Mental health articles

types of yoga therapy to relieve stress Th ough predating the concept of stress management by centuries, yoga can be
a particularly eff ective stress-management approach. Th ere is certainly a wide
range of yoga practices, but the most common ones rely on a combination of
gentle physical exertion and focused attention. Many yoga sessions end with a position called Viparita Karani (“legs up the wall”), which most practitioners
fi nd to be as relaxing and calming as progressive muscular relaxation. Savasana,
or lying on a folded blanket with calves on a chair, is also a very relaxing
pose. As with other approaches, yoga combines mild muscular exertion followed
by lessening of the muscular tension, a narrowing focus of attention, and
the regulation of breathing, a combination that leads to an extremely relaxed
state. Th ough university counseling services may not traditionally off er yoga
treatment, its value for stress management creates a great opportunity for collaboration
with the campus recreational sports department. Counseling and
Consultation Services at the University of Wisconsin off ers two yoga groups
that are in high demand.
Another Asian process that has been used eff ectively for managing stress
in college students is Qi-Gong (pronounced: chee-gong), which is a combination
of easy postures, gentle movements, and simple meditation techniques.
Weimo Zhu, a kinesiologist at the University of Illinois teaches a Qi-Gong
class for stress management and has conducted research to remove the mystery
behind its eff ectiveness as stress management (Zhu & Chodzko-Zajko,
2006). Common to progressive muscular relaxation training, yoga, and Qi-
Gong is the combination of temporary muscle tension, release of that tension, focus on breathing, and focus of attention. Th e choice of which technique to use is essentially a matter of personal appeal.

Tags: stress