Stress Busting Plan: Salute to the Sun Exercise

  • 1 Stand up straight with the palms of your hands together in front of your chest (as if praying). Breathe regularly. Inhale, then raise your arms straight up above your head and carefully bend backwards from the waist a few centimetres until you feel a stretch across the whole of your front.
  • 2 Exhale, then bend forwards from your hip joints. Place your hands on the floor on either side of your feet (at first you will need to bend your knees to do this, but gradually you will become more flexible). Inhale and look up. As you do this, place your left foot behind you as far as you can. Step back with your right foot so the weight of your body is carried by your hands and feet. Your body should make a straight line from your hands to your feet.
  • 3 Exhale and lower your knees to the floor. Then lower your chest and chin.
  • 4 Inhaling, lower your body so you are lying flat. Now slowly arch your back from the waist so your chest comes off the floor. Your hands should stay on the floor but your arms will straighten.
  • 5 Exhale, bend your knees, then straighten your arms and legs and push your hips up to make an inverted V. Inhale and step between your hands with your left foot. Exhale, then step up with your right foot. Now, slowly and while inhaling, bring yourself up to the standing position.
Repeat the sequence from step 2 onwards as many times as you like (it takes about 5 minutes to do 20 sequences). Remember to alternate the leading foot in the step 2. The faster you carry out 'Salute to the Sun' the more energizing it is, but get to know the moves before speeding up. 5-minute fixes By using all the techniques in the plan, your stress load should dramatically reduce. However, if you do feel yourself starting to tense, it's good to try to get things under control as quickly as possible. Here are some 5-minute fixes that will lower your arousal level.
  • Calm your breath. Inhaling through your nose to a count of 5 and exhaling through your mouth to a count of 10 instantly calms the body.
  • Suck half a teaspoon of honey. This takes just 5 minutes to stimulate serotonin in the brain.
  • Warm your hands. When we are stressed, our hands cool, but warming them (simply try sitting on them) lowers stress.
  • The Bach flower remedy 'Rescue Remedy' (available from health food stores) fortifies the body quickly, and is particularly good for shock.
  • Stimulate the de-stressing acupressure point in your feet. Find the furrow on the top of your foot where the bones of your first and second toes meet. Then gently press this 10 times.

Stretching exercises

  • Sitting straight, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears. As you go up, tense all the muscles then release them on the way down. Repeat 4-5 times.
  • Interlock your fingers and, turning your palms to face outwards, straighten your arms out in front of you. Push gently forward so you feel the stretch along your shoulder blades. Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Keeping your fingers interlocked, push your arms up above your head and stretch your torso upwards. Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Finally, tip your head gently to one side so you feel a stretch on the side of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds. Bring your head back to the centre, then tip it to the other side and hold for 10 seconds again.