Here’s a note from a student:
“All this health stuff is great and all… but honestly, I feel like most people are so stressed out… and stress is the most toxic thing ever…”
There’s a real truth to that, and I can certainly relate. But here’s the thing:
Yes, heady/emotional stress is bad. It really eats away at you.
But physical stress is actually great for you.
I’m not talking about smashing your hand in a car door or getting squished by a big truck, but safe and intense physical stresses are actually one of the best ways to release heady, emotional stress in your life.
Example: A busy executive finishes a grueling workweek and goes straight for a deep tissue massage. She doesn’t want a bubble bath (not yet anyway), she wants elbows digging into her shoulders, knees into her bum, and lots of pressure.
Why?
She’ll tell you that the stronger the massage, the more relaxed she becomes. It’s a good stress, bad stress thing.
So why does this matter?
Simply because sometimes you’ve got to rev up before we can cool down. Do something physically difficult and uncomfortable before you’re truly ready to lounge on the sofa and veg out.
Here are my favorite physical stress activities that blast emotional stress away fast:
- Backbends (50 breaths in full wheel)
- 8×15 Plank Press Ups in 4 Minutes (Yoga Timer is very handy for this)
- Factorial Pullups on the Yoga Trapeze (Start with your max number of reps and decrease by one each set. So 10 first set, 9 second set, etc).
- Kapalabhati Breathing (5 sets of 20 exhales)
Hope you find that helpful.
Stay bendy,
Lucas
