8-week yoga therapy course for the mind- The benefits explained.

What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga therapy is a self-empowering process that allows us to become present in all moments life offers. Sometimes it can all become a bit too overwhelming. Yoga therapy gives us a chance to foster awareness of our minds and bodies as one again.

It is a course to reduce overwhelming emotions and gives you access to practical tools so you can support your wellbeing.

The benefits of Yoga Therapy include:

- Enhancing concentration and focus with controlled breathwork

- Expands psychological tolerance to uncomfortable situations

- Developing resilience towards a better self

- Stronger skills to manage stress, anxiety and depression 

- Developing a self-care practice for improved wellbeing.

The next online 8 week course starts Sunday 24th April. You can find more details and how to book on the link at the end of this blog.

Benefit 1 – Controlled breathwork

We all forget about breathing; it is an unconscious act that is so vital to each of us to live. Without us knowing, the majority of us are breathing wrong, I know you didn’t think it was possible to do it wrong.

However, breathing in a smooth rhythm consistently is calming and your mind will follow into this state of zen.

Imagine yourself breathing erratically and having poor control over your inhales and exhales, you feel stressed and eventually probably start to panic. This is happening due to the uncertain breath patterns sending unpredictable messages to our brains.

In Yoga therapy you will learn how to steady your nervous system with breathwork. It increases your mental focus, as well as overall mood and attention. You will begin the journey of exploring the landscape between the body and the mind.

I want to help my readers understand what is and isn't normal for them physically and psychologically. 

Listen to your body, I promise it will appreciate it!

Benefit 2 – Learn to self-soothe

Yoga therapy is a discipline that needs to be learnt and absorbed, it can shift our entire body through our neural networks into a more beneficial mindset.

A lot of the time we are guilty of being our own worst enemies, therefore becoming self-soothing is a powerful tool towards self-efficacy.

The way we breathe is a direct indication to our brain of the level of safety in our external environment. Deep breathing into our belly, allows more oxygen to enter the body to establish relaxing physiological conditions such as decreased muscle tension and healthier cells and tissues

We can feel fully supported within our nervous system, the feelings of anxiety can fade by building resilience to face those destructive inner voices that try to sabotage us. 

Benefit 3 – Neuroscience behind resilience

The vagus nerve, never heard of it before? It is surprisingly important, 80% of the fibres from the vagus nerve group move from the body up to the brain. 

The main function of this nerve is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, in short bringing back our self-awareness. When our belly breathes with our diaphragm, the Vagus nerve becomes stimulated sending messages to the brain to relax and calm down.

Conscious breathing and executing yoga practices strengthens these nerve transmissions, resulting in a toned vagus nerve.

A toned vagus nerve does not have to be as hard work as trying to tone your abdominal muscles. Yoga is slow and relaxing with better benefits than abs. 

Toning results allows for you to have positive embodiment in yourself with less stress, less likelihood of becoming emotionally upset, and better resilience to bounce back from your irrepressible setbacks.

Benefit 4 – Stronger management of stress, anxiety and depression

When my mental health was poor, I felt my mind constantly moving too fast. Nowadays there is pressure to achieve the most in the least amount of time. 

The first pranayama I learnt was Ujjayi, it allowed me to ground myself and release with a sound the negative thoughts and feelings I was holding onto. It had such a profound impact on me, calming my anxiety, my mind felt anchored and lighter to function better in society again. 

It is easier than it sounds to elongate the breath on the exhale, it requires less energy making it naturally relaxing. Also, a reduced breath rate improves cardiac function.

It improves our long term cognitive functioning and allows our attention to focus inward. We can gain a sense of rejuvenation.

Benefit 5 – Improvement of self-care practice

Restorative yoga therapy and breathwork practices can help you put proper exercise (Asanas), breathing (Pranayama), relaxation (Savasana), and nutrition thinking into your daily routine.

If you want more detail on the importance of self-care practices, and how to realign yourself in specialised ways focusing on healing. Check out my blog here.

Even though I have a clear routine now, I was also a beginner once too. I have learnt from my personal experience that we need to process our feelings on all levels mentally, emotionally and physically. We are one being, patterns and habits are not just mental but physical also. 

Yoga is a powerful tool to develop self awareness but we need to develop honesty and courage to take action. Let’s break patterns and be better (imperfect) versions of ourselves. Yoga is teaching us self-mastery to connect with ourselves intimately, compassionately and create lasting change from the inside out. 

Om Shanti 

References:

·       Yoga for anxiety, themindedinstitute.com

·       Yoga Therapy for the Mind 8 Week Course Tickets, Sun 24 Apr 2022 at 09:00 | Eventbrite

·       Steady the nervous system, Jerath R and Beveridge C (2020) Respiratory Rhythm, Autonomic Modulation, and the Spectrum of Emotions: The Future of Emotion Recognition and Modulation. Front. Psychol. 11:1980. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01980

·       Deep breathing, Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, Garbella E, Menicucci D, Neri B and Gemignani A (2018) How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 12:353. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

·       Toning results,The Movement Paradigm

·       Vagus nerve, Effects and Applications for Well-Being: Medicine & Healthcare Book Chapter | IGI Global (igi-global.com)

·       Ujjayi Breathing, What It Is, How to Do It, Benefits, and More (healthline.com)

·       Cardiac function, A meta-analysis of heart rate variability and neuroimaging studies: (sciencedirectassets.com)

·       Restorative yoga therapy, Pranoga - The Five Major Principles of Yoga

·       Self-care blog, Jessica Hirani - Wellness Therapist