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The world can be a hectic place, with new causes of stress appearing almost every day. It seems as though it's next to impossible to find a moment to stop and relax, and even when those rare moments arrive the weight of the day keeps pressing in... it's no wonder so many people wake up feeling almost more tired than they were when they went to bed.
Luckily, there are simple solutions to some of life's problems... a few minutes of specialized exercise here and there can erase most of the stress and strain and leave you feeling like a new person. Next time you're feeling stressed, try out these simple yoga exercises and see if they don't help to wipe the slate clean.
First, find a quiet place and sit with your back straight and your head held high. Remove any glasses or contact lenses and face forward, letting your arms hang loose with your hands in your lap. Breathe in slowly, and exhale... breathe only through your nose if you can, and focus on the rising and falling of your chest, along with the feel of the air as it enters and leaves your body.
Without moving your head, look diagonally up and to the right as far as you can. Continue looking this way for a moment, then slowly shift your gaze diagonally down and to the left. Hold this for a moment, and then repeat the two motions a total of three times. Once you've completed the three glances of up and down in this manner, do the same thing in the opposite directions... up and to the left, down and to the right, three times each.
Next, look straight up as far as you can (again, without moving your head), and then down. Repeat the up-down combination a total of three times, and then switch to left and right. Perform all of these motions slowly, deliberately, and a total of three times each.
After you've moved your eyes in each direction, start rolling your eyes in a slow and wide circle clockwise. Repeat this circle three times, and then do the same thing counterclockwise. As you perform each of these motions, be sure to keep breathing deep breaths... and let the stress of the day flow out with each out breath.
For your final eye motion, place your left arm straight out in front of you, with the index finger pointing upward at eye level. Do the same with the right arm, but have the hand drawn in closer so that it's about even with the elbow of the left arm. Focus both eyes on the left hand for a complete in-out breath, and then switch to the right; repeat this three times, and then put your hands back in your lap.
Moving on from your eyes to your neck, begin by turning your head as far as you can to the right (as though you were trying to look at the wall behind you.) Should there be any pain, don't push it . . . after all, you're trying to feel better, not worse. After a few moments, move your head slowly to the left, as far as you can; repeat these two motions four times.
Much like you did with your eyes, you'll now go through another series of motions with your neck. First tilt your head back until you can see the ceiling, and then forward so that your chin rests on your chest. Do these four times, and then tilt your head to the right side (as though you were trying to put your ear on your shoulder.) Repeat this to the left, doing both four times, and then do four large and slow circles both clockwise and counterclockwise. During any of these exercises, your head should be the only part of the body that moves... keep your shoulders where they are.
Again, should you feel any pain during any of these motions (with your eyes or your neck), stop what you're doing and don't push it. These exercises will reduce neck stress and eye strain, and can give you a feeling of overall relaxation... but you don't want to cause any more problems by keeping it up while it's obviously hurting.
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