By Monica Le Baron
Rushing to take the kids to school, getting stuck in traffic, and wrangling a never-ending to-do list at work are all-too-common experiences today, and each one triggers stress in its own ways. Getting a massage or repeating a mantra of, “I just need to get past this day/week/month,” doesn’t give your body the relief it needs.
And eliminating stressors—even if that were possible—isn’t enough to complete the stress cycle. Yoga therapy can provide a robust, transformational way to do just that, however, helping to release tension, reset our systems, and restore balance to body, mind, and spirit.
What does it mean to complete the stress cycle?
The stress cycle begins when your body perceives a potential threat, whether real or imagined, triggering a nervous system response intended to support survival. During this time, your body’s essential functions, such as digestion and sleep, take a backseat to resolving the threat. In today’s world, many people experience this stress response almost constantly, even when no real danger is present—when we’re late for a family gathering, receiving a phone call from our boss, or thinking about a task we have been putting off. 
Bringing the stress cycle to a close means signaling to your mind, body, and soul that you are safe again. Mentally acknowledging that everything is fine is not enough; you must learn to communicate in the language your body speaks. When we breathe freely in yoga, the mindfully enhanced respiratory process supports the natural completion of the stress cycle. Other ways to support the natural conclusion of the stress cycle include hugging, crying, screaming, and sighing.
As recent research highlights, “Long-term stress may not only lead to insomnia, but also to mental health problems (e.g., anxiety and depression), which has a significant impact on people’s quality of life and mental health.” To protect our well-being we need to proactively address stress.
How can yoga therapy help us manage stress?
Yoga therapy promotes relaxation and restored balance in the nervous system (see, e.g., The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care). Mindful physical postures, breathwork, and meditation support the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” state, countering the stress response. For example, we could use a simple 10-minute yoga routine to communicate to the body that a time of stress is over, finishing the cycle and promoting feelings of calm and relaxation.
Yoga therapy works with five layers of being—the panchamaya kosha model—and understanding each layer also supports the completion of the stress cycle and can help us to find more balance among life, work, and play.
Consider how stress could affect the five layers of being (which in turn affect one another):
- Physical: your physical body
- Breath/energetic: everything that moves through your physical body, which includes blood, lymphatic and nervous systems, and breathing
- Psychoemotional: your patterns of thought and emotions that happen subconsciously
- Wisdom: the big-picture perspective of life and how you flow through it
- Bliss or Awe: finding happiness within yourself, knowing that you belong, and feeling connected with yourself and the world in a loving way
Part 2 of this post will explore simple yoga therapy techniques for completing the stress cycle within these areas.
Monica Le Baron, MBA, C-IAYT, is a sleep expert and the author of Sleep Simplified. She helps ambitious women with sleep disorders get a good night’s rest in 30 days or less.
Thank you for publishing this article! =)
Stress is so pervasive in the world. It is keeping us from living our best life. Thank you for writing this article and reminding us of the power of yoga to release tension, reset our systems, and restore balance to body, mind, and spirit. It is a practice we all need.
Thank you for your feedback and for the wonderful work you do, Lee. I’m so honor to learn from you.
It’s so crucial to acknowledge that everything is connected and stress response is not the natural state we’re meant to live in! Really well written. I’m looking forward to part 2 🙂
Thank you! I agree—balance is our natural state. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and part 2 is ready! Here’s the link: https://yogatherapy.health/2024/11/14/finish-the-stress-cycle-with-yoga-therapy-part-2-four-tools-to-try-today/
I’m often guilty of feeling overly stressed in with certain circumstances than I should be especially when it comes to my kids. Makes me feel anxious throughout the day and often end up with a headache in the evening. I hadn’t thought about trying yoga therapy meditation to calm my body down. Something that I’ll definitely try next time. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing. It’s so common to feel that way in stressful situations. Yoga therapy and meditation can be powerful tools for calming the mind and body, wishing you relief and balance.
This information is such a good reminder how much the stress we feel on a day to day basis can and does affect our mental and physical health down the road as it just becomes trapped in our body if we don’t take appropriate steps such as yoga therapy or other methods to end the stress cycle. I appreciate the insightful article!
I’m so glad the article resonated with you. It’s true—taking steps to end the stress cycle is vital for our long-term health. Wishing you continued wellness on your journey!
Fantastic article making the age old gifts of yoga accessible to the modern day householder . In todays society although potentially looking calm on the outside we often live in that stress cycle all day. Yoga therapy is something everyone should include in their lives
I’m glad the article resonated with you! Yoga’s timeless wisdom offers so much value in breaking the stress cycle in today’s fast-paced world.
I love the way you put the 5 layers of being into words, I never considered those to be the foundations but they definitely are. Great read!
Thank you! I’m glad the 5 layers resonated with you as a foundation!
THIS! We so often move rapidly from one thing to the next without so much as thinking about the actual completion of it. It’s get it done as quick as I can so I can move onto the next thing. Being able to complete the action, the thought, the stressor and closing it out so that the body, mind, and soul can enter into that state of safety again. Very well put!
Thank you! You’re absolutely right—taking the time to complete each task fully allows us to restore balance and peace. Sending love.