One in four North Americans will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in his life. These disorders are sometimes accompanied by panic attacks. Panic attacks can be accompanied by heart palpitations, sudden sweating, dizziness and shallow breathing. Living with anxiety and panic attacks is difficult, but there are a variety of techniques that can help relieve symptoms. Yoga is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. Here's how yoga can help you reduce anxiety.

1. Yoga allows you to focus on your breathing.
When a person is in an anxiety attack, his breathing is short and superficial. This can aggravate a panic attack because this type of breathing causes weakness and a light-headed. The most important aspect of yoga is to focus on breathing. Practicing one's breathing through one's yoga practice is a useful skill that can be applied to other areas of life. You feel anxious or stressed, do not forget to take deep breaths and nits until you begin to feel more relaxed.

2. Exercise releases endorphin.
Like other forms of exercise, yoga can release endorphin. Endorphins are brain neurotransmitters that improve mood, reduce the symptoms of depression, and relieve stress and anxiety. Endorphins are essentially an all natural antidepressant. Plus, the flexibility and strength of yoga can help prevent injuries and reduce chronic pain.

3. Yoga reduces muscle tension.
When we feel anxious or stressed, we contract certain areas of our body without even realizing it. Stress or anxiety can lead to pain and muscle tension in the back, head, neck, shoulders and other areas. Yoga helps relieve muscle tension by strengthening, lengthening and relaxing sore muscles. Over time, yoga can also improve posture, which helps reduce muscle tension

​4. Yoga is difficult.
Yoga is a challenge - even if you are a more experienced yogi, you will probably have some poses that are still difficult for you. Engaging in something that is difficult - and persevering even when it is difficult - will give you more confidence.
In a particularly difficult posture, it's time to breathe. It's the same thing when you feel uncomfortable. Accept the discomfort. You have survived feeling uncomfortably anxious before, and you will have it again. Accept the discomfort instead of trying to fight it. Breathe!

5. Yoga classes emphasize on the community and faith.
When you have anxiety, you may feel that no one understands you. This can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Yoga classes are a way to meet new people and develop a sense of belonging. During resting postures, instructors offer ways to relax and be more present. In fact, the focus is on finding peace and strength in yourself. Having faith in something greater than yourself can be helpful when trying to cope with anxiety.

In conclusion
Yoga is one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety and stress. It can help you focus on breathing, release endorphins, relieve muscle tension, gain confidence, and become part of a community. If you have never tried yoga before, I encourage you to give it a try.

Patrick Desrochers / Samsara Hatha Yoga

An ancestral discipline originating from India, yoga is a true philosophy of life based on physical and mental training that contributes to the development of the body and mind, and allows one to be in harmony with oneself, his environment and the universe.

The benefits of yoga for employees and employers
The practice of yoga is beneficial both physically and psychologically and allows including:

• strengthens the muscles including the deep muscles,
• improve flexibility,
• work the spine,
• improve concentration,
• relax the body and mind,
• better breathing

In the world of work, it helps to relieve the stress of employees. Bringing yoga into the everyday life of the company, provides employees with tools that can be immediately mobilized to relieve pressure, focus and relieve back or neck pain.
In fact, employees spend many hours a day sitting at their desks and are often subject to intense work schedules. But when the anxiety rises, breathing accelerates and the heart rate increases. Learning how to manage your breathing and relax can calm the pulse, regain a regular breath and get rid of this anxiety. So employees learn to react more calmly and confidently by letting themselves be less overwhelmed by emotions. Moreover, on the postural side, yoga alleviates or eliminates back pain related to a bad position in front of the computer, migraines due to screens, carpal tunnel syndrome pain ...

Set aside the competitive spirit
Another advantage is that practicing yoga with your work team allows you to emphasize kindness, gentleness towards yourself and others. Instead of competition and performance, the collective spirit is strengthened.

To take time for oneself, one's health, one's well-being is to invest oneself in order to be available to others and to be operational at work.

