Do not rush to conclusions. Yes, yoga improves flexibility, strength and endurance, but its main effect is different. It allows us to temporarily forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and calm the mind. By constantly switching attention from one object to another (namely, this is what happens when we are distracted or we are forced to do several things at the same time), we begin to accumulate stress. During the practice of yoga, a person keeps attention on the body and breath, while maintaining concentration. This changes our physiology, and after the session we are more balanced, we feel good and calm. Practicing, “curbing” the body, performing asanas, we sort of turn our consciousness inward. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the body’s recovery processes.” It also normalizes the production of hormones, including the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin (“hormones of happiness”), thanks to which our mood improves after yoga. However, it is not always possible to maintain this effect for a long time. How to keep the mood after yoga practice Experts believe that the main problem – in ourselves. We ourselves destroy our mood when, leaving the hall, we again plunge into the hustle and bustle, start thinking about urgent matters, important calls, etc., losing the moment here and now. Therefore, the main way to maintain the right attitude after practice is not to immediately rush into chaos, to be more aware and attentive to what you are doing at any given moment. Some do it easier, others harder. At risk are those who skip classes. The practice of yoga has a cumulative effect, that is, the more often you practice, the easier it will be for you to maintain a relaxed state after the class, and vice versa. After practice, those who lead a sedentary lifestyle in general lose the right mood faster. If a person does not feel his body, does not know his reactions well enough, then he will be more vulnerable to stress and, accordingly, will lose the effect of the lesson faster. The following techniques will help maintain the effect. * Perform breathing exercises. Concentrating on our own inhalations and exhalations, we streamline our attention, direct it to one point. This exercise will help enhance the effect: take a deep breath for 4 counts, then hold your breath for 4 counts and exhale slowly, counting from 1 to 6. Why do we stretch the exhalation? When we inhale, our heart rate increases. rhythm, pressure rises. As you exhale, your heart rate slows down and your blood pressure drops. During breath holding – in the pause between inhalation and exhalation – mental processes stop for a moment, thoughts do not arise. The same exercise can be done while walking: inhale – 4 steps, hold your breath – 4 steps, exhale – 6 steps. Immediately recover, and energy will increase.
Relax your facial muscles. They are the first thing we do in stressful situations. And only then the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, etc. “pull up” (read – shrink), etc. You can stop this reaction simply by relaxing your eyes. Try to shift your gaze to an open space, such as the sky. Look at it for a few minutes. Then rub your palms together to warm them up, and place them over your eyelids and close your eyes.* Try to slow down. Don’t check your email or social media status once you’ve finished your yoga class or rolled up your mat after home practice. Focus on yourself, your movements and sensations, and not on external affairs and problems. * Add pranayama and inverted asanas to your practice. The former help to relax better, the latter clear the head well of extraneous thoughts and allow you to look at some current issues from a different angle. Also, be sure to complete any shavasana session – this is a kind of reboot for the brain. Try these techniques to help you stay positive for a long time after your yoga practice. Techniques that increase the feeling of awareness will also be effective.