
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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