YOGA FOR GOOD MENTAL HEALTH
Before joining, I felt lazy, but now I feel stronger and healthier.
Hayley
I like the fact that for the duration of the class I am able to just focus on myself and tune in to my mind and body without having other aspects of my life intervene. Self care in its truest form.
Bhavana
Before joining, I felt okay but now I feel happier
Elaine
Yoga can be one tool in the management of conditions such as anxiety and depression, dealing with trauma or with managing stress. In yoga you can learn techniques for relaxation and deep, calm breathing as well as physical poses, which we see as "meditation in action".
ABOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
When you were in high school, you probably learned about the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system kicks in as a "fight or flight" response to danger. The parasympathetic nervous system governs digestion, reproduction, respiration. The vagal nerves are part of the parasympathetic nervous system. The ventral vagus nerve complex is associated with feelings of safety and connection. We can use yoga to move from a sympathetic to a ventral state.
The dorsal vagus nerve complex is associated with a "shutdown" or "freeze" response to danger. Think of a turtle that pulls its head, arms and legs into its shell for safety. This is a normal, helpful, biological response to danger. To move out of this dorsal state, we must move through the sympathetic nervous state, and only then into the ventral state. We can use yoga to shift the body from shutdown to mobilisation and into safety and connection.
Yoga offers a very practical, experiential way to explore these concepts in a supportive environment. We practice, and observe the bodily response.