Excellent Stress Relievers - Ways to Calm the Body, MInd and Soul

Stress is a part and parcel of life in today's busy lifestyles. You can ask any body and they will be feeling stress in some part of their life and because we can't get away from stressful situations, we need to learn some ways to control stress and feellrelaxed. Living with continuous stress can lead to chronic health problems. So, we are going to take a look at some simple but very effective stress relievers.

Breathing exercises for basic stress relief
Long and deep breathing is one of the basic stress relievers. It helps to supply more oxygen to the blood stream which helps to calm and relax the mind. The best way to do breathing exercises is to sit in a quiet place and inhale very slowly, hold for a moment and then exhale slowly. Doing this even for a few moments will help you to feel calm and relaxed and these can be virtually performed anywhere.

Meditation the ideal stress reliever
Breathing exercises combined with meditation is the ideal stress reliever. Sit in a relaxed pose, close your eyes and try and imagine that you are sitting at a place where you felt the most relaxed. It could be a scene from a holiday that you enjoyed or your favourite spot on a beach. At the same time inhale deeply and then slowly exhale. Do this for a few

minutes trying to drive your thoughts away from the source of your stress and you will gain a feeling of relaxation and calmness.

Yoga the best stress reliever of all
In the east Yoga has been practiced for many centuries because of it's contribution to the general well being to both the body and mind. It is best recommended that you learn basic Yoga exercises from a qualified instructor, but you can also purchase books and DVD's which can also teach you a lot of Yoga exercises.
Yoga teaches very effective stress relief techniques like, breathing, meditation and movement. The benefits of Yoga are that it strengthens the mind as well as the body.The benefits that you gain from Yoga are longer lasting and this is why it's considered the best amongst all the stress relievers.

Exercise can also be a stress reliever
Generally we exercise only to lose weight or become physically fit. However, many people don't realize that exercise is also a good stress reliever. You could go to the gym, go swimming, cycling etc. or even go for a brisk walk. When we are exercising, our mind is naturally taken away from any stressful thoughts because we have to concentrate on the task at hand and this can help to reduce stress levels. Exercise also helps us to look and feel more attractive which raises our self esteem and if we are feeling good about ourselves, the chances are that we are going to feel more relaxed.

Muscle relaxation
Muscle relaxation is another very simple stress reliever that can be practiced anywhere. To practice muscle relaxation, you go through every major muscle group in your body and flex it tight for a few moments and then release. For example, you tighten your facial muscles and release. By doing this with all the muscles it will help you to feel relaxed. The major plus point of this technique is that it can be done anywhere, even while you are sitting at your desk at work.

By following any one or more of the stress relievers explained above, we can help ourselves fight stress and lead a calm and contented life, no matter how busy a life style we have. To gain the most benefits, be sure to practice these exercises on a regular basis