If you ever watched a movie like The Shawshank Redemption, you've heard that prison time is slow time. Inmates are constantly looking for things to keep their minds occupied. One correctional facility in Travis County is encouraging healthy recreation by offering a stress management program that includes yoga, as reported in The American Statesman.

The Travis County Correctional Complex offers four yoga classes – three for men, one for women. The men are often hesitant in the first week because they believe the mind-body regimen might be too "feminine" for them. But once they realize that it's for men too and that it requires some hard work, they're sold.

One of the main points of offering yoga and other healthy activities is to help inmates take an interest in legitimate and legal recreation.

"By giving the inmates a tool that will help them to break cycles of addiction, violence and negative thinking, by supporting them in their efforts to improve their lives, they will inevitably improve the community as a whole," said volunteer yoga teacher Geoff O'Meara, as quoted by the news source. The course has proven to be very popular and often has a waiting list of up to 70 inmates.

Yoga provides more than just relaxation techniques for anxiety, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It also improves body composition, blood pressure, lung capacity, strength and flexibility.

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People who serve in the Army are deserving of their nation's gratitude once they return home. To that end, Army veterans in Texas are learning stress management strategies from yoga. Such therapy can help soldiers cope with the consequences of combat, such as insomnia and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as reported by The Houston Chronicle.

"It's that hour I get once a week to knock the squirrel off that wheel in his cage going 100 miles per hour and actually relax for an hour without the use of prescription pills," said Army veteran Weldon Holder, as quoted by the news source.

A Houston yoga class offered by the VA Medical Center is using yoga as a complementary treatment for combat related conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, depression and chronic pain. Exercises are adapted for amputees and other injuries, according to the news source.

Outside of the medical system, yoga is also being taught on military bases such as Fort Hood as part of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Center. Such programs are meant to support soldiers' resilience as they serve in multiple deployments, the news channel explained.

The mental well-being of soldiers is a major concern. In 2008, about 312,000 veterans reported experiencing at least one episode of major depression during the prior 12 months, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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The state of the American economy isn't just rough on people who are looking for work or struggling in low-paying jobs. Employers are also trying to find affordable ways to keep employees happy and inspire loyalty. In addition to the usual medical benefits and 401ks, little things – such as stress management in the workplace – may also be helpful.

"Small perks also generate loyalty," business columnist Peggy Hodges Rosser wrote in the San Angelo Standard Times. "One local company provides a yoga class for employees! Other ideas might include flextime or telecommuting."

But if workers prefer to practice their mind-body regimens outside of the office, it wouldn't hurt to refer them to Dahn Yoga classes. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, yoga can improve stress management as well as blood pressure, lung capacity, body composition and mood.

It's also important to remember the basics when a small company grows into a larger company, Rosser said, citing as an example one business that hung professionally shot portraits of employees that stayed with the company for at least 20 years. Employees also respond well when they know what is expected of them, and when they know they have an opportunity for professional development.

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Once all the holiday decorations and champagne bottles are cleaned up, people face a new challenge: fulfilling their New Year's resolutions. Among the most common goals are weight loss, healthy eating, learning something new, smoking/drinking cessation and stress reduction. Luckily, yoga is full of relaxation techniques for stress.

"The techniques presented in our classes that emphasize attention on breathing, conscious relaxation, meditation and the deeply relaxing nature of exercise, including stretching, are all conducive to easing stress," said yoga instructor Kathleen DiNatale, as quoted by The Galveston County Daily News.

However, people who make New Year's resolutions need to ask themselves a series of questions to make sure that they haven't made any promises they can't keep, life coach Janet Cohen told the news source:

1. Is this goal something you want, or something you only think you should want?

2. Is this goal yours, or something someone else wants for you?

3. Does the goal have a purpose more important than the result?

4. Do you have to begin January 1, or can you begin later?

5. Do you have people in your life who can support you?

If after all this, you're still keen on stress reduction, then you should check out Dahn Yoga classes! After all, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said that practitioners may potentially experience improvements in mood and physical fitness.

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• Former ‘Texas Rollergirl’ teaches athletes yoga relaxation techniques

Anyone who saw the roller derby movie Whip It, based in Texas, knows that Ellen Page's shy Bliss Cavendar didn't take up a hobby that's for delicate flowers. Bodies hit the floor. Muscles ache. It's no wonder the athletes had names like Smashley Simpson and Bloody Holly! Now, a former member of the real-life Texas Rollergirls has become a roller derby league trainer – and her regimen will include yoga relaxation techniques.

Those who want to take up roller derby must strengthen their "quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus and medius, hip flexors and all abdominal muscles," according to Naomi Wainwright, as quoted by Ledger-Inquirer. "Also, ankle strength and flexibility is vital to prevent injuries."

However, Wainwright also wants to teach yoga and meditation in order to support athletes' mental well-being.

On the side, Wainwright is working to earn her National Academy of Sport Medicine certification, according to the news source. She one day hopes to open her own studio and teach classes on yoga, fitness, dance and nutrition.

Athletes interested in Texas yoga classes should know that the mind-body regimen doesn't just benefit people mentally. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, yoga can also improve flexibility, strength, lung capacity and body composition.

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While breast cancer is a physical illness, it would be foolish to think that this disease doesn't affect patients mentally as well. Bodily aches and side effects from therapy can take a real toll on one's morale. However, a study presented at the 34th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium suggests that yoga may be a suitable stress management therapy for these patients.

"Metastatic breast cancer patients experience tremendous psychological distress due to treatment, disease and uncertainty of their survival," the study authors wrote in their abstract.

A team of researchers from India conducted a study on 91 metastatic breast cancer patients. One-half of these subjects practiced yoga daily, while the rest underwent supportive counselling.

After three months, those who practiced yoga showed better signs of psychological health, based on results of questionnaires assessing variables such as quality of life and perceived stress, as reported in Medscape Today. These findings were supported by laboratory specimens from patients showing that they produced less cortisol, which is a hormone produced in times of stress.

Awareness of the value of Texas yoga classes and similar courses to medicine is increasing. As of 2008, nearly 14 million Americans practiced the mind-body regimen based on a recommendation of a doctor or therapist, according to the Yoga Journal.

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Adults who look back on their youth may find the gauntlet of childhood's problems – school, puppy love, puberty – laughable now. But for the current generation of kids, such issues are no joke. However, yoga's relaxation techniques for children may help put them at ease as they try to navigate life's obstacles.

Sally Moona is a yoga instructor who started working with youngsters after a few of them became curious about the adult classes she was teaching. Children who practice yoga can build strength, flexibility, balance and self-esteem, Moona said, as reported in The Island Packet. The mind body exercises may also help them sleep and sharpen concentration.

"It kind of helps them to concentrate and to just allow their muscles to relax," Moona said of the breathing exercises, as quoted by the news source. "It helps them to relax and just to become more focused and more aware of their environment and also of their bodies."

Teaching children such activities to boost physical fitness will also help them out in the long run if they adopt them as life-long habits, according to Holly Cordray, a colleague of Moona's.

Children who want to take Texas yoga classes aren't alone. As of 2007, more than 1.5 million youngsters were practicing yoga, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

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People who practice yoga may do so for a variety of reasons – better flexibility, meditation, stress relief and so on. Individuals may even try to enhance the experience of yoga relaxation techniques through the use of music, special clothing or other tools. One aerobics instructor suggests that aromatherapy may also be helpful.

"Some benefits of using aromatherapy while performing yoga are increased stamina, relief in muscle tension, deeper focus and mental clarity, and a strengthened 'mind to body' connection," Heather Johnson-Emerson wrote in Yahoo! Sports. "The benefits you seek [depend] on which poses you perform in your yoga routines, as well as which essential oils you use while performing your yoga routines."

For example, when it comes to tranquility, yoga can be enhanced with lavender, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang or clove. If yoga practitioners want to boost their energy, they may find orange peel, peppermint, lemon and cinnamon to be helpful. Peppermint and lemon, as well as tea tree and bergamot, can stimulate the senses and circulation, according to the news source.

People who take a Houston yoga class can be apply these oils to the skin under guidance, or to a special air diffuser.

As of 2007, more than 13 million American adults reported practicing yoga within the previous 12 months, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

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While the experience of combat can have a wide range of negative effects on war veterans, yoga may provide effective stress management tips for these individuals. Researchers from the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds are conducting several studies to investigate this concept.

"Military people don't want to be seen as victims, they're so brave," said scientist Emma Seppala, as quoted by WLUK-TV. "They're not always open to therapy because they hate the victim status, so we want to give them practices to empower them with tools they can use to help themselves."

A pilot study examined the effects of a yoga breathing technique on soldiers. Such practices may prove helpful for those who have post-traumatic stress disorder, which includes symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness and hyper-vigilance, Seppala told the news source. Her team hopes to conduct larger studies that include a neuroimaging component as well as comparisons between yogic breathing and meditation.

People who take yoga classes may reap several benefits. Reportedly, yoga can improve strength, flexibility, heart rate, blood pressure, lung capacity, mood and overall physical fitness, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

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As ubiquitous as cancer can seem in the media, each individual case should still be approached as unique in both its needs and appropriate treatment. To that end, Austin Cancer Centers combines the latest oncology treatments with alternative modalities, including yoga relaxation techniques, according to MD News.

"We operate with the philosophy of treating the whole patient in a manner personalized to his or her individual disease and needs. This can extend past our services to include connecting patients with massage therapists, nutritionists or psychiatrists," said Allison Gorrebeeck, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist at Austin Cancer Centers.

Practitioners at Austin Cancer Centers are cognizant of how these diseases can affect more than just the physical aspect of one's life.

Patients may take advantage of resources such as yoga and physical therapy, as well as services such as food banks and insurance counselors.

Technological advances within the facility's conventional oncology include the CyberKnife, a precise form of radiation therapy, and the PROVENGE prostate cancer vaccine.

The potential health benefits of Texas yoga classes may include stress management and better physical fitness, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The agency is supporting studies on yoga's effects on impaired immunity, diabetes and other conditions.

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