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From Mat to Mind: Yoga's Impact on Mental Health

Alexis Hamilton


Yogis have been trying to tell us for centuries to slow down, listen in and become aware.

Our science now is starting to back up all the information the yogis knew so long ago, about how

yoga compliments our mental health. Yoga has become widely body inclusive and trauma-

informed and it makes the practice much more accessible to all. In this blog we will explore the

many attributes that yoga inherently has to boost our mental health.


Yoga is an ancient practice that can come in many forms. If you choose to move with

your breath this is a form of yoga. If you sit or lay down and become aware of a thought or

sensation in your body, this too is yoga. Yoga can be done on a yoga mat, on your bed, your

couch, in the grass or on the bus. The coolest thing about this practice is that it is pocket style,

you can take it anywhere. Whether you choose to practice in a studio alongside other yogis or

embody the practice online or on your own, you may call it yoga. One common denominator, no

matter how you practice, is the attention to detail. Noticing the way your breath moves in and out

of your body, sensations that arise as you move, the experience you have when your palms

connect. When practicing yoga we match our breath to our movement, the arms rise up, you

inhale, the arms sweep down, you exhale. The piece of it that is focusing your attention to that

breath with movement can be thought of as a moving meditation. Meditation, in all forms, is a

practice of clearing and focusing your mind through mental and physical techniques. A regular

meditation practice actually has the capacity to increase grey matter density in parts of the brain

responsible for emotional regulation, memory, compassion, empathy and attention.


Now, breath and meditation are important aspects of the practice and they work in

tandem to centre and calm the mind. Already, you are aiding your mental health just by doing

this. Once the mind is calm you can access or create new pathways and connections in the brain

that improve cognitive functioning inclusive of learning, memory, awareness, thought and

attention. Your brain can regulate itself and other bodily systems, it does this by turning on red

lights and green lights. The cool thing is, your brain learns, by strengthening or weakening

certain connections or lights. So, even the maladaptive patterns and negative automatic habits or

thoughts you that have been present for years, those connections could be weakened as you

practice and create stronger more positive ones. Just like we exercise our muscles to become

stronger, we can exercise our brains too. When we are successful with our training, we are able

to have a more appropriate response to stressful and anxious situations, through higher valued

brain connections.


Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the automatic system, these are things that

happen in your body without your awareness or intentions to do so (immune, hormone,

gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and nervous system). The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

is your rest and digest system. When you feel safe and your body can focus on relaxation and

digestion of food. Every time you calm the ANS through stimulating the PNS, you enforce new

and higher valued neural connections that can lead to a stronger mind-body connection. The PNS

can be stimulated in many ways, inclusive of, but not limited to, long exhalations, relaxation,

belly breathing, connecting with others, and feet higher than your heart. By intentionally feeling

safer, activating PNS, this helps to control the hardwired tendency to look for and overreact to

threat. By practicing this in safe and calm environments, you build the capacity to access it when

you need it, during high-emotive environments.


Mindfulness, is a buzz word these days. It gets tossed around often but what does it truly

mean? Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment,

and non-judgementally. Let’s break that down a little bit. Paying attention is to intentionally

direct and sustain attention, whether it’s on the breath, an emotion or a thought. This skill allows

us to regain a sense of agency and control, as compared to being left at the mercy of wandering

attention or thoughts. By staying in the present moment, we practice the here and now rather than becoming lost in thoughts about the past or future. Lastly, nonjudgmental attention, refers to an attitude of curiosity and acceptance in our present moment experience. Instead of judging or dismissing the mood we notice, we can remain open and inquisitive. Through all of this we can

start to cultivate a sense of self-regulation. A skill that serves us when responding to an uncertain

and ever-changing world in flexible and adaptive ways.


Yoga could be thought of as a backdoor to combating anxiety, depression and stress.

When we are stressed or experiencing fear, our body tenses and activates our sympathetic

nervous system, your fight, flight and freeze response. By building a foundation of a relationship

with your self it can lead to better understanding and acceptance of these responses. When we

physically move our body in yoga, we work to release muscle tension, knots and stickiness. By

doing so, we may inadvertently release emotional tension, stress and worry. This movement, like

any movement or exercise, promotes a release of the feel-good hormones, endorphins, and these

can positively affect the way you handle and respond to stress. With a clearer mind, and a calmer

state to begin with, you are starting ahead of the stress. When you show up with an empty cup

and a permanent build-up of stress, it makes it exponentially more challenging to handle

additional or different stress. Now, I’m not saying this practice is a cure all, or that if you attend one practice your problems will be solved. I’m saying if you create a relationship with this practice, it is very likely that you will notice positive change.


Simple exercises to try today:


Belly Breathing / Diaphragmatic Breath

1) Inhale through your nose

2) Purse lips like you are blowing through a straw

3) Exhale

4) Repeat 5-8 times

5) Notice any differences

Feet Above Heart

Option 1) Lay on bed and put feet up against headboard or wall

Option 2) Lay on floor and put legs up against wall

Option 3) Lay on couch and swing legs over arm of the couch, feet can dangle in this one

Remain in this position for 2-5 minutes. Notice how you feel.


Neck and Shoulder Rolls

1) Find a comfortable seat

2) Start by rolling your shoulders, both together or one at a time, forwards and backwards

3) Notice what sensations arise

4) Take your chin towards your chest

5) Left ear over to left shoulder, through centre and right ear to right shoulder

6) Experiment with the position of your chin, high or tucked low

7) Notice what sensations arise


Resources

Book: Buddha’s Brain

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