Managing stress in a healthy way Published Aug. 21, 2015 By Staff Sgt. Alexx Mercer 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Let’s face it, we all face challenges in life and these challenges often come with a significant amount of stress. Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response and can have profound effects on us.While stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid potential dangers, it becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between peaks. This distress can lead to frequent headaches, body pains, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, trouble eating or difficulty sleeping.According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 43 percent of adults suffer from the adverse effects of stress, and roughly 83 percent of routine medical visits are for stress-related ailments.So how do we as Air Commandos find healthy ways to cope with the stress inherent with an uncommonly high-tempo military lifestyle?Sabrina Douglas, a civilian member with the 27th Special Operations Aerospace Medicine Squadron and military spouse, has developed a unique way to help members of the 27th Special Operations Wing utilize yoga as one option for managing stress.“This is something I have been interested in developing for several years now,” Douglas said. “I have been practicing yoga myself on and off for 15 years and I have found it to be extremely beneficial in my own life when it comes to stress management.”The first yoga class was held in the base chapel on Aug. 17 and will continue every Monday at 5:30 p.m. for a six week pilot program timeframe. The class will not convene over the Labor Day weekend.“You may ask why we would hold the class at the chapel versus the fitness center and the answer to that is simple,” Douglas stated. “A lot of our Air Commandos utilize the base gym, which leads to high-traffic and plenty of noise. I wanted to create a quiet, non-threatening environment to focus on certain elements of yoga that help people relax and find inner tranquility.”“By utilizing controlled breathing techniques and meditation, we can help focus the mind and calm the nervous system,” she continued. “By holding the class in the chapel and away from distractors, these yoga sessions will help people calm down, feel at ease, alleviate stress and help them learn to use rational judgment and make sound decisions.”According to Douglas, yoga is an ideal way of helping people step away from emotions and physical experiences to practice observation and avoid routinely jumping to emotional reactions.“I want to emphasis that this class is not just for those experiencing high levels of stress,” Douglas stated. “It is for also for those people looking for different ways to deal with multiple types of stress and anxiety.”“We all deal with anger, sadness, frustration at work, and we all cope differently,” she continued. “This offers an additional way to help a number of people looking for another avenue to maintain overall healthy lifestyles.”Douglas noted that many now utilize yoga not only for the physical aspect, but for spiritual, emotional, and mental wellbeing and balance."Yoga can encourage inward reflection and self-acceptance,” she said. “From the very first class, my goal is for students to walk away with simple techniques they can employ whether they are having a bad week or month, or just a frustrating moment. Through yoga, we can create some relief from stress and remind ourselves that we can, and will, make it through whatever challenges we face."For more information regarding this yoga class, call Sabrina Douglas at 520-289-7715.