Yoga and the Upward Spiral of Health
"Stay on the mat, monkey mind", I repeat as my eyes scan the dusty floor beside me, the toys that need to be put away, the mess that could use a quick sweep before I start my practice.
"Here.... now.....here... now....", I breathe slowly and close my eyes. I close them to the 'shoulds' of my mothering, my housekeeping and my list. I close my eyes to distraction, to the needs of the day, to people and life.
I find comfort as I slip into the rhythm of my breath... the sensations of skin and bones and muscles... the repetition of movement and shapes my body knows so well.
"Here.... now.....here... now....", I breathe slowly and close my eyes. I close them to the 'shoulds' of my mothering, my housekeeping and my list. I close my eyes to distraction, to the needs of the day, to people and life.
I find comfort as I slip into the rhythm of my breath... the sensations of skin and bones and muscles... the repetition of movement and shapes my body knows so well.
I find familiarity in my practice, the physical bringing change to the emotional, my body's movements affecting my heart and mind... my whole energy system, the thoughts and emotions finding rhythm, finding union, finding yoga.
I used to have panic attacks 20 years ago, and I learned that if I slowed my breath it would mechanically force my heart rate to come down to normal. The physical explanation of this is that the parasympathetic nervous system, being activated by deep slow breathing, controls the rate of heart beats. Slow breathing activates the vagus nerve, the primary cranial nerve. The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with a calm state, the "rest and digest" state. Creating this state through the breathing exercises or pranayama at the beginning of a yoga practice is essential to our well being and emotions, time and time again.
This ancient practice has been proven to be a type of medicine for so many. Current medical professionals are commonly prescribing yoga for diseases of our western culture such as anxiety and depression. The mental state in some people can be a place of war inside themselves, with little capacity to see a way out. When we practice yoga, when we have a stable root and a familiar routine to fall back on, our darkest thoughts can be eased a little tiny bit. Maybe enough to feel just a little better, to help the heart mend... just one step closer to wellness and the capacity increases. This less commonly talked about 'upward spiral of health' is ignited, we feel better, so we have room to make better choices for our heath, so we feel better. One brings the other and we can find the place of mental and emotional balance once again.
The asana practice in yoga spills over so much farther than our mat. Even farther than our hamstrings, our flexibility and our muscles. Just as backbends open the heart centre and awaken us on levels we may not know about yet, we are affected by the physicality of yoga on all levels of our being. We feel it. After a great class, our emotions are simply not what they were on the way in. The hormonal cascade, the endorphins, the chemistry in our blood and brain shifts as we breathe and move through the shapes, the challenges and the postures.
Our heart carries our emotional scars, our stories and our hardships through this imperfect life. Our minds sometimes get busy to try to avoid the pain and challenging feelings from these events, but our heart will always hold them tenderly, awaiting the space to heal them. When we make space for yoga, meditation or even a few simple deep breathing exercises in our day we create a bridge that can bring our hearts and minds together. Yoga is the union, the place our bodies can do the work, through the practice on the mat and in our breath. Our hearts and minds can reap the benefits, as they soak up all the good we create in our practices. Yoga can be our medicine, changing our internal body chemistry to a more balanced state. It can be measured and proven by science or simply seen and recognized in one's smile, in one's eyes after class. This shift in the mind can be felt in the energy level and openness. We often notice our threshold changes, our tolerance level soothes. We are simply less overwhelmed. In a culture that supports so much achievement and measures success mostly by goals attained, it is comforting to know there is a different way of thinking. A way that embraces balanced health as a priority and enjoys the process without judgment or 'the shoulds' of where we ought to be. A place of welcome for our healing journey, a place where grief can take up as much space as it needs, or where simply being, feeling and observing are valid ways to pass time.
I am grateful yoga came into my life when I needed it. Beginning with the breath work, yoga gave me this space to look deep within myself. I didn't always like what I found, but I always loved knowing that the tools are here for us to use whenever they are needed. Yoga offers us the missing link we sometimes need. Between body and mind, between breath and heart. It offers us the chance to rebuild within ourselves those internal connections we so often seek outside. Those internal connections are getting stronger, and are being passed on in our genes and our habits to our young ones. Every time we use our breath, hit the mat or focus our mind, we are creating a different culture — one that has a strong foundation in these values, in our rituals and practice, in our coping skills and in our solid self inquiry. This is why I practice, this is why I teach, and this is why I breathe with my son slowly and close my eyes to those silly lists. And slowly, slowly my monkey mind succumbs to the rhythm like a swaddled babe being rocked
Elizabeth Martin