Yoga Benefits - Stress Relief

This week has been another busy one.  I can't seem to avoid busy days - my own fault, of course.  I keep saying Yes when I should say No once in a while.  I think the rainy mornings messed up my schedule - couldn't walk three days in a row because of rain and finally this morning - I walked again and picked up trash again and now things seem a bit more normal. .......Part of what has been keeping me busy is developing handout materials - long overdue.  This morning I'm working on Yoga Benefits.  One of the most important needs of many people these days is stress relief and, according to the Yoga Alliance, The practice of yoga is well-demonstrated to reduce the physical effects of stress on the body.  The body responds to stress through a fight-or-flight response, which is a combination of the sympathetic nervous system and hormonal pathways activating, releasing cortisol--the stress hormone--from the adrenal glands.  Cortisol is often used to measure the stress response.  Yoga practice has been demonstrated to reduce the levels of cortisol.  Most yoga classes end with savasana, a relaxation pose, which further reduces the experience of stress.  This is only one of ten benefits I will be writiing about.  Only one Yoga for Any Body class will allow you personally to enjoy the benefit of stress relief and keep you coming back for more!