Every one of us has experienced hard times at some point in our life. Whether it’s with family, friends, work or ourselves, we all struggle to find balance in our lives sometimes. There are days when we feel overburdened by the stress that life throws at us and it can be hard to let off steam. It can also be difficult to find calm when we are in the midst of chaos.

Do you always feel physically tired? Do you get up in the morning without energy? Do you often struggle with mental fatigue? Don’t worry because we’ve all been there sooner or later!

There are too many factors that we cannot control and affect our energy levels, such as work, seasonal changes, hormone levels in circulation, etc. The only thing you can do is be aware of why you feel fatigued and find effective remedies to eliminate this fatigue.

In this article, you will find out what the various types of fatigue are, what are the main causes and also some very effective yoga remedies that you can use whenever you feel out of energy.

The various types of fatigue: physiological, seasonal, and chronic

If you want to eliminate a problem, the first thing to do is to know it. If you don’t know it, you will hardly be able to find an effective solution to combat it. So let’s first look at the various types of fatigue.

You must know that there is not only one type of fatigue but depending on the cause and how it occurs, there are various forms of fatigue.

Let’s go and see the most common ones

Physiological fatigue:

This is when you feel tired because you have done something particularly challenging. For example, it appears at the end of a stressful workday, at the end of physical activity, or often makes itself felt towards the weekend, especially if you have not had time to rest. This can be divided into:

Physical fatigue primarily affecting the body;

Mental fatigue, on the other hand, mainly affects the mind.

Seasonal fatigue:

You can experience this type of fatigue, especially when a change of season occurs. There are those who accuse these moments of the year more and those who do not feel them at all, but even in this case, you can do a lot, and below, I will explain how.

Chronic fatigue:

This type of fatigue, on the other hand, is the one that is usually the most difficult to combat, does not resolve itself with simple rest, and can sometimes last even weeks or even months.

Now that we have seen what the main types of fatigue are let’s see what the causes are.

The main causes of fatigue

In the case of physiological fatigue, the causes can be divided into two:

1.  Causes of a physical nature that essentially concern an imbalance in the body such as weight problems, postural imbalances, diseases, poor physical fitness, sleep disturbance, etc.
2. Causes of a mental nature that instead concern an imbalance at the level of the mind such as stress, worries, insomnia, depression, anxiety, etc.

In the case of seasonal fatigue, the cause is precisely the change of season. When you pass from one season to another, the body has to adapt to the different temperatures and thus implements a series of physiological responses to better face the period to come.

To do all of this, of course, he needs energy and so you feel more tired as a result. In the case of chronic fatigue. On the other hand, it is a real accumulation of fatigue over time which, if it is not eliminated when it arises, becomes chronic and is even more difficult to fight. It usually manifests itself as exaggerated mental and physical exhaustion. Now let’s see what yoga suggests doing when you feel fatigued.

Why do yoga for fatigue?

Yoga is a discipline that aims to rebalance both the body and the mind and has numerous benefits. It is very good, for example for back pain, stiff neck, to increase willpower and it can certainly help you a lot whenever you feel fatigued.

We can certainly say that whenever you feel excessively fatigued, you are somehow out of balance and yoga is one of the best solutions to find it again. The practice of yoga is very varied and, depending on the exercises you decide to do, it can be very energizing but also very calming. Below I recommend some yoga exercises depending on the type of fatigue you are facing. Ready to open the mat and get some practice?

Yoga for physical fatigue

Physical fatigue, along with mental fatigue, is certainly the most common. Unfortunately, the current lifestyle is very hectic, many jobs are physically tiring and it is difficult to find time to rest during the day.

In this case, yoga can work against you because there are some exercises that allow you to relax in a short time. The tiredness disappears and so you feel considerably better.

For physical fatigue, the yoga positions that I recommend you practice are the backbends and the relaxation ones. The first category of postures is energizing and is great to practice throughout the day when you run out of energy.

Examples of these postures that everyone can practice are Bhujangasana  (right figure), the cobra posture, and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, the upside-down dog posture.

The second category, on the other hand, allows the body to completely relax and so fatigue disappears. The position par excellence that allows physical fatigue to disappear is Savasana (left figure), the position of the corpse.

Another technique that you can use whenever you feel fatigued is yoga Nidra, a method that consists of practicing deep relaxation guided by a voice.

When you practice yoga Nidra, also called sleep yoga, you surrender completely, your physical senses are retracted and you relax incredibly.

Conclusions

In this article, I have explained to you what the various types of fatigue are, what they are caused by and I have suggested some yoga practices that can surely help you. Still, one of the most important things I haven’t talked about yet is to become aware of your fatigue and to understand the causes.

This is why I suggest you do a short meditation every time you feel particularly tried to understand how tired you are, what causes this tiredness, and what you can do to get rid of it. Only if you can feel your body and listen to what it is asking you will find an effective solution to all types of fatigue.

You may also be interested in Outdoor yoga: How and why to do yoga in nature?

There are many ways to do this and everyone chooses the one that best suits their needs, but one of my favorites is doing yoga outdoors. In this article, you will find a reflection on how the practice of outdoor yoga can benefit our body and mind.

The benefits of outdoor yoga

It’s not just getting to touch your toes. It’s not even taking a picture upside down and posting it on Instagram. Practicing yoga goes far beyond all this: it means re-educating the body to breathe. It means making our minds more flexible, releasing muscular and non-muscular tension. But we don’t stop there.

Yoga gives awareness and clarity, thanks to the reconnection with ourselves and the ability to observe ourselves without judgment, simply by accepting us.

Practicing yoga outdoors can make this process even more immediate and intense. The energy released by nature reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than us. And as soon as we realize it and accept it (this magical moment can also take years and years of practice!) We can get in tune with the entire universe, letting ourselves go and opening our hearts and gaze to the wonder that surrounds us.

Differences of yoga in nature and indoors

We all have a favorite place where we prefer to roll out the yoga mat. Whatever that place and wherever it is, it gives us peace and serenity every time we enter it. And each place will have different characteristics: in our home, there will be all the comforts, in the studio we will find other yogis, outdoors instead we will be in contact with nature.

When I was practicing in my studio in Milan, I often felt a lot of difference in energy depending on the class, the people, and the teacher I found. And it is precisely in the energy that lies the difference between practice in nature and a closed environment.

As soon as we reconnect with nature, the energy that can be released in the course of practice is extraordinary.

Tips for doing yoga outdoors

In the beginning, it is not easy:

The mat gets dirty.

The ground is uneven.

There are dirt, grass, and stones that could get in the way of the practice.

There are many external factors that we cannot control: the wind, the sun, the rain … all variables that can become distractions or annoyances at first.

Once you have found a quiet spot where you can spread the mat, the first thing to do is to center yourself and find your balance in a place that we do not know and do not feel “safe” like that of home. A few moments to get together, a little pranayama and we are ready to begin.

Our practice will flow. We will have no interruption but a few birds chirping here and there or an ant that will slip between our toes as long as we are in the face-down dog. Maybe a few snags here and there the first few times may be there, but I can assure you that the relaxation in Savasana will be the best of your life!

Yoga is the connection with nature

Yoga educates us to listen: of the body, breath, and ourselves in the present moment. It teaches us that there are times for noise and silence, times to act and times to stop. And that the body speaks to us, but that to understand it, we need to listen to it. And with nature, it works the same way.

Nature speaks to us at all times, but to listen to it and reconnect with it, we must stop for a moment. By developing the technique of listening to ourselves on the mat, we can then more easily take it off the mat, learning to bring conscious attention to the reality that surrounds us.

The modern disconnection from nature

We got used to it. Modern society has made us more and more connected to the web, making any communication possible with anyone in the world thanks to a smartphone and some simple apps. Still, all this has made us increasingly disconnected from real life and nature.

Overwhelmed by the endless list of commitments and things to do every day, we forget about ourselves and the importance of keeping in touch with the reality surrounding us. The rhythms of modern life have disrupted our natural rhythm, asking us to be more and more productive simply because this is another day at work.

We keep going further and pushing ourselves even as the body asks us to stop and go out for a walk in the sun. There are some questions. However, that can help us reconnect and re-tune with nature.

At any time of the year and wherever you are in the world, start observing your surroundings more carefully, using all your senses and looking for details. Ask yourself what the light is like, what colors and shades the sky has, what are the scents of this season, how do you feel, and your mood today.

Conclusion

I wanted to share what I think about nature in this article because it is fundamental in my life. I hope that these words and outdoor yoga will help you rediscover, or at least deepen, the connection with nature.

You may also like to read, How do you rehab a fractured patella? Best exercises for fractured patella

I can’t sleep and the situation is getting serious! This is the phrase that is heard more and more often by many people. Furthermore, for many like us, not sleeping is not a choice but a frustrating situation of difficulty falling asleep.

How to sleep early and fast? You turn and toss in bed but sleep … don’t you talk about it? You want to sleep right away, but there was a night that you can do it! Know that you are not alone. Here you will find tips on how to fall asleep quickly.

How to sleep early and fast with stimulus control therapy?

Go to lie down to go to sleep only when you are really sleepy. Don’t use the bed for anything other than sleep. So don’t read, don’t watch television, don’t eat, or take work reports to bed. Sexual activity is the only exception to this rule.

If you are in bed and can’t fall asleep right away, get up and go to another room. Stay there as long as you like, until you are sleepy and then, go back to the bedroom to sleep. Regardless of the hours marked on the clock, get out of bed if you don’t fall asleep right away. Remember that the goal is to associate bed with falling asleep quickly! If you have been in bed for more than 10 minutes or so and still do not fall asleep, it means that you are not following these instructions properly.

Haven’t you fallen asleep yet?

Set your alarm and get up at the same time every morning, regardless of how long you slept during the night. This will help you because the body acquires a consistent sleep rhythm.

Don’t take naps during the day. Because this sleeping method works. This sleeping method is based on the idea that we look like Pavlov’s dog in the classical conditioning experiment. We attribute certain environmental stimuli to specific thoughts and behaviors. Ivan Pavlov’s dog would start drooling at the sound of a bell because he would associate tinkling with getting food. Pavlov’s dog starts drooling as soon as he hears the bell, although he gets or doesn’t get any food. So replace the bell for a bed and food for sleep and I assure you that the principle works anyway.

If you get used to doing anything other than sleep in bed, when you want to use the bed to fall asleep, it becomes more difficult because of the other associations.

Conclusion

All this applies to both thoughts and actions. How to sleep immediately then? You must avoid watching TV in bed. Just as important that once in bed, you avoid worrying about not being able to fall asleep. Because?

Because otherwise, you learn to associate the bed with the worry of not being able to sleep. So you begin to suffer from anticipatory anxiety: “I’m worried because I can’t sleep,…. And if I can’t fall asleep? I have to try to sleep, I have to try to sleep!”

So, this therapy works strengthens the association between bed and sleep and weakens the association between bed and everything else.

Other treatments supported by scientific research are progressive muscle relaxation, which allows you to focus on muscle tension for a few seconds and its relaxation. If you continue to follow me, you will soon have the opportunity to learn about the useful technique of progressive muscle relaxation.

This article on how to sleep right away is only useful if you don’t live next to a drummer who decides to try a new piece at 2 am! If, on the other hand, you have quieter evenings, you do not have alcohol or coffee before going to bed, the stimulus control therapy seems to be right for you as it is simple to apply but, above all, useful.

Sweet dreams…..

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