According to a new study, yoga has been shown to be one of the best means of overcoming the stress, anxiety and heart ache of divorce. Even if a divorce is amicable individuals can still be left with negative thought patterns, self-esteem issues and compulsive bad habits.
Yoga is different from other forms of exercise which may be utilised to relieve stress and pent up anger. Yoga focuses on the present moment body sensations and works to understand and relieve these through focusing on the breath integrated with mindful physical movements.
Yoga has been commended by a number of high profile celebrities as helping them through difficult divorces including Jennifer Anniston, Uma Thurman and Russell Brand. These and others have publically hailed yoga as a means of overcoming difficult emotions and repetitive thoughts.
There are a number of different forms of yoga that focus on different elements. Some focus on gentle breath work and simply body movements such as Hatha Yoga, others are more physical such as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga which individuals dynamically move from one pose to the next aligning the movement to the breath. Other forms of yoga such as Kundalini sometimes referred to as the Royal Yoga combines movements, specific breathing rhythms and chanting of mantras to re-align the mind body and spirit.
Some but not all yoga classes will focus on mindfulness as the central element that is required to harmonise the mind and the movements of the body. This was the vital ingredient to yoga in its purest form. Mindfulness also allows the energy of the yoga class to transcend the yoga class to become an integral part of day to day life.