Patrick Desrochers - Samsara Hatha Yoga
514-424-7871

​Isha Hatha Yoga programs are an unparalleled opportunity to learn practices derived from a yogic tradition maintained in its full purity and vibrancy for thousands of years.
The classes are conducted by highly trained teachers and offer classical Hatha Yoga in its full depth and dimension. They are not taught merely for physical fitness and strength. They are a holistic process of naturally achieving a certain mastery over the body and mind, so as to come to a state of health, joy, and bliss.
They are ideal for the hectic pace of today’s world. Hatha Yoga is currently taught in 6 different classes: Upa Yoga, Angamardana, Surya Kriya, Surya Shakti, Yogasanas and Bhuta Shuddhi.
These practices have been selected and designed by Sadhguru to develop mental clarity and focus, boost vigor and vitality, balance hormonal levels and take years off the body, bringing a sense of lightness and freedom.
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​Patrick Desrochers - Samsara Hatha Yoga

The year 2017 has been a year of great changes in my life. I made the choice to live my passion: Yoga. So I left everything to spend 5 months of my life studying the sacred science of Yoga. It was in July that I flew to India to Isha Yoga Center to live my greatest experience: Isha Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program. A very rigorous 21-week (1750 hours) Yoga teaching program. Everything is set up to immerse yourself in this discipline. The program starts every morning at 5.30 am with yoga and meditation sessions. The school teaches 6 practices:

• Upa-Yoga a simple yet powerful set of 10 practices that activate the joints, muscles and energy system, bringing ease to the whole system.
• Surya Kriya a potent 21-step yogic practice of tremendous antiquity, designed as a holistic process for health, wellness and complete inner wellbeing. Surya Kriya is a complete spiritual process by itself.
• Surya Shakti, is to energize the system to a different dimension. This 18-step process helps to strengthen the ligaments that hold the skeletal and muscular structure together.
• Yogasanas are a set of powerful postures through which one can elevate one’s consciousness and manipulate energies.
• Angamardana, a series of 31 processes to invigorate the body, and reach peak physical fitness and mental health.
• Bhuta Shuddhi, a process of purification of the five elements: water, earth, fire, air and space. This simple practice which you can do daily reorganizes your system on the elemental level.

Around 10:00 AM it's the brunch break. The meals are vegetarian, consisting of fruits, salads and specialties of South Indian cuisine. It's always a real treat. Then comes the post-brunch session that looks at human anatomy, physiology and diet. Among others, we learn what is the best practice of Hatha Yoga. Beyond the simple things to do and don'ts, the program will thoroughly examine the effect of certain foods on the system and how different foods can support or restrict the physical and spiritual development of each.
​The afternoon is a time spent studying and for our second Yoga session. 7: 00 PM is the time of our second meal of the day. It's also a time to share with other participants.
Around 8 pm, it is the evening session that deals with more practical topics related to teaching Yoga. We are taught, step by step, how to organize and teach over 48 modules, from the simple class to a full 30 day retreat. We also learn to prescribe Yoga practices according to the needs and age of each and everyone. We are constantly placed in real class situations in order to prepare ourselves the best way possible. These practices and modules cover Hatha Yoga dimensions that are not taught anywhere else.
In addition, every month, the group is entitled to a special activity outside the ashram: visits of temples, nearby villages and parks. We also participate in several festivals and celebrations: Guru Pournami, Diwali, Krishna Jayanti. The change of scenery and rhythm is very appreciated because it allows us to return to the ashram more motivated and enthusiastic ashram, essential to resume our intense practices.
I feel privileged to have been able to live this unique experience. I experienced a profound transformation that allowed me to surpass myself physically and mentally. Every day, I feel my body and mind become lighter. I feel like a newborn ready to start a new life. Living your passion is priceless. It's like waking up every morning on Christmas day. Now, my deepest wish is to share with you these practices of Isha Hatha Yoga. Powerful practices that transform the body and mind.

Patrick Desrochers - Samsara Hatha Yoga