MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

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.