Effect of stress on the body, Don’t let it overwhelm you.
We all deal with stress on a day to day basis. In small doses, stress can be good for you. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones and increases your heart rate and breathing rate. This triggers your flight or fight 
response, giving you the ability to respond to tough or dangerous situations. Too much stress however can severely effect your health in many ways.
Lets start with the central nervous system, which is in charge of the flight or fight response. The central nervous system tells the rest of the body what to do. When it senses stress, it tells the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol and when the stress is gone the central nervous system tells the adrenal glands to stop. If there is too much 
stress, the levels of adrenaline and cortisol do not return to normal which can cause irritability, anxiety and depression.
Stress can also have a huge impact on your heart. The right amount of stress causes your blood vessels to constrict which increases your blood pressure. This allows more oxygen to get to the brain and heart so you have more strength and energy to react to a given situation. Too much stress on the heart however increases your chances of hypertension, stroke or heart attack.
As you can see, some stress on our bodies is important for us to get stronger and handle issues that we come across everyday. However, if you don’t keep your stress levels in check, it effects everything from your respiratory system to digestive system. It can even suppress your immune system. A lot of people struggle with coping with stress but there are many ways you can manage your stress in positive aspects. Exercise, for example, releases endorphin’s which help the brain control the bodies response to stress and anxiety. It also improves your cardiovascular and respiratory system while boosting your immune system. Yoga and meditation are also great ways to decrease your stress levels. They both allow for more oxygen to be brought into your body which allows 
for detoxification of toxins, an increase endorphin’s, and allow you to clear and calm your mind.
No matter what method you choose to relieve stress, the important thing is that you do something to make sure that your stress is in check. We often put to much on our plates thinking it just the way it is but remember to stop and take care of yourself before the stress in your life becomes a much bigger problem then it needs to be. So make sure to stop and smell the flowers every once in a while, it can be good for your health.
This week’s calendar is here! Click on the image to enlarge! Please note changes: Benji will now be teaching Tuesday’s Midday yoga at 11am and his Wednesday restorative yoga is back starting at 7pm!
