car if you are shy about hanging it out in public. It’s easy: Inhale through your nose deep and complete and then exhale through the mouth making a “ha” growling noise as you open your mouth wide, stick your tongue out as far as possible, and cross your eyes (not while driving). Inhale through the nose and repeat 3-5 times.
3) Play It Out!
Dogs notoriously follow their bliss! When they feel a lot of energy building up in their body and when they are needing to amp up their energy after a nap, they often burst into play or a full on run. Getting out for some active play releases tight stress-filled energy and brings into the body renewed, vibrant energy. When we feel stress in our body leading to the build up of energy we often label as “fear” or “anxiety”, taking a break away from the stress to play a bit, sharing in a walk with a friend or enjoying some exercise can totally help move the energy through the body rather than creating stress buildup. The important part for this buster is to follow your bliss! Find something you enjoy doing and focus your awareness on the sensations in your body or on the muscles you are exercises. You will return to your project or situation with a clear mind and open heart.
4) Give it a Rest!
Yogi takes several naps a day. He seems to nap directly after he has expended a lot of energy. This naturally balances his sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, lets his body recover from activity, and restores his energy. Taking moments throughout our day to give ourselves a rest can be a huge stress buster. If a nap isn’t possible, try walking away from a project for a few moments, taking a 10 minute meditation, singing out load, enjoying 5 minutes of deep conscious breathing, or spending some time in nature to give your brain and body a rest.
So, the next time stress comes knocking on your door, try some of these stress busters doggie-style.
Shanti Medina is a fitness and wellness coach specializing in core integration and stabilization, life’s transitions, empowered healing, trauma neuromuscular repatterning and spiritual transformations. Her passion lies in creating and celebrating community while inspiring her clients and students to move from a strong, balanced core in all aspects of their lives. Shanti humbly holds the certifications of Reiki Master/Teacher, Advanced Pranic Healer, American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach, Yoga and Pilates instructor, and Advanced Sports Nutritionist. She infuses the wisdom of these teachings to guide her students and clients into a unique embodied journey of discovery, observation and play living to their fullest potential by her tag line: Don’t Just Exercise, Energize™. You can find out more about Shanti by visiting her website at EnergizeShanti.com or becoming part of her Energize facebook community at: EnergizeShanti or join her Body Current blog.
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