Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains of my time. How does a sweet, though a bit of a know it all, kid turn into such a monster?
Easy. Stress. From an early age, he was told he was The Chosen One. The one to bring balance to the Force. Yet he was unstable, annoying, and didn’t have the coping skills for such a burden.
It’s quite clear that Anakin could have benefitted from yoga, meditation, and massage as ways to help cope with his anxieties of everyone he loves dying.
I know that the vast majority of us will not turn into Sith Lords without proper self-care, but we can get down on ourselves, react in anger if stressed, and even suffer from health problems if we let stress rule our lives.
If I had been in charge of the Jedi Training Academy, I would have included yoga, meditation, and massage in my curriculum. All three of these practices are linked to decreasing stress and anxiety.
Please click on the following links to learn more about how yoga and meditation can ease anxiety and stress, click below:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967
Finally, to read about how massage can help you out during stressful times, read here:
http://sciencenordic.com/massages-reduce-stress-and-anxiety
(This is a study from Sweden, but is more recent than other studies I have found.)
