ANCIENT TOOLS FOR MODERN STRESS, with Evelyne Serais

One of the simplest descriptions of stress comes from the Canadian physician Hans Selye. He described stress as simply the body's adaptation to change. It is how we respond whenever an internal or external event occurs.

Change can be as simple as a shift in room temperature or as destabilizing as losing one's job. Over time, we create our own individual stress response pattern through our thoughts and beliefs, our emotional responses, the way we breathe, and the way we hold and move our bodies. This pattern becomes set at a certain point, and although this response is intended to be helpful, more often than not it blocks the natural flow of ease in the body, and we become frequently sick, easily tired, often irritable, and generally "stressed out."

What makes Kundalini Yoga more effective for stress reduction than, say, 20 minutes on the elliptical machine at your gym? While most forms of exercise reduce stress, Kundalini Yoga is uniquely suited because of its positive effects on the glands and nerves.

The movements of Kundalini Yoga, set in the sequence of a Kriya, directly release the tension built up over time from holding the breath and various muscles in your particular stress response pattern. It releases tension from the inner organs, nerves, and glands, and creates an internal sense of calm and inner balance. Along with the practices of breath and meditation that come with it, we can change old stress response patterns, and furthermore reverse the ill effects of long-term stress.

In this workshop you can expect to move, have fun, chant, meditate , and relax, combining various Kundalini based techniques to release the negative aspects of stress. This class has no levels, open to all ready to shed unwanted baggage and tension.